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Chapter 160 A Life-or-Death Rescue! (25 Chapters in 2 Words, Requesting Monthly Tickets~)

The atmosphere in the top-floor command center was as heavy as frozen ice.

The invisible pressure in the air was far more suffocating than the sudden earthquake.

A huge circular floor-to-ceiling screen is displaying real-time footage of the western suburbs of Songdu City and images transmitted from the front lines:

The giant crater that was initially reported to be "no more than" fifty meters in diameter has now expanded into a terrifying black hole that is chilling to the bone!
The purplish-black miasma churned and rolled within it like thick waves, its edges twisted and deformed.

The zoomed-in details in the high-resolution images are even more astonishing.

Countless winding, bottomless tunnel entrances resembled a rotting mouth filled with countless sharp teeth and tongues, exuding a malevolent intent to devour its prey.

Each time the camera glides past the opening of a pit.

The faint afterimages of pale limbs or sharp screams were captured.

Wu Yu stood in front of the command platform, his back straight but revealing a hint of weary hardness:

"The situation in Songdu is deteriorating far faster than expected." His voice pierced through the deep hum of the instruments in the command room, clear and cold. "The latest survey data shows that the pit diameter has reached 173 meters, and its depth is unfathomable! The shape of the insect nest is completely different from that encountered in Qingjian City, and its structure is extremely complex."

The main screen behind lit up with an enlarged diagram of the pit wall structure, the scarlet tentacle-like network of blood vessels and countless tiny holes sending chills down one's spine.

“It’s like an inverted, living, gigantic anthill maze! Preliminary assessments indicate that the number of ‘life demons’ inside far exceeds that of the Qingjian insect swarm, at least ten times more! Moreover…” Wu Yu paused, and the screen immediately switched to several extremely blurry photos, but everyone present could still sense their hideous outlines.

Several distorted, pale faces were encased in a humanoid, decaying carapace, their eyes bulging out like those of dead fish, and their bony claws protruding from their joints were exceptionally sharp.

"That's a horde of corpse-type life-ghosts over there. Those who know about them should understand that the most important thing when facing these kinds of life-ghosts isn't how to kill them, but how to avoid getting hurt. The battle will be much more difficult than you imagine. Currently, it has been confirmed that there are 'molting-level' life-ghost individuals in the core area. Furthermore, the pit has been completely sealed off by the 'corpse miasma force field' released by this monster. To enter, you must take a poison miasma pill, and the time you can enter each time is limited."

"As for that tremor just now," Wu Yu tapped the control panel, and several split-screen images immediately popped up on the screen, showing photos of slight cracks in several old buildings on the western border of Qingjian City. "The source is deep within the Songdu Insect Nest! The shockwave even shook our side! Is this a crucial juncture in the evolution and transformation of the Molting-level Life Ghost, or is that thing actively impacting the force field? We don't know! But the peak energy fluctuations show that it's still getting stronger!"

No one spoke in the command room; only the faint hum of the instruments running could be heard.

Molting level! That's something truly capable of shaking the very foundations of a city and bringing about utter destruction!

Far surpassing the Abyss Weaver who was besieged and killed in Qingjian!
Hidden in this enormous labyrinth of flesh and blood underground, it is like a venomous queen lurking in the center of a spider web.

Wu Yu then turned around, his gaze sweeping across the entire room like a cold probe:

“Everyone knows how serious the disasters caused by such pits are. When we encountered an insect nest in Qingjian City before, Songdu still sent people over. So this time, we naturally have to lend a helping hand.”

"First group, the Beacon Fire Squad, led by Luo Feng!"

"Here!" Luo Feng, still covered in blood and the smell of gunpowder, clearly still recovering from his injuries, suddenly stood up, his eyes like a wolf's.

The Beacon Fire Squad was almost completely wiped out in the Battle of Qingjian, but those who survived were all of unwavering willpower.

Luo Feng is the new captain who took over the beacon fire.

"Second group, Rock Team! Captain Ma Yan!"

"Here!" came the deep, hoarse reply, each member of the Rock Squad exuding an aura as solid as rock.

They excel at defense and holding their ground, making them a reliable cornerstone in dealing with complex underground environments.

Wu Yu's gaze didn't linger, quickly sweeping over each figure before calling out names again:
"Blood Blade Squad, Sun Ming!" "Formation Breaking Team Three, Zhang Meng!" "Medical Team, Liu Ruomei!" "Intelligence Team"

As a series of names were read out, those whose names were called stood up in unison, their eyes filled with murderous intent.

This is a collection of all available combat forces at or above the third level of the first realm that the entire Qingjian branch can currently mobilize!

They will face the blood and flesh labyrinth buried deep underground and the horde of corpses and ghosts.

Wu Yu's gaze swept across the entire field one last time, landing on the other teams that had not been named:
"The above list is for orders to be drawn from the list."

