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Chapter 166 Hey, tell me, what's the most valuable thing on it? (35 chapters in 2 words, please vote!)

"!!!"

Fang Qingyu's pupils suddenly contracted.

Orange quality?! A job advancement material?!
So, the materials from the Fate Ghost are the key to advancing a martial artist's profession!?

Fang Qingyu immediately recalled the materials he had handled in the Fate Decomposition Department; they were either white, green, or blue.
We don't even know what color or quality is above blue.

So, the answer has actually been right in front of us all along.

It's just that the materials for the spirits I've encountered before were all extremely low-quality.
However, it's not too late to know now.

We've only just entered the microscopic stage; the next stage is to reach the profound.

There's still some time to prepare properly.

The joy slightly dispelled some of the fear brought on by the oppressive feeling of the snake.

The long-standing problem of martial arts advancement has finally been solved.

Although the prerequisites have not yet been met, at least we have a direction.

I won't be like a headless fly as before.

For professions like the Candle Bearer, as long as it's the original form, an advancement prompt will pop up.

However, Zhulong himself was in charge of the process.

It rejected many of the fundamental principles.

For martial artists, it's more like the manual itself is being personally inspected.

Without orange-quality Destiny Ghost materials, it doesn't even give a notification.
For some reason, it gave Fang Qingyu a feeling that he was even more arrogant than Zhulong.

But now is not the time to think about that.

Fang Qingyu temporarily pulled his arm away.

After the shockwaves lasted for nearly fifteen minutes, they gradually subsided like the tide.

He immediately grabbed Jiang Wei and Wei Banmeng, and sped towards the main entrance of A-2 along the route he remembered.

Just as they burst out of the narrow side road and merged into the relatively wide main road, they ran into several other small teams that were equally disheveled and had retreated from other side roads.

Lei Gang of the Crimson Flame Squad was among them. His crimson combat uniform was stained with large patches of dark brown dirt. His breathing was somewhat disordered, but his eyes were still as intense and solemn as lava.

The other squads were almost all missing one or two players.

And everyone was injured.

There were no pleasantries, and even the exchange of glances carried a heavy and urgent feeling of surviving a catastrophe.

Lei's gaze swept over Fang Qingyu and the other two, then he waved his hand, his voice hoarse but carrying an undeniable determination:
"Split up! Save them! Quickly!"

The order was brief, yet it reeked of bloodshed.

Without further ado, the squads immediately swarmed like bees leaving their hive, rushing once again toward the dark forks in the road that had just escaped, like the throat of a giant beast.

Without the slightest hesitation, Fang Qingyu, along with Jiang Wei and Wei Banmeng, randomly chose a side path filled with the heavy smell of blood and plunged into it.

This passage was even more winding and deep than the one they had taken before. The phosphorescent moss on the fleshy walls was almost completely covered by thick bloodstains and bits of flesh, and the light was extremely dim.

The stench of blood and decay in the air grew stronger, creating a nauseating and eerie atmosphere.

After going in no more than two hundred meters, a relatively open space came into view.

In the dim light, several twisted remains of dead bodies lay scattered on the ground, but what was even more unsettling were the figures slumped in a pool of blood in the corner.

They were martial artists from Qingquan Mountain.

Their grey robes were almost torn apart and stained with sticky blood and flesh.

Two of them were seriously injured; one had a huge laceration to his chest and abdomen, with his intestines barely visible, and was on the verge of death.
The other person was clutching a twisted, deformed calf with bone fragments piercing the flesh, convulsing in pain, but clenching their teeth to keep quiet.

The middle-aged martial artist in the very center, who had previously been standing next to the bald old man, leaned against the cold, fleshy wall, his eyes empty and lifeless, his face devoid of color, as if his soul had been ripped away.

Her lips twitched nervously, uttering faint, repetitive murmurs as if in a dream:

"He's dead. My senior brother is dead."

Wei Banmeng flashed and arrived beside the two seriously injured men, sheathing her twin blades.

