Chu Bai nodded slightly. He understood.
’The Law Net is order, a shackle, and a form of protection. Spirit Stones, on the other hand, represent freedom, but also a hidden danger. No wonder Evil Qi festered here after the place was abandoned, allowing it to become a paradise for Demon Beasts.’
"All right, the entrance to the mining area is just ahead."
Wang Qingli stopped in her tracks. The Demon-Seeking Mirror in her hand suddenly began to emit a faint red glow.
"Everyone, be careful. The Demon-Seeking Mirror is reacting. This means... we’ve already entered the rat pack’s alert perimeter."
The expressions of the group tightened instantly. Chu Bai subtly readied his hands, Spiritual Power circulating silently within him, prepared for any sudden developments.
They had arrived at the abandoned mining district.
The entrance to the abandoned mining district was a scene of utter desolation.
Enormous wooden support beams, long since rotted away by the passage of time, lay scattered haphazardly among piles of rubble, covered in dark red moss. A stale, musty smell permeated the air, mixed with the distinct scent of subterranean earth and a faint, unsettling trace of Demon Qi.
The farther they ventured inside, the dimmer the light became. Only occasional sunlight filtering through cracks in the rock ceiling above cast dappled patterns of light and shadow on the dusty ground, like countless spying eyes.
The five-person team maintained a tight diamond formation.
As the team’s main defender, Wang Qingli walked at the point, the massive Turtle Shell Shield on her back providing an immense sense of security.
Zhang Shan and Zhao Gang flanked them on the left and right, responsible for keeping watch and providing support. Lin Xiaoyun, the healer, was protected in the safest position at the center, while Chu Bai brought up the rear, tasked with both guarding their backs and being ready to assist the entire team at a moment’s notice.
"The Demon Qi here... is chaotic."
Wang Qingli stopped. The red light on her Demon-Seeking Mirror was flickering erratically, blinking on and off as if it had a loose connection. She frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "The mirror’s reaction is so disorderly. It means the Demon Qi isn’t from a single source. There are a large number of demonic creatures active here, and their movements are completely random."
"Looks like the intel was right. This place really has become a rat’s nest," Zhao Gang muttered, curling his lip. The Willow Leaf Flying Saber danced nimbly between his fingers, but his eyes vigilantly scanned the surrounding shadows.
Under Wang Qingli’s direction, the team maneuvered carefully, avoiding areas that looked dangerously unstable.
Eventually, their gazes locked onto the entrance of a half-collapsed mine tunnel.
The Demon Qi was thickest here; even the red light from the Demon-Seeking Mirror felt faintly warm. More noticeably, beside the mountain of rubble, there were numerous fresh signs of digging. The soil had taken on an eerie, dark red hue, as if it had been soaked in blood.
"This is the place."
Wang Qingli took a deep breath and said solemnly, "One of the main entrances to the T-shaped Mine Pit. Everyone, stay sharp. Ambushes are what these brutes do best."
The words were barely out of her mouth when the attack came!
Without any warning, the seemingly peaceful ground began to bulge violently.
"Careful! Below us!" Zhang Shan yelled. He was a split second too slow in casting his Vine Technique.
PTHH! PTHH! PTHH!
With the sound of spraying dirt, three gray shadows burst from the earth. They were astonishingly fast, leaving only afterimages as they shot through the air, bringing with them a nauseating, fetid stench as they attacked different members of the team.
They were three monstrous rats, each the size of a house cat!
Their bodies were covered in iron-hard, earth-gray fur, their claws and fangs were as sharp as knives, and their beady little eyes glinted with a bloodthirsty red light. Worst of all, their attack was cunningly executed—one lunged for the ankle of Zhang Shan at the front, while the other two actually bypassed the frontline defense and shot straight for Lin Xiaoyun in the center of the formation!
’These brutes know to target the backline first!’
"Ah!" Although Lin Xiaoyun was at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer, she was a support character, after all. Faced with the sudden appearance of a savage face, she went deathly pale and instinctively raised her Cyan Wood Staff to block.
"You’re courting death!"
A cold snort cut through the air.
Zhao Gang, who had seemed so nonchalant until now, reacted the fastest. With a flick of his wrist, a cold glint shot out like a shooting star.
TING!
It was a Willow Leaf Flying Saber. With pinpoint accuracy, it struck the monstrous rat that had leaped into the air, just as it was about to claw at Lin Xiaoyun’s face.
