One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The moment they burst out of the crevice and collapsed to the ground, a final, deepest, and most terrifying roar echoed from within the mountain behind them! The entire Moon Mountain seemed to tremble slightly! Thick smoke and flames suddenly spewed from the crevice behind them, and then, amidst a teeth-grinding sound of rocks grinding and cracking, the crevice, along with the surrounding dozens of meters of rock, collapsed and closed inwards with a deafening roar, burying the secret base of the Yaoxing Society, which concealed countless sins and terrors, along with the remaining equipment and traces that might not have been completely destroyed, completely and permanently within the mountain's belly hundreds of meters deep!

Only the rising dust, like a giant gray mushroom cloud, slowly ascended from the mountains and forests, announcing that a devastating destruction had just occurred here.

The aftershocks and tremors of the explosion gradually subsided. Smoke and dust slowly dissipated. The mountains and forests returned to silence, with only flocks of startled birds circling and calling in the air.

Nie Lingfeng pulled Chen Duo up from the ground, patted the dust and grass off his body, turned around, looked at the collapsed area that was no longer recognizable and was now just collapsed rocks and dust, and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

ended.

The secret base of the Yaoxing Society in the southwest, along with the unborn "body of god" and the "sample zero" that served as the last barrier, were completely buried and destroyed.

Although Qu Tong escaped, the mission destroyed an important stronghold of the enemy and obtained key information about the "Council," "Hall of Immortality," "Holy Blood," and "Seed" projects, thus achieving the main objective.

But... Nie Lingfeng looked up at the sun high in the sky, which appeared somewhat pale against the backdrop of the explosion's smoke and dust, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

"The game is moving to the next stage..." Qu Tong's words still seemed to echo in my ears.

"Parliament"... "Temple of Immortality"... "Key" to Home... Experimentation Ground... Nursery...

A much larger, more dangerous, and more indescribable enemy and conspiracy has only just begun to emerge.

"Nie Lingfeng!" Chen Duo's call interrupted his thoughts. She tugged at his sleeve, her small face covered in dust, her hair a little messy, but her bright green eyes sparkled with a hint of relief, and a hint of... undisguised anticipation.

"Can we... go back and eat candied strawberries now?" She looked at Nie Lingfeng expectantly, holding up two fingers to emphasize, "You promised, two bunches."

Looking into Chen Duo's clear eyes, as if all the life-and-death crises and terrifying battles she had just experienced didn't exist, and as she only cared about the rock candy strawberries, Nie Lingfeng felt that the heavy pressure and worries about the future in his heart were diluted by this simple and pure expectation.

He chuckled, reaching out to ruffle her dusty hair, his tone gentle and indulgent, a tenderness he himself didn't realize:

"Okay, let's go back. Buy two of the biggest, reddest skewers. No, buy three, as a reward for your great performance today."

"Really? Three skewers?" Chen Duo's eyes instantly curved into crescents, a bright and satisfied smile blooming on her face. She nodded vigorously, "Yes! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧"

Sunlight filtered through the sparse branches and leaves, falling on the two of them and casting long, close-to-close shadows on the ground.

In the distance, the birdsong from the mountains and forests rose again, clear and full of life.

The embers of destruction have not yet completely dissipated, but life must go on.

And they will embark on their journey once again, carrying new secrets, new power, and that heavy responsibility.

For now, let's go back and eat some candied strawberries.

The smoke and dust rising from the depths of Moon Mountain, carried by the afternoon breeze, drifted away like a belated, silent funeral, eventually merging into the low-hanging, leaden clouds. A faint, acrid smell, a mixture of ashes and dust from the rocks, clung to the moist, fresh scent of the forest itself, as if the land itself had just suffered a hidden wound, needing time to heal and recover.

Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo stood outside the hidden exit of the mountain crevice, gazing back at the completely collapsed area that had permanently buried countless secrets and sins, speechless for a long time. Chen Duo hugged her panda plushie, her small face still covered in dust from their escape. Her emerald eyes stared blankly at the rising and dissipating smoke, as if trying to understand the difference between "blown away" and "completely vanished." To her, battle and destruction were simple—burn the "stinking stuff," and it was over. But this silent, massive collapse that erased all traces of existence gave her a feeling different from facing evil directly—a heavier, more profound sense of nothingness.

"Let's go." Nie Lingfeng's voice snapped her out of her daze. He reached out and naturally took her slightly cool hand in his. His palm was warm, carrying the lingering warmth of the Qilin True Fire that hadn't completely subsided after the battle, and also a reassuring, steady strength. "Things here are over."

Chen Duo nodded and obediently followed in his footsteps, but after a few steps, she couldn't help but look back and whispered, "Nie Lingfeng, that really mean Qu Tong... ran away. What if... went somewhere else and created even more rotten 'eggs' and ugly monsters?"

