「Meanwhile, in the other tunnel.」
Lü Qing’s squad had been advancing steadily. After all, they were all battle-hardened senior students. Their teamwork was impeccable and their monster-slaying efficiency was extremely high. They were basically steamrolling their way through with little opposition.
"Hmph. That Wang Qingli might have good defense, but she’s dragging along a first-year rookie. There’s no way their advance is as fast as ours."
Lü Qing sent a pouncing Burrow Rat flying with a swing of his sword, feeling a private sense of triumph. ’And when it comes to overall teamwork, we’re definitely superior. Looks like that round of drinks is as good as won.’
However, when the two teams drew near each other at a corner where the rock wall was thin, he happened to glance through a fissure at what was happening on the other side.
What he saw left him completely dumbfounded.
Over on Wang Qingli’s side, there were none of the tedious steps like scouting, probing, or luring monsters.
They were just steamrolling! No, they were sprinting!
The first-year rookie was charging at the very front, his eyes glowing with a golden light. As if tireless, he pointed and they attacked, striking wherever he indicated.
Scouting, luring, delivering finishing blows, predicting enemy movements... He was doing the work of three people all by himself!
The other four just had to mindlessly cast their Magic Techniques. The whole team moved as a single unit, leaving a trail of rat corpses in their wake. Their efficiency was so fast it was ridiculous.
"This... This isn’t bringing a rookie along at all!"
Lü Qing swallowed hard. Watching Chu Bai’s fluid and seamless performance, he couldn’t help but marvel, "His combat experience is so rich? And those eyes... could it be that he’s mastered some kind of Pupil Technique?"
"Worthy of being the number one first-year!"
"Brothers, stop holding back! If we don’t go all out, we’re definitely going to be the ones buying that Hundred Flowers Brew!" Lü Qing roared, swinging his Giant Sword with even greater urgency.
But he knew in his heart, ’If the other team keeps up this pace... there’s no escaping paying for that round of drinks.’
「In the deepest part of the cavern.」
This was the place in the entire T-shaped Mine Pit where the Evil Qi was most concentrated. The surrounding rock walls were covered in foul-smelling slime, and the ground was piled high with the thick feces and white bones of Demon Beasts. The environment was nauseatingly vile.
The two squads finally met here in victory.
The weaker monsters on the outskirts had been completely cleared out. And as for Wang Qingli’s squad, thanks to Chu Bai’s "Divine Eye"—which seemed to give him a full-map wallhack—they had clearly outperformed Lü Qing’s team in both kill count and advancement speed.
"Hahaha! Senior Brother Lü, looks like you can’t get out of buying that Hundred Flowers Brew!"
Zhang Shan’s face was alight with excitement as he shot a wink at the dirt-streaked Lü Qing.
Although Lü Qing had lost, he wasn’t angry. Instead, he wiped the blood and grime from his face with a magnanimous air. "A bet’s a bet! As long as we can slay that big fella, forget the Hundred Flowers Brew—I’ll treat you all at the Drunken Immortal Tower!"
However, before everyone could even breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from deep underground, cutting off all laughter.
"ROAR—!!!"
The ground shook and the mountains swayed, making it seem as if the entire cavern was about to collapse.
From the giant cave ahead, a terrifying beast the size of a calf charged out with a deafening crash. It had two hideous, grotesque heads, and its fur stood on end like steel needles, each one glinting with a cold, metallic light.
Even more frightening was the oppressive might radiating from its body, so heavy it made it hard to breathe—it was the unmistakable aura of the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer!
Behind it followed four or five massive Elite Guard Rats, each one possessing the strength of the Qi Cultivation Third Layer. They stared fiercely at the intruders.
This was the overlord of this place, the Two-headed Rat General!
"Array Formation! That’s a Demon General at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer!"
Lü Qing’s expression changed drastically. With a great roar, he charged forward without a second thought to face it head-on.
Against a Demon Beast of this level, someone had to draw its aggro immediately, or the squishy backline would be instantly wiped out.
The black Giant Sword in his hand erupted with a dazzling, earthy-yellow light, forming a barrier like a door panel in front of him. He forcefully blocked a savage charge from the Rat General.
CLANG!
A grating screech of metal on metal rang out. Lü Qing was forced back several steps, each footfall gouging a deep pit into the hard rock floor. The webbing between his thumb and index finger split open, and blood trickled down the hilt of his sword.
"Such immense strength! This beast is even stronger than a typical Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer!" Lü Qing snarled through gritted teeth.
"I’ll help you!"
Not to be outdone, Wang Qingli let out a sharp cry. The Giant Turtle Shell Shield on her back flew out, transforming into a bronze wall before them and absorbing most of the impact for Lü Qing.
The two elite squads quickly merged their efforts.
The defenders and melee fighters held the front line desperately while the ranged attackers, Zhao Gang, Zhang Shan, and the others, along with the healer, Lin Xiaoyun, took cover in the rear. A barrage of Magic Techniques rained down on the Rat General.
However, the situation reached a stalemate.
The Two-headed Rat General was not only tough-skinned and hard to injure—ordinary Magic Techniques only left faint white marks on its body, failing to break its defense—but it was also extremely cunning. It constantly hid behind the Elite Guard Rats, using its underlings as meat shields.
Its two heads worked in perfect concert. The left head spewed dense barrages of Earth Spikes for suppression, while the right head would periodically spit out plumes of dark green, venomous mist, making it impossible to guard against.
"Cough, cough..."
The cavern was an enclosed space, and the poisonous mist quickly spread. Lin Xiaoyun, who had been heavily protected, inadvertently inhaled a wisp of the mist. Her rosy face instantly turned purple. The Healing Technique in her hands was interrupted as she clutched her chest, coughing in pain.
"Oh no! Xiaoyun is poisoned!"
With the healing cut off, the pressure on Lü Qing and Wang Qingli at the front immediately skyrocketed. Without continuous healing and purification, their defensive formation became instantly precarious in the face of the Rat General’s furious, storm-like assault.

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