"The remaining personnel," Wu Yu's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable authority, "are welcome to sign up if they wish to go to Songdu! But..."

"Only those with combat power of level three or above in the first realm are allowed to lead the team."

"Each team should discuss on their own! Submit the registration list within three minutes!" After saying that, he ignored those below and turned to discuss the matter quickly and quietly with Chen Wenshan and the others.

The command room was instantly filled with low murmurs of discussion.

The squad leaders who were named immediately began contacting their team members via communicator.

The captains who weren't named looked serious, exchanging glances and weighing the pros and cons.

Fang Qingyu did not participate in the surrounding discussion. He turned his head slightly and looked at the little Jiang Wei beside him.

The voice was kept extremely low, so that only the two of them could hear it:

"Going?"

Jiang Wei tilted her head up and looked at him with her clear, big eyes. There was no hesitation or fear in her eyes, but rather a hint of "you're asking unnecessary questions."

Her pink lips parted slightly, she silently rolled her eyes, and then muttered in the same low voice, with a hint of disdain:

"Why are you asking me when you've already made your decision?"

Fang Qingyu was slightly taken aback, and then the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled up into a very shallow arc.

This little girl sees right through him.

Given this situation, he naturally had no reason not to go.

Then, without saying a word, he quickly took out his tactical tablet and typed a message rapidly into the third squad's internal communication group:

Fang Qingyu: @Qin Hui @Lao Qiao @Qi Hao @Lv Chen, Song Du, are you going or not?
Less than three seconds.

Buzz buzz!

Four replies popped up almost simultaneously!

Qin Hui: Go! Let's fucking kill him!
Qi Hao: Count me in! I didn't get enough of the bugs in Qingjian!

Old Joe: +1, it's my turn to break through to the Martial Artist level this time.

Lü Chen: Let's go together.

Seeing the screen instantly filled with the word "go", Fang Qingyu felt reassured.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd still engaged in heated discussion, and without further hesitation, he raised his arm high with a steady and powerful motion.

The steady voice clearly drowned out the surrounding noise:

"Report! Fang Qingyu of the Third Squad of the Dragon Ridge Battalion, along with all reserve members, requests permission to go to Songdu to provide support!"

"Report! Deputy Captain of the Second Sharp Knife Team, with two members, is volunteering!" "Liu Wu, Captain of the Logistics Combat Support Unit, Level 3, requests to proceed!" "Zhao Qing, Special Combat Readiness Group, Medical Department!"...

Fang Qingyu's move to be the first was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples!
Several elite team leaders and veteran members who were still hesitant or concerned about their combat strength stood up one after another! Wu Yu's expression was quite gratified at first.

After all, the fact that everyone can face the demons with a shared hatred shows that everyone is united, which is a kind of progress in human civilization.

But as more and more people raised their hands...
Wu Yu's face darkened again.

"STOP STOP!!!"

"Just those few teams, and reject the rest, that should be enough, damn it, a bunch of idiots, don't they want their hometowns anymore?"

The continuous stream of applications brought out Wu Yu's true nature.

This made everyone in the room burst into laughter.

However, in the end, more than a dozen teams were sent to Songdu City to provide support.

This is especially true for Qingjian City, which has just suffered a major blow.

That's already the limit.

Fang Qingyu quickly led Jiang Wei back to the 28th-floor office area.

After a month, Lin Kang had almost fully recovered and regained control of the third squad.

Wearing a black combat uniform, he stood tall and watched Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei walk in.

"Team Lin."

Fang Qingyu's voice was simple and calm.

"Got to go?"

Lin Kang looked at the two without any surprise.

Fang Qingyu nodded: "Okay, we'll leave in an hour."

Jiang Wei stood quietly beside Fang Qingyu, sucking on her lollipop, and nodded.

Lin Kang's gaze, like cold steel honed over many years, lingered on Fang Qingyu's face for two seconds, as if trying to etch his expression into the depths of his memory.

There were no vague words like "be careful" or "take care".

Those words are nonsense to a martial artist who has crawled out of piles of corpses; they are a sign of weakness.

He simply raised his large hand, wrapped in white bandages and with stiff knuckles, with extreme slowness but with utmost deliberation.

A heavy hand, scalding hot and with immense strength, slammed down on Fang Qingyu's tense shoulder!
The movements were not very large.

"come back earlier."

"Will do."

Fang Qingyu nodded.

The icy wind, carrying tiny ice particles, scraped against the massive, dark green military transport plane's heavy hull like countless tiny knives.

The cabin was filled with a cold smell of engine oil, sweat, and metal.

The enormous engine noise, like rolling thunder, continued to growl and vibrate in the narrow metal space, pressing on everyone's eardrums and nerves.

Fang Qingyu, Jiang Wei, Qin Hui, Lao Qiao, Qi Hao, and Lü Chen, along with more than ten elite support team members of the Qingjian Branch Bureau, boarded the plane one after another. They sat on small but sturdy alloy folding chairs with their backs against the cold metal bulkheads on both sides.

