Fairy, don't be afraid, I, Wang Daqi, am truly an honest man.

Yao Wu's voice was filled with extreme fear and trembling, hoarse yet revealing a frenzied madness of survival.

To be honest, Yao Wu's luck is truly extraordinary.

At the very first moment of the centipede swarm's uprising, relying on his keen sense of smell honed from years of mining, he squeezed himself into a crevice in the rock, only half a foot wide, like a burrowing rat.

At the same time, he also sprinkled a special powder to conceal his scent.

The crevice was extremely narrow and filled with sharp ore spikes.

Although he was covered in wounds, he managed to avoid many centipedes.

He huddled inside, listening to the screams and chewing sounds of his fellow disciples outside, and he was on the verge of a breakdown.

Especially since my uncle Yao Datong didn't even come to save me!

Hearing the footsteps of the crowd, he felt as if he had grasped at the last straw.

Xia Chunlian paused, a hint of hesitation in her eyes, and subconsciously looked at Wang Daqi: "Junior Brother Daqi, there seems to be someone over there..."

Yao Wu also heard the commotion and pounded on the stone wall even more frantically: "Help! Help! I'm here, don't go..."

Wang Daqi remained calm. With a slight swirling of purple energy within his body, he knew, of course, that it was Yao Wu, and could even clearly feel the other's rapid breathing.

But the next moment, Wang Daqi shook his head without changing his expression, his voice resolute:

"Senior sister, don't get distracted. Have you forgotten the mistake we just made? Although the rhythm of that sound was fast, it was weak and disjointed, and the frequency was exactly the same as those mimicking centipedes from before. There's no sign of life deep in this mine tunnel. Don't fall for those beasts' trap again."

Wang Daqi spoke very calmly, and with his honest and unassuming appearance, he really seemed to be taking it seriously.

"Yeah…………"

Xia Chunlian shuddered. Recalling Xu Taibing's gruesome death, the last vestige of doubt in her heart was instantly overwhelmed by fear. "Sure enough, these beasts are getting more and more cunning. They can even imitate so perfectly!!!"

At the same time, the communication talismans on everyone's waists lit up simultaneously.

"Master has sent a message!!!"

Xia Chunlian glanced at it and her face lit up with joy. "Elder Cheng has dealt with that armored centipede king. Now he has ordered us all to evacuate immediately, as there may still be aftershocks and collapses deep within the mine."

"In that case, there are no survivors here. Let's retreat!!!"

Wang Daqi spoke calmly, without even glancing at the crevice in the rock.

"No...it's not a centipede! I'm Yao Wu! Wang Daqi! I see you! Don't go! Help me!!!!"

From within the crevice, Yao Wu seemed to sense the departure of the others and let out a desperate roar, his voice distorted.

But to Xia Chunlian and the others, the sharp roar sounded more like the final, desperate cry of the demonic insect.

"Let's go, evacuate!" Xia Chunlian waved her sleeve, creating a gust of wind that swept the rescued disciples away quickly towards the exit.

Wang Daqi walked at the back, his gaze fixed intently on what lay behind him.

This Yao Wu deserved to die...

On his way back, he passed by the place where he had previously discovered the Golden Essence.

The centipedes in this area have been almost completely wiped out. Wang Daqi had an idea and said, "Wait here for a moment."

He rushed into the area, took out a pickaxe from his storage bag, and chopped down hard.

"Bang bang..."

This time, he used his strength without reservation.

A quick glance around revealed a large, dazzling piece of gold!

"We've struck gold! This weighs at least ten kilograms and can sell for forty or fifty spirit stones!"

Wang Daqi's eyes lit up, and he put away the dazzling gold essence.

…………

…………

…………

Next, the group retreated back, the stench in the mine tunnels still pungent.

Although the Ironclad Centipede King had been killed, the remaining smaller centipedes continued to emerge from the rock crevices like a tide.

They launched suicide attacks one after another.

However, without the king's leadership, these beasts were nothing more than scattered soldiers.

"You beast, die!!!"

Xu Yanjiao shouted, and with a flick of her longsword, she created an impenetrable net of swords, cutting several Qi Refining stage centipedes that pounced on her into several pieces.

At this moment, even when facing these ferocious monsters, she was able to handle them with ease, no longer showing the panic she had before.

The group moved very quickly and soon approached the entrance to the mine.

"Master!!!"

Xia Chunlian, with her sharp eyes, spotted the red figure standing at the entrance at first glance.

At this moment, Cheng Man's breathing appeared somewhat disordered.

The usually spotless, fiery red robe was now covered in a dark green, foul-smelling slime—the blood of the Ironclad Centipede King.

Her face was slightly pale, and she held a long sword with a dim light in her hand. It was clear that the battle just now had greatly exhausted her.

"Did you bring everyone out?" Cheng Man's voice was slightly hoarse as she glanced at everyone.

"Reporting to Master, all thirty-four surviving disciples have been brought back."

Xia Chunlian bowed and reported, then her eyes darkened and her voice lowered, "But... Junior Brother Xu Taibing, he sacrificed himself."

Cheng Man's hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

After a moment of silence, he let out a long sigh: "The path of cultivation is inherently a struggle against fate. He fought for his sect, and his death was worthy. Enough, come with me now."

The moment they stepped out of the mine, the bright sunlight shone down, and everyone felt as if they had been transported to another world.

Xia Chunlian suddenly stopped and knelt down in front of Cheng Man with a thud, bowing her head and saying, "Master, this disciple is guilty!!! If I hadn't been so arrogant and insisted on going deeper, Junior Brother Xu might... might not have died. It's all my fault..."

