"We'll talk about it once we're outside!"

Fang Qingyu's voice was extremely low, instantly cutting off Jiang Wei's whispers.

His sharp eyes swept over the chaotic tunnel, the Starlight Force Field expanded again, forcibly stabilizing the debris and viscous chunks falling due to aftershocks nearby.

"Retreat! Quickly!"

Fang Qingyu shouted in a low voice, with one hand tightly guarding Jiang Wei, and the other pointing the Dragon Sparrow Calamity Slash forward.

Qin Hui and Qi Hao immediately took the lead, shields and gloves clearing the way, Old Qiao packed up the recorder, Lv Chen followed closely, and Wei Banmeng silently covered the rear like a panther melding into the shadows.

The group followed the marked route they had come along, struggling upwards through thickening, choking dust, and miasma, under continuous minor aftershocks.

The collapsed and blocked passage made it several times more difficult, sometimes forcing them to rely on Jiang Wei's precise small-range flame burns or Fang Qingyu's fierce Sword Qi to break through obstacles.

Every tremor brought their hearts to their throats.

Afraid of another world-shattering impact like before.

The effects of the Poisonous Miasma Pill rapidly faded under intense consumption, the protective glow on their bodies flickered uncertainly, and a piercing numb and eroding sensation began to seep in.

When the group finally stumbled out of the D-7 entrance in a sorry state.

Feeling the salty, fishy sea breeze from outside once again, almost everyone couldn't help but gasp deeply, greedily breathing the relatively fresh air.

The sunlight was blinding but carried the warmth of a narrow escape.

The base was chaotic, clearly, the intense earthquake just now had widespread effects.

Fang Qingyu's squad quickly found the officer responsible for the D District entrance to report the completion of the mission and the encounter inside the passage.

The officer looked at the "Mist Corridor" region clearance report uploaded to the tactical terminal, a glint of surprise in his eyes, clearly not expecting this newcomer squad to complete such a high-difficulty mission so efficiently.

"Well done!" The officer nodded approvingly, then his expression turned grave, "As for the tremor just now, alas, they've been frequent these days, each stronger than the last, originating from the deepest part of the pit."

"Have you figured out the reason?" Fang Qingyu asked calmly.

The officer shook his head, a look of helplessness and a hint of worry on his face: "Still investigating. Master Chen and Master Zheng are jointly suppressing that Molting Level Life Ghost, the feedback is very vague, it seems it's undergoing some intense 'transformation' or struggle deep underground, triggering large-scale geological activity."

He paused, observing the lingering fear on everyone's faces.

Then added, "But you can rest assured, the tunnel structure itself is stabilized by that Divine Chosen from the west, as long as it doesn't collapse directly on you, the risk of a complete cave-in is very low."

"An Earth Element Divine Chosen?" Qin Hui couldn't hold back his curiosity, "Is it the one from the west?"

He remembered the words from the middle-aged man at the bar last night.

"Yes!" The officer confirmed, "That lord masters the Power of Earth, constructing a massive force field network deep underground, greatly mitigating the earthquake damage to the tunnel structure. Otherwise, with such tremors, it would have collapsed long ago."

Fang Qingyu and Wei Banmeng exchanged a knowing glance.

A Divine Chosen from the west, together with Songdu's Master of Fury Zheng Xiaohai, Shangjing's support "Mountain Splitter" Chen Tiejun, and the Su Family's Apostle heir...

Four top entities working together to suppress, indeed the situation beneath the pit was as perilous and complex as it could get.

The Merit Points and scores for the mission settlement quickly arrived, quite substantial in amount.

Fang Qingyu's squad immediately headed to the camp's resource exchange center.

It was even noisier here than the entrance area, with a variety of martial artists and Divine Cultist squads coming and going, the air filled with the scent of blood, sweat, Qi Blood Crystals, Life Pearls, and the unique aroma of Meditation Flowers.

The exchange center resembled a giant steel warehouse converted, brightly lit.

Unlike Qingjian City's resource hierarchy, the exchange rules on the Songdu frontline were straightforward and crude.

Merit Points and scores were hard currency, no grade distinction, only quantity mattered.

The massive screen incessantly rolled the dense exchangeable list: from Qi Blood Crystals, Life Pearls, regardless of Breaking Mortality, Micro, Profound Level, all were available.

To various rare minerals, special potions, custom equipment blueprints, and even strange items labeled as "battlefield seizures, origin unknown," dazzling and with prices shocking enough to make one gasp.

"Hiss... A Profound Level Rock Armor Corpse Fiend body? Fifteen hundred Merit Points?! Highway robbery!"

Qi Hao stared at the image of an earthy yellow crystal stone on the screen, inhaling sharply.

"Save it, that thing is for Mystic Martial Artists to make equipment, or for special Body Refining Techniques, it's not for you."

They watched from the side, as Fang Qingyu stepped forward to join the queue.

In front was a squad exuding fierce energy, all wearing uniform crimson combat uniforms.

This squad had clearly just been through a hard battle, many were injured, but their eyes were as sharp as knives, exuding intense murderous aura and the scent of blood.

Leading them was a tall, cold-faced middle-aged man, muscles knotted on his bare arms, veins like coiling Furious Dragons, faintly emitting a lava-like glow.

He was handing a sack of blood-red Life Ghost materials to the exchange officer.

"Wow, Red Flame Squad did well this time, probably took down at least two Profound Tier big ones, huh?"

A member of a squad waiting at the exchange whispered to his companion, a tone filled with envy.

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