Everyone was fully armed, with heavy combat backpacks at their feet or on their laps, weapons laid across their knees, silently organizing their equipment, or closing their eyes to doze off and prepare themselves.

A deep, gruff voice broke the silence.

It was a burly man with a full beard from the "Blood Blade Squad." He wiped his stubble, which was soaked with cold air, and asked in a loud voice, "Hey guys, this time the pit in Songdu has caused such a huge commotion, I heard it's almost caused a major upheaval! Are those high and mighty 'big shots' at the Federal Headquarters blind? Couldn't they just send a second-tier, second-realm, or even third-realm expert over here? They could just slap that hellhole and all the bugs underneath it to dust, and then everything would be peaceful!"

This problem is like a spark falling into a haystack.

A sneer, undisguised, came from the side. It was from a burly man in the "Rock Solid Squad" with a shaved head and a scar on his eyebrow. "Easy for you to say! After the big boss slaps us, what are we supposed to do? I'm counting on this trip to earn enough merit points to break through to the threshold of Martial Arts Grandmaster!" He paused, lowered his voice, and said in a questioning tone, "However, I did hear that the Federation did send people last month, and I heard they were of a high rank?"

A tall, thin man next to him immediately chimed in, his tone mysterious: "That's right! I heard about it too! They've sent a second-tier, second-realm martial arts grandmaster of the Myriad Manifestations Realm! The famous 'Mountain-Splitting Hand' Old Master Chen Tiejun!"

"A Grandmaster?!" someone exclaimed in surprise. "Even he couldn't handle it?"

"Going there would be a waste of time!" The tall, thin man slapped his thigh, his tone filled with lingering fear and disbelief. "Master Chen realized something was wrong as soon as he arrived! The bottom of that pit is a bottomless abyss! That molting-level monster is incredibly cunning, hiding in the deepest part! Masters can fight, but that lair is a maze of twists and turns, incredibly complex! That thing can even dig tunnels! As soon as the Master blasted down a section of the road to block it, it would immediately dig out another tunnel in a deeper, more hidden place!"

He took a breath, looked at the bewildered faces around him, and continued:

"What's even more deadly is that the monster can command countless lives! They surge out like a tidal wave! A grandmaster can kill a batch quickly, but he can't withstand that number; it's simply inexhaustible! It can overwhelm and exhaust you with sheer numbers of human lives! Human strength has its limits!"

A deep, muffled voice from the corner added, with a touch of street-smart bluntness: "That's not all! That molting-level bastard is incredibly cunning! The moment a Grandmaster's aura gets close, it completely disappears! It can also control the entire nest to release various interfering force fields, even poisonous gas! No matter how strong a Grandmaster is, if their senses are disrupted, and they're deep in that maze, who knows how many underhanded tricks it has hidden? That hellhole is a dangerous place, a death trap, even for a Grandmaster!"

The man with the bullet-shaped haircut then picked up the thread, his tone laced with a realistic calculation: "Actually, even if the Federal Headquarters really spared no expense and gritted its teeth to send a second-tier, third-realm 'Formless Realm' expert, what difference would it make? That cave is bottomless, and the number of dead souls is as vast as the desert! No matter how powerful the expert is, they'd still have to kill them one by one, one sword by one, one punch by one, right? They'd kill until their hands were sore and still not be able to wipe them all out! They'd work themselves to the bone, and in the end..."

He deliberately dragged out the sound, then slapped his knee hard, revealing what everyone was tacitly thinking:

"This dirty and tiring work, this cleaning up of the lair, and the reaping of credit, doesn't it all fall on us, the executioners who specialize in this line of work?"

"Hahaha, that's right!" A low, hoarse laugh immediately erupted around them. "Exactly! Whether we get the meat or the soup depends on our own skills!" "A Grandmaster can't kill us? That's perfect! Leave him alive so we can earn more merit points!"

The somber and oppressive atmosphere was somewhat diluted by the recklessness and pragmatic calculation unique to warriors who lick blood from the edge of life and death.

The chilling fear receded quietly, replaced by a more fervent and direct fighting spirit and sense of opportunity.

The bottomless, perilous pit seemed to them to be a vast hunting ground full of challenges and rich rewards.

This is the norm.

Not everyone comes with the lofty ideal of purely protecting their homeland and seeking no reward.

In this world where strength reigns supreme.

Who doesn't yearn to take their martial arts to the next level?
Who doesn't yearn to become stronger?

Fang Qingyu sat in the front corner, listening to the discussions behind him with a blank expression.

Turning my head to the side, I saw a gloomy sea of ​​clouds rushing past the porthole.

The image of a figure in a dark gray trench coat and white gloves flashed through my mind in the dark lower deck of the Glorious.

I wonder if that molting-level life ghost was bait planted by Creation Technology?
Or is it something bigger and more terrifying that they want to incubate?

(End of this chapter)