With lightning speed, he retrieved a potent hemostatic spray and bandages from his tactical waist pack and performed emergency treatment with precise and efficient movements.

Fang Qingyu strode over to the dazed middle-aged martial artist, squatted down, and said in a low voice, "Wake up! Can you still walk?"

The middle-aged martial artist trembled, his empty eyes slowly focusing. When he saw Fang Qingyu's face clearly, he suddenly grabbed Fang Qingyu's arm, his nails almost digging into the fibers of his combat uniform. His voice suddenly rose, filled with sobs and extreme fear: "He's dead! My senior brother shielded us, standing in front of us, and was swallowed whole by that crimson monster!"

The middle-aged martial artist was incoherent, his body trembling violently, clearly on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"A monster? Crimson red?"

Fang Qingyu's heart sank. Just as he expected!

Just as they had guessed.

Fang Qingyu gripped the other person's trembling wrist tightly, forcefully suppressing their panic. "I understand! Now, come with me! Let's get out of here!"

Without asking any more questions, Fang Qingyu grabbed the dazed middle-aged martial artist and pulled him up, half-supporting and half-dragging him.

Wei Banmeng and Jiang Wei quickly treated the injured, and Wei Banmeng helped the other two up.

The group dared not linger in the passage filled with an atmosphere of despair and quickly retreated back the way they had come.

As Fang Qingyu and the others helped the survivors of Qingquan Mountain stagger out of the A-2 entrance and were once again bathed in the cold, damp, yet reassuring night wind outside the force field, the scene before them made everyone's hearts sink to the bottom again.

The temporary camp has been completely transformed into a sea of ​​noise and chaos!
The piercing alarm continued to wail mournfully, and the red warning lights cast flickering shadows on the terrified, exhausted, and blood-stained faces.

A large number of people in logistics uniforms and medical identification pushed stretchers and frantically weaved through the crowd, shouting at the top of their lungs.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of disinfectant and blood.
And a sense of oppressive atmosphere called despair.

Squads kept retreating from various entrances in a sorry state. Some carried the mutilated bodies of their comrades, some supported mentally broken and seemingly insane team members, and many more stood there, covered in wounds and bewildered by the ordeal.

Fang Qingyu quickly handed the wounded from Qingquan Mountain over to the medical personnel who came to meet him, and then, with Wei Banmeng and Jiang Wei, headed straight for the temporary command post surrounded by several high-ranking officers and staff officers.

Lei Gang and several other elite team leaders were already there, their faces increasingly grim.

"Report!" Fang Qingyu's voice pierced through the noise, exceptionally clear and cold. "We encountered an unidentified peak-level Transcendent Realm modified martial artist in the deep side passage, who has been killed by our forces. Subsequently, we were attacked by an unknown giant creature. Its characteristics: a huge crimson head covered with thick scales, and a pale body. The creature disappeared after devouring the modified martial artist's corpse. It is estimated to be a terrifying being at the peak of the first tier, with combat power equivalent to the second tier! In addition, during the rescue operation, we discovered that the Qingquan Mountain team was attacked, and its leader, an elderly man, was devoured by this creature!"

Fang Qingyu's report was concise, but it was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a boiling oil pan!
"Red head and white body?! Devouring warriors?!"

"It was the same on our side! Old Zhang and his entire squad were wiped out! I was the only one who escaped! I just watched helplessly as that red monster devoured me."

"West Third Passage! We encountered a female cyborg wielding a bone whip. We just fought tooth and nail to kill her when the ground collapsed, and that monster emerged. Little Wang, Little Wang, didn't escape!"

"Qingquan's Master Qi Xin too."

Fear spread like a plague around the command post.

The survivors, who had just endured a nightmare and witnessed their companions being devoured, experienced a sudden explosion of suppressed fear and grief. Their cacophony of cries and trembling narratives pieced together a series of chilling scenes. Different passages, similar traps, powerful modified warriors as "bait," and finally, the terrifying end of a gigantic, crimson maw swallowing everything!
Where is this now, a hunting ground for slaying evil spirits and accumulating merits?