At this moment, she no longer possessed any of the arrogance of an inner sect elite; her eyes were filled with regret.

Wang Daqi stood at the back of the crowd, watching everything with a blank expression.

Then, his gaze turned to the field.

There lay a colossal corpse, as large as a small mountain!

That armored centipede king was comparable to a Golden Core cultivator.

Its head had been completely shattered by Cheng Man's attack, which had gathered all her spiritual power.

Only fragments of the body, resembling pieces forged from black iron, remained.

Even though he was dead, the fierce aura he exuded still made many Qi Refining disciples tremble with fear.

"The centipede king's carapace and demon core are rare materials for refining weapons."

Wang Daqi thought to himself, "As expected of a Golden Core Elder, he was able to kill this beast even under such unfavorable circumstances."

"Chunlian, it's not too late for you to realize your mistake."

Cheng Man looked at everyone, her expression solemn, "You must all remember Xu Taibing's death!!!! The cultivation world is fraught with danger. Don't think that you can act recklessly just because you have a sect behind you. Arrogance is often the shortcut to the Yellow Springs!!!!"

"We have learned a lot!" the crowd responded in unison.

Subsequently, Cheng Man personally sealed off the mine entrance.

Wang Daqi and the others, along with the wounded, retreated to the nearby market before nightfall.

That night, faint tremors could still be heard from the direction of the mining area, but for the disciples who had escaped death, the simple wooden house in the market was the safest place in the world.

The next morning.

Wang Daqi pushed open the window and saw countless streaks of light flashing across the distant horizon.

Dozens of enormous sect flying ships blotted out the sky and rushed over with overwhelming force.

Banners fluttered in the breeze; those were the elite troops from the sect's Enforcement Hall and Logistics Department, who would take over this ruin, clear everything away, and rebuild order.

All of this is no longer relevant to Wang Daqi.

Today, they will depart on Cheng Man's flying boat.

However, before leaving, he saw that Zhou Cheng, the steward, and several managers were bound by the Immortal Binding Rope and taken back together.

The reason is self-evident.

These people concealed the mine crisis and failed to report it, which is a serious dereliction of duty. Therefore, they have been sent back to the sect's enforcement hall for further processing!

…………

…………

…………

The flying boat pierced through the clouds and mist, gradually disappearing into the distance. The mountains behind it grew smaller and smaller until they became black dots.

During the flight, Wang Daqi noticed that Jiang Xuerou and Xu Yan's relationship had become increasingly harmonious.

Xu Yan is straightforward, while Jiang Xuerou, though aloof, is very opinionated.

The two sat in a corner of the deck, seemingly feeling as if they had known each other for a long time.

However, recalling the previous nights, when Xu Yan occasionally jokingly suggested that the three of them should "squeeze in" and sleep together, Jiang Xuerou always blushed and firmly shook her head in refusal.

Ultimately, she still can't let go.

Wang Daqi watched from the sidelines, understanding the situation perfectly.

Jiang Xuerou was, after all, once a highly respected inner sect prodigy.

Her inherent pride made her very embarrassed.

Of course, this is also because he did not use the Heart-Locking Curse.

If the Heart-Locking Spell is used, Jiang Xuerou will definitely obey.

Now, because the two women have a good relationship, they barely paid any attention to Wang Daqi along the way, instead gathering together to discuss cultivation in hushed tones.

Jiang Xuerou unreservedly guided Xu Yan on the intricacies of the "Azure Wave Qi Refining Technique".

Seeing this, Wang Daqi simply closed his eyes and, following their conversation, began to circulate his spiritual energy.

Drawing lessons from the brushes with death in the mine, they solidified their foundation.

As the flying boat landed steadily on the sect's landing pad, a familiar surge of spiritual energy rushed towards us.

"Junior Brother Wang."

As soon as she stepped off the flying boat, Xia Chunlian walked over quickly. Her face, which was usually as cold as ice, now showed a hint of genuine politeness.

"Senior Sister Xia, is something the matter?" Wang Daqi patted his robe.

"Master asked me to take you to the Hall of Enforcement."

Xia Chunlian looked at him, her gaze complex. "You made a significant contribution to the recent centipede disaster in the mine. Not only did you save many disciples, but more importantly, your earlier warnings allowed many to evacuate in advance, protecting many disciples as well. Master said that you should personally accept this credit, and also... point out Zhou Cheng and the others' dereliction of duty."

"In that case, I will make the trip."

Wang Daqi gave Xu Yan and Jiang Xuerou a few instructions, telling them to go back and rest first, and then followed behind Xia Chunlian.

Stepping into the Hall of Law Enforcement once again, the solemn and austere atmosphere remained unchanged.

In the center of the lobby, Cheng Man was already standing with her hands behind her back.

Not far in front of her, on the bluestone slab, Zhou Cheng and three other mine managers were tightly bound by the Immortal-Binding Rope. Their faces were ashen, and they knelt on the ground, trembling.

At the head of the table sat the same dignified Golden Core elder, Xu Huaiyan.

Upon seeing Wang Daqi enter, Xu Huaiyan slightly opened his eyes, which had been closed, and unconsciously raised his eyebrows.

The unusual care that Peak Master Nangong Ling had shown to this kid when he personally intervened that day flashed through his mind.

"I wonder what's so special about this kid. He seems so ordinary, so why does Junior Sister Nangong treat him so differently?"

Xu Huaiyan muttered to himself, but he had already made up his mind to handle this matter more smoothly.