Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of synchronized footsteps echoed outside the military camp. Marching in perfect rhythm, the soldiers advanced like a tide toward the underground tunnel hidden beneath the scorpionmen's war chariots. It was more of a cross-country charge than a regular advance.
Yi Tianxing led at the front, with Wu Yong following closely behind.
As a military strategist, Wu Yong naturally wouldn't miss such a major battle.
Thirty thousand troops streamed into the underground passage in single file.
The moment they entered, they found themselves inside a long and massive underground tunnel. Normally, once Xuanhuang Town was fully forged into a supreme artifact, the underground area would become part of the town itself. Tunneling beneath would have been impossible. But for now, it was still in its embryonic state and didn't fully block intrusions—allowing for free passage.
In the blink of an eye, the thirty thousand troops vanished from the surface.
"There really is a major battle happening. That tunnel must be the underground passage dug by the scorpionmen. Some troops had already gone to investigate it before. Looks like they found traces of the scorpionmen and immediately mobilized the army to exterminate the remaining ones."
"Let's go too. We can't miss this chance to kill some aliens. The scorpionmen are already half-crippled. Even if they still have strength left, they won't be able to stop thirty thousand troops."
Excited cultivators rushed toward the tunnel.
Seeing such a large military operation from Xuanhuang Town, they could easily guess that a major battle was imminent.
It made sense—after the alien races attacked Xuanhuang Town, now that it had recovered, how could it not strike back with full force?
The tunnel wasn't narrow. Some earth-element cultivators had previously widened it. Since it was originally excavated by the scorpionmen, it had to be wide enough for armies to pass through. The tunnel now allowed ten soldiers to move side-by-side, ensuring swift movement without hindrance.
Wang Dahu led the way, following markings left inside the tunnel.
Soldiers were still stationed to keep watch.
"Proceed lightly," Yang Ye quickly ordered as Wang Dahu signaled they were close.
All the soldiers were cultivators and quickly circulated their true qi, making their footsteps as light as feathers. They moved across the tunnel floor without making a sound. With their strength, they could maintain this silent state for quite a while.
Before long, they reached the tunnel's end.
At the edge, they saw that the main tunnel split into a side path. Wang Dahu led them through the side passage, deliberately avoiding the main route.
The main tunnel had been dug by the scorpionmen—approaching through there would almost certainly result in being discovered. The detour was a much smarter tactic.
At the fork, a team of soldiers was already stationed. The location was well concealed. Seeing Yi Tianxing and the large army behind him, the soldiers' faces lit up with joy.
"Master, look!" Wang Dahu pointed ahead.
"A massive underground space. These scorpionmen have hollowed out the earth down here. They've carved out an enormous subterranean world."
Yi Tianxing peered ahead. His first impression: enormous.
Before them lay a vast underground space, spanning at least three or four li across. Excavating something of this scale would've required immense effort and power—a truly colossal undertaking.
"There really are scorpionmen... and so many human civilians."
As he looked closer, Yi Tianxing saw masses of scorpionmen warriors gathering around a pitch-black Demonic Altar at the center. He had seen it before—an altar capable of communing with a demonic god. Yi Tianxing knew that if he faced that power head-on, he would be instantly suppressed, completely helpless against it. It was far too powerful.
But even more terrifying was what lay beneath the altar—a horde of venomous scorpions, crawling in countless numbers. Yi Tianxing couldn't begin to guess where the scorpionmen had found such a variety of venomous creatures. Just a glance made his scalp tingle and his heart tremble.
It was one of the five most infamous poisons known.
Even more horrifying, in the underground space, countless human prisoners were held captive. They wore all kinds of clothing—from rich garments to rough cloth. There were elderly, children, adult men, and young women. All huddled together. All gaunt and sickly. Clearly, they hadn't eaten well in a long time—just barely surviving.
Their faces were blanketed in fear and despair, their eyes void of hope. Some had tried to resist, but the result was always the same—death. They became blood sacrifices. These scorpionmen weren't mere monsters—they were intelligent beings, capable of reason, cruelty, and strategy. They gave their captives no chance to escape.
They were fed scraps, barely enough to stay alive. Most of them didn't even have the strength to lift a weapon, let alone fight back. In such hopeless conditions, numbness was all that remained.
Meanwhile, at the altar—
"So the humans had such deep reserves of power after all... Xuanhuang Town's strength far exceeds my expectations. This campaign alone has cost me nearly sixty thousand troops. Especially those damned rune bombs—they killed over ten thousand soldiers underground!"
Standing before the altar, the scorpionman leader Mo Xie muttered bitterly.
"But fortunately, I made preparations. I kept half of the captured humans aside, just in case of a setback. Now's the time to use them. If I offer the remaining humans in sacrifice to the demonic god, he will grant me the power to birth tens of thousands more scorpionmen. Our people will rise again!"
His eyes gleamed with fanaticism.
He believed wholeheartedly that the Scorpionmen would flourish under his rule, rising to dominate all other races. And it would all begin with these human sacrifices—fuel for a brighter future of his people.
"Bring the humans forward. Begin the sacrificial rites! Birth our new brethren!"
Mo Xie commanded decisively.
Back on the ridge, Wu Yong's voice sounded:
"There are still more than thirty thousand scorpionmen in the area. Their auras are calm and disciplined—they must be elite warriors. Patrols constantly sweep the perimeter. I see no flaws in their formation. A direct ambush would be difficult."
Even underground, the scorpionmen remained alert. Their patrols were frequent and strict. A surprise attack would be hard to pull off.
"If we charge in now, they might retaliate by slaughtering the prisoners. There are over a hundred thousand of them—and each is invaluable. If any significant number die, the entire operation would be a failure," Yi Tianxing said with a frown.
If not for the hostages, he would've already ordered a direct attack. But with so many civilians in danger, he had to tread carefully. The thought of them being sacrificed to that demonic god was intolerable.
"These people… they're the precious lifeblood of Xuanhuang Town. I will never allow them to be sacrificed to some damned demonic god," he thought grimly.
"Lord Yi, I possess a Life Aperture divine ability. I can generate a massive fog cloud. With my current cultivation, it can last for about one incense stick's time. If I pour all my energy into it, I can shroud the entire underground space."
Wu Yong stepped forward and spoke.
"This will give us a window to charge into the area where the civilians are held. That section is close to a stone cliff. If we move fast enough and kill the nearby scorpionmen, we can rescue most of the captives and prevent retaliation. It will eliminate our biggest concern."
Wu Yong had awakened a Life Aperture called "Cloud Mist" (云雾).
At first, it could only generate fog. But as his cultivation progressed, the fog's area of effect grew—and it gained new properties. Right now, the mist was thick enough that even cultivators would struggle to see clearly inside it.