It was clearly a meticulously planned slaughterhouse!
A colossal altar that fed that unknown, terrifying monster with the flesh and blood of modified warriors and elite squads!
They originally thought that with four top experts suppressing the molting-level life ghosts, they, as first-realm warriors, only needed to face threats from those at the Transcendent level and below.

Although there are risks, they are still within a controllable range.

However, tonight, this suddenly appearing, elusive, and powerful crimson-white monster, whose strength was approaching that of a second-tier monster, completely shattered everyone's hopes!
Its existence is like an invisible yet suffocatingly heavy mountain, pressing down on the hearts of every martial artist and believer.

go down?

Faced with a monster capable of swallowing a peak-level Transcendent Realm expert whole?

Faced with that bottomless maze trap, as deep as the stomach of a giant beast?

"What kind of monster is that?"

"How are we supposed to fight this? There are Molting-level monsters down below, and now another monster that looks similar has appeared!"

"Where are the Grandmasters? Where are the Chosen Ones? Didn't they say they were suppressing the Molting-level? Where did this new monster come from?!"

Panic and despair spread rapidly among the survivors like a plague.

The camp was shrouded in gloom and hysterical fear.

Soon, those at higher levels were alerted.

A middle-aged military officer with a stern face, wearing the badge of the deputy director of the Songdu branch, stood on a makeshift platform under heavy guard.

The loudspeaker carried his voice throughout the camp, yet it was tinged with a deep sense of powerlessness:

"Silence! Colleagues! I am Zhao Qiming, Deputy Director of the Songdu Branch! We are deeply saddened by what happened tonight! We extend our deepest condolences and highest respect to all the soldiers who sacrificed their lives and were wounded! You are heroes!"

He paused, his voice growing even heavier: "Preliminary intelligence confirms the presence of an unknown high-risk target deep within the pit, tentatively codenamed 'Red-Headed White-Body Beast.' Its threat level is classified as Tier 2! To ensure the safety of all personnel, the following orders are hereby issued: Immediately seal off all pit entrances! Suspend all exploration and clearing operations! Await further assessment and decision-making! All teams, please take head counts and treat the wounded! Give us some time!"

This order was like pouring cold water into boiling oil!
"Pause?! Then all those brothers who sacrificed their lives were for nothing?!"

"A lockdown? The monster's down there! Are we just waiting for it to get even stronger?!"

"Where are the Grandmasters?! Where is Grandmaster Chen, the Mountain-Splitting Hand?! Where are the Chosen Ones of the Su family?! Weren't they supposed to be holding down the fort? Why did they let this monster out?! What are they doing?!"

"Yeah! Where are the four big shots?! Why aren't they coming up to help us deal with this new monster?!"

The audience immediately went wild!

A tsunami of doubt, anger, and despair surged toward the platform.

The teams that had lost their captains or comrades were especially bloodshot and emotionally charged.

Deputy Director Zhao Qiming's face twitched, and he raised his hand to press it down bitterly. His voice was filled with deep fatigue: "Everyone, calm down! Please calm down! Regarding Grandmaster Chen Tiejun, Grandmaster Zheng Xiaohai, Lord Su Che, and that lord from the west, they are in the core area of ​​the pit, which is extremely far away, and they are severely interfered with by the molting-level life ghost and the complex force field."

"We have lost stable contact with them! Communication is intermittent, and information transmission is extremely difficult! Therefore, we are unable to ascertain the specific situation in the core area, nor can we transmit information from the outside to them in a timely manner!"

This explanation was like a bolt from the blue!

The connection has been lost?!

Four top-tier individuals are trapped at the deepest part of the pit, cut off from the outside world?!

What is their own situation?

Is the molting stage still being suppressed?
Do you know about this newly appeared monster?

