The next moment, three enormous Rock Armor Centipedes covered in thick carapaces charged out from around the corner. Each was nearly two meters long, their jointed legs scraping against the ground with a teeth-grinding sound.

Shockingly, their auras had all reached level 29!

"I’ll handle them!"

Xu Wuyi let out a low shout. Without waiting for Luo Liang to fully step forward, he activated Instant Shadow Step. His figure instantly blurred, leaving behind a dark red afterimage as he took the initiative and charged forward!

He didn’t even draw the longspear on his back. Facing the foremost Rock Armor Centipede that had reared up and opened its menacing maw to bite, Xu Wuyi didn’t dodge or evade, simply clenching his right fist.

A dark red glow of Qi and Blood, faintly tinged with a scorching golden glint, instantly enveloped his fist. He unleashed a simple punch!

"BOOM!"

His fist collided violently with the centipede’s hard head carapace!

The expected stalemate never occurred.

With a heart-stopping CRACK, the level 29 Rock Armor Centipede’s massive head exploded on the spot, like a watermelon smashed by a heavy hammer!

Dark green bodily fluids and carapace fragments splattered everywhere.

The massive, headless insectoid body convulsed violently before crashing to the ground, ceasing all movement.

The other two Rock Armor Centipedes seemed to be stunned by this savage scene, their movements freezing for a moment.

But Xu Wuyi’s movements didn’t pause in the slightest. After felling his first enemy with a punch, he slid to the side, his left leg sweeping out like a steel whip. Carrying terrifying force, it viciously struck the second centipede’s flank!

"CRUNCH!"

The centipede’s rock armor shattered on impact. Its entire body was kicked in half, the two segments slamming against the rock wall with a dull thud.

The third centipede finally reacted, twisting its body to try and spit venom, but Xu Wuyi had already closed in like a shadow. His elbow struck like a warhammer, precisely hitting the joint of its mandibles!

"SPLAT!"

The venom sac and mandibles were instantly destroyed, and this centipede also collapsed limply to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, three level-29 Rock Armor Centipedes were instantly slaughtered by a bare-handed Xu Wuyi in the most brutal and direct way possible!

The entire passage fell silent for a moment.

Tana opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, it only came out as a single word: "...Freak!"

Although she’d long known Xu Wuyi was physically powerful, the visual impact of seeing him dispatch three same-level Star Beasts so cleanly was still overwhelming.

Luo Liang watched as Xu Wuyi pulled back his fist, not even a scrape on the skin. His eyes were filled with utter shock.

’He knew that even if he circulated his Golden Jade Skills at full power, he could never have broken through the Rock Armor Centipede’s defenses so easily, let alone kill one instantly.’

Ding Haichuan subconsciously adjusted his glasses and muttered, "This... is this the power of a B-Level Body Refining Technique at Minor Achievement?"

Li Hao’s figure appeared nearby, his gaze on Xu Wuyi incredibly grave.

A flicker of emotion also passed through Zhao Qingwei’s clear, cold eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. "Don’t get distracted. Keep advancing! Xu Wuyi, watch your Qi and Blood consumption."

Xu Wuyi nodded, his breathing steady, as if he had just casually swatted a few bugs.

He bent over a centipede’s carcass, wiped the filth from his fist, and said calmly, "Understood."

The squad continued forward.

With Xu Wuyi—a veritable beast in human form—leading the charge, the team’s pace quickened dramatically.

Along the way, they encountered several more waves of Star Beasts, mostly level 28 and 29 Demon Spiders and centipedes, with the occasional lightning-fast Shadow Bat mixed in.

Xu Wuyi was like the tip of the spear; he single-handedly absorbed the brunt of most frontal assaults.

His fighting style became extremely simple and efficient. Often, a single punch, elbow, or kick—infused with the terrifying power and condensed Qi and Blood from his Minor Achievement in the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace—was more than any same-level Star Beast could withstand.

When occasionally faced with attacks from awkward angles, he could easily evade them with his Instant Shadow Step or simply tank them with his powerful physique. The attacks would land with the clang of metal on metal, yet leave him completely unscathed.

Luo Liang and Tana, on the other hand, were relegated to support roles, delivering finishing blows.

Luo Liang focused on guarding the flanks and rear. Tana stuck close behind Xu Wuyi, finishing off Star Beasts he’d heavily wounded but not killed, or clearing out smaller swarms that flanked them.

Every swing of her Heavy Hammer was accompanied by the dull crunch of shattering bone.

This also took a lot of pressure off Li Hao and Ding Haichuan.

Li Hao could focus more on scouting or sniping Star Beasts that tried to attack from a distance. Meanwhile, Ding Haichuan’s arrows always found the Star Beasts’ weak points with precision, coordinating with Xu Wuyi’s powerful assault.

Zhao Qingwei coordinated from the center. Her sword remained sheathed, but her concentration was absolute as she constantly monitored the entire battlefield.

Supported by Xu Wuyi as its unbreachable cornerstone, this team of geniuses truly began to show an edge far beyond that of ordinary Martial Artist squads.

Led by Xu Wuyi, the squad advanced efficiently through the intricate mine tunnels like a precise cutting machine.

The Star Beasts they encountered, whether the hard-shelled Rock Armor Centipedes or the insidious Burrow Demon Spiders, could rarely last more than a few clashes against the blur of Xu Wuyi’s fists and spear, imbued with the immense power of his Minor Achievement in the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace.

Tana and Luo Liang followed close behind, responsible for plugging any gaps and clearing the flanks.

They were so efficient that they were advancing even faster than planned. Gradually, the sounds from the main assault force’s direction grew clearer—more intense, violent clashes of Energy and furious roars.

"Slow down." Xu Wuyi suddenly stopped, raising his fist as a signal.

The surging Qi and Blood around his body slowly calmed. He looked warily toward the area ahead in the tunnel, where the Energy fluctuations were more chaotic.

"We’re approaching the operational area of the main assault teams," Zhao Qingwei said calmly, analyzing the updated map and Energy readings on her tactical eyepiece.

"According to orders, Star Beast Commanders level 30 and above are not our targets. Rushing in recklessly could disrupt the deployment of the Martial Artist teams and expose us to dangers we can’t handle."

Everyone understood.

Fighting above their level was no child’s play, especially in a complex environment like these mines. If they were tangled up with a Star Beast Commander, the consequences would be unthinkable.

They deliberately slowed their pace, more cautiously clearing the remaining Star Beasts in the known areas. Following instructions, they set up Energy Beacons at cleared intersections to guide the follow-up forces.

However, the situation deep within the mines was changing by the second.

Driven by some unknown Grand Commander, the Star Beasts’ movements were unpredictable.

Just as the squad was moving along a relatively wide main tunnel, clearing out scattered Star Beasts and setting up beacons behind them, an aura far surpassing any they had previously encountered suddenly swept out from an inconspicuous side tunnel just ahead!

"ROAR—!"

Accompanied by a roar as deep as thunder, a huge black shadow shot out, blocking their path forward and severing their direct connection to the main assault area.