Nie Lingfeng paused slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by gentleness. He squeezed Chen Duo's hand, his tone calm: "Yes. But if she dares to reach out again, we'll burn her 'eggs' and her ugly body, along with her hand." He paused, then added, "Moreover, this time we know more. We know there's a 'Council,' a 'Hall of Immortality,' we know they're looking for the 'key,' and they're using this place as a 'nursery.' Next time, we won't be as passive as we were this time."

Chen Duo seemed to understand, but the words "burn it all together" and "won't be passive" reassured her. She nodded vigorously, no longer looking back, focusing intently on the rugged mountain path beneath her feet, trying to keep up with Nie Lingfeng's pace. After walking for a while, she remembered something, looked up, and gazed expectantly at Nie Lingfeng's profile, her voice tinged with a cautious anticipation: "Then... rock candy strawberries..."

Nie Lingfeng was amused by her persistence, and the fatigue from the days of fierce fighting and heavy pressure seemed to dissipate somewhat. He deliberately put on a serious face, pretending to think: "Hmm... well, it depends on whether that little kitten can wipe the grime off her face before returning to Guiyang. Otherwise, the old lady selling strawberries might think she's a greedy little cat who crawled out of a coal pile and won't sell to her."

"Huh?" Chen Duo was taken aback, instinctively raising her hand to touch her face, only to find it covered in grime. Her face immediately fell, and she let out a slightly annoyed "Ah!" before frantically wiping her face with her sleeve, making it even smudger, like a real little kitten. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

Nie Lingfeng couldn't help but chuckle. He pulled a clean, damp wipe from his pocket (one of the supplies Xiao Yang had prepared in her waist bag), gently took her haphazardly wiping hand, and carefully, bit by bit, wiped the dust off her face. "Don't wipe with your sleeve, it'll only make it dirtier. Come on, look up."

Chen Duo obediently tilted her head back, letting Nie Lingfeng do as he pleased. The damp wipe was slightly cool, and his movements were gentle, with a rare tenderness and patience. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dancing on his lowered brows and focused expression. Chen Duo looked at his face so close to hers; those eyes, usually calm or sharp, now reflected her image, holding only a gentle smile. Suddenly, she felt a slight itch, and a little…warm, on the spot where the wipe had been applied to her face, sweeter than the sugary coating of a candied strawberry. This feeling was unfamiliar, but she didn't dislike it. (๑´ㅂ`๑)

After wiping her face clean, Chen Duo returned to being the fair-skinned, pretty girl with delicate features. However, her hair was still a bit messy, and her clothes were covered in dust and grass clippings, making her look like a wild child who had just been caught by her parents after playing around.

"Alright, all clean now." Nie Lingfeng put away the used wet wipes and tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. "Let's go, down the mountain. Xiao Yang and the others should be getting impatient at the rendezvous point."

The two identified their direction and headed towards the abandoned forest ranger station on the southern slope of Moon Mountain, the place they had previously agreed upon with Xiao Yang. The path downhill was much easier than the way up, but Nie Lingfeng didn't choose the secluded trail they had taken earlier. Instead, he took a slightly longer route, choosing a relatively gentle ridgeline with a wide view. Firstly, to observe if there were any other anomalies after the base's collapse, and secondly, to give Chen Duo a break, as she had also expended considerable energy earlier.

The afternoon sun shone brightly in the mountain forest. The birds seemed to have recovered from the shock of the explosion and began to chirp again. The mountain breeze carried the fragrance of pine trees and the faint sounds of human activity in the distance—the hum of car engines, the indistinct barking of dogs, and even the ethereal, melodious mountain songs drifting from some unknown village.

These ordinary yet vibrant sounds slowly pulled the two back from the bloody, bizarre battle deep within the mountain, filled with desecration and destruction, back to the everyday reality of life.

Chen Duo seemed to be infected by the peaceful atmosphere, her tense nerves gradually relaxing. Walking beside Nie Lingfeng, she no longer remained constantly vigilant, but instead curiously observed everything around her—a squirrel with a bushy tail leaping among the pine branches; a cluster of unnamed, blue-purple wildflowers blooming in a crevice of the rocks; even a snail slowly crawling across the path with a spiral shell on its back—any of these could make her stop, tilting her head to look for a long time, her emerald eyes filled with wonder. For her, this "normal" world always held endless fun to explore.

Nie Lingfeng didn't urge her, but slowed his pace to accompany her, occasionally offering a brief explanation when she showed particular interest in something. He loved seeing her so full of curiosity about the world, so untouched by worldly concerns. It made him feel that all his battles and all his protection had the most real and heartwarming meaning.

After walking for about an hour, the outline of man-made structures appeared ahead—several dilapidated wooden huts with roofs overgrown with weeds, the abandoned forest ranger station. In the open space in front of the station, the familiar, slightly worn silver van was parked. Xiao Yang was leaning against the van door, anxiously looking towards the forest. Seeing Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo appear, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief and quickly went to greet them.