Everything is unknown!
The atmosphere of despair instantly reached its peak.

Even their last resort has become unattainable, and their fate remains uncertain.

How is this fight going?
"We will do everything in our power to re-establish contact! We will give everyone an explanation! Please trust the Bureau of Justice! Trust the Federation!" Zhao Qiming's voice carried a hint of pleading, but it clearly could not quell the boiling resentment and panic. "Now, team leaders, please organize your personnel and withdraw to the rest area in an orderly manner! Dismissed!"

As the order was given, the crowd slowly dispersed amidst grief, anger, and bewilderment.

Cries, curses, and the groans of the wounded mingled together, making the camp feel like the end of the world.

Fang Qingyu, along with Jiang Wei and Wei Banmeng, joined Qin Hui and the others who had rushed over anxiously.

Qin Hui and the others breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Fang Qingyu and the other two were safe and sound, but their faces turned ashen when they heard about the monster.

"Qingzi!" Qin Hui spotted them immediately and pushed through the chaotic crowd, his face filled with undisguised worry and lingering fear. "Are you alright?! That commotion was terrifying! What happened down there? I heard a lot of people died!"

Qi Hao, Lao Qiao, and Lü Chen immediately gathered around, their eyes quickly scanning Fang Qingyu and the other two. They confirmed that although their breathing was slightly rapid and their robes were stained, they had no obvious serious injuries, and only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.

"It's nothing." Fang Qingyu's voice remained low and steady, without much emotion, as he briefly answered Qin Hui's first question.

His gaze swept over the fleeing crowd, taking in their panicked faces, the mangled bodies on the stretchers, and the despair of his comrades weeping over the corpses.

Qin Hui followed his gaze, his facial muscles twitching slightly. He lowered his voice and said, "Qingzi, the higher-ups have ordered the entrance sealed off and operations halted. Many people have started to evacuate. Should we stay?"

This question struck the hearts of the team members like a stone.

Qi Hao, Lao Qiao, and Lü Chen all subconsciously looked at Fang Qingyu with complicated expressions.

The fear is real; no one wants to face a monster that can devour a peak-level Transcendent Realm expert in one gulp.

But are we just going to leave like this?

Feeling resentful doesn't seem to be Fang Qingyu's style.

Wei Banmeng stood half a step behind Fang Qingyu, her cold eyes like a frozen lake, reflecting the chaotic light and shadow of the camp.

She didn't look at Qin Hui, but her gaze was fixed on Fang Qingyu's slightly tense profile, as if she was waiting for his decision.

Fang Qingyu did not answer immediately.

Instead, they remained silent, taking steps towards their simple prefab dormitory.

All around were busy stretchers, flashing lights, desperate cries, and numb faces.

The heavy atmosphere in the air was almost suffocating.

In this extremely oppressive atmosphere, Fang Qingyu's gaze inadvertently swept over Jiang Wei, who was walking quietly beside him.

The little girl looked at the hellish scene around her with her clear, big eyes. Her little face was expressionless, but she subconsciously peeled open another lollipop and put it in her mouth.

A thought that stood out starkly against the despair around it.

Suddenly, without warning, it jumped into Fang Qingyu's mind.

Fang Qingyu immediately stopped, turned his head slightly, and looked at Jiang Wei with a strange seriousness in his eyes. His voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced through the surrounding noise:
"Hey, Xiao Jiang."

"Hmm?" Jiang Wei tilted her head up, a candy in her mouth.

Fang Qingyu's lips curled into a rare, nonchalant smile as he stared at her:
"Do you know what's the most valuable part of it?"

Qin Hui, Qi Hao, and the others were a little confused.

Only Wei Banmeng, who had remained silent and aloof as if isolated from the world, paused almost imperceptibly. For the first time, her clear, cold eyes turned to Fang Qingyu with obvious astonishment and a hint of looking at a madman.

Is it valuable?
(End of this chapter)