With a wet THUNK, the Flying Saber pierced the Burrow Rat’s skull. The sheer force of the impact sent its corpse flying backward, pinning it viciously to the side of the rock wall.
"Th-Thank you, Senior Brother Zhao!" Lin Xiaoyun said, still shaken, shooting a grateful glance at Zhao Gang.
Zhao Gang just grunted, not saying a word, but he already had a second Flying Saber in his hand. He might have a sharp tongue, but when it mattered, he didn’t hesitate to protect his teammates.
Meanwhile, the fight on the other side had also erupted.
The Burrow Rat pouncing on Zhang Shan was the most ferocious of the three, its jaws about to clamp down on his calf.
"Rise!"
Wang Qingli didn’t even turn around. She formed a hand seal with one hand and slapped it onto the ground.
BOOM!
A thick wall of earth instantly erupted in front of Zhang Shan. The Burrow Rat, unable to stop, slammed headfirst into it with a dull THUD. It was sent tumbling to the ground, completely dazed.
"A perfect opportunity!"
A sharp glint flashed in the eyes of Chu Bai, who had been guarding the rear.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he raised his hand and unleashed his signature move: the Spirit Water Needle.
This time, he wasn’t aiming for maximum explosive power, but deliberately controlled his Magical Power output. The azure Water Needle had only the faintest golden glint to it, but its strength lay in its incredible speed and cunning trajectory.
WHIZ!
The Water Needle traced a graceful arc through the air, precisely piercing the throat of the dazed Burrow Rat before it even had a chance to recover.
SPURT!
Blood sprayed. The Burrow Rat didn’t even have time to cry out. Its limbs twitched twice, and then it lay perfectly still.
A clean, decisive, one-hit kill.
"Nice shot!" Zhang Shan couldn’t help but exclaim in praise.
Seeing its companions killed in an instant, a flicker of fear appeared in the last Burrow Rat’s eyes. It turned and tried to burrow back into the ground.
"Trying to run? Not so fast!"
Zhang Shan had recovered by now and clapped his hands together. Countless cyan vines shot out like Spiritual Serpents, instantly wrapping around the Burrow Rat that was halfway into the ground and yanking it clean out of the dirt.
Another cold glint flashed.
Zhao Gang’s second Flying Saber arrived just in time to finish off the last Burrow Rat.
From the start of the ambush to the end of the battle, only two or three breaths’ time had passed.
The once-quiet mine entrance was now silent save for the corpses of the Burrow Rats and the sound of the group’s slightly ragged breathing.
"Is it... over already?" Lin Xiaoyun patted her chest, still in disbelief.
"Three common Burrow Rats, ten Daoist Merits each. We’re off to a good start."
Zhao Gang walked over to retrieve his Flying Sabers. He casually sliced off the Burrow Rats’ ears as proof of the kill, his gaze landing on Chu Bai with a thoughtful expression. "That needle of yours was a nice finisher. Perfect timing. Saved us a lot of trouble."
He was arrogant, but he respected strength. Chu Bai’s move hadn’t been flashy, nor was he slacking. He had perfectly filled a gap in their offense, and it completely changed Zhao Gang’s impression of the first-year student.
"I didn’t think you’d be able to keep up, this being your first mission and all. You’re not as much of a dead weight as I expected," Zhao Gang added, a rare compliment, though his tone was still gruff.
Chu Bai smiled humbly. "Senior Sister Wang’s control was timely, and Senior Brother Zhao’s Flying Sabers are sharp. I just took advantage of the opening you all created."
"Don’t get complacent."
Wang Qingli put away her Demon-Seeking Mirror and walked over to inspect the Burrow Rat corpses, her expression still tense. "They knew how to coordinate and ambush our backline. That shows they’re not just simple beasts; they have a certain level of cunning and tactical instinct. That’s what makes them so troublesome."
"And this is just the periphery," she said, looking up into the dark, deep mine. "The big ones inside will only be tougher. Everyone, take a moment to recover, but stay alert. We’re moving on!"
"Yes!"
The group responded in unison. Their teamwork, which had been a bit clumsy before, now showed a faint glimmer of synergy after that brief skirmish.
Chu Bai looked at the dead Burrow Rats on the ground, calculating to himself. ’Three rats are thirty Daoist Merits. Even split five ways, that’s still a decent income. If the intel is right and there’s a whole swarm of them in this mine...’
’...Then this trip is really going to be a jackpot!’

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