The two Martial Artists coordinated flawlessly, their attacks incredibly fierce. It was clear they possessed a wealth of combat experience.

Although the Demon Spider Commander was formidable, it was quickly put on the defensive under the siege of two human Martial Artists of the same rank—or perhaps even slightly stronger. It could only parry, completely unable to retaliate.

In less than two minutes, with a piercing shriek, the Demon Spider Commander that had placed immense pressure on Xu Wuyi’s squad finally had its head shattered by a single punch from the Martial Artist in red. Its massive body convulsed and collapsed, ceasing all movement.

The battle was over. A temporary silence fell over the tunnel, broken only by the sound of everyone’s breathing and the faint clamor of combat in the distance.

Only then did the two Martial Artists turn to look at Xu Wuyi and the others.

The leader was a lean, powerful middle-aged man in a dark-red combat suit. His aura was as scorching as fire. He was the captain of the Gale Squad.

The other, a woman, was a bit thinner. She wore a cyan combat suit and had eyes as sharp as an eagle’s.

Their gazes swept over the Star Martial Squad, who looked somewhat battered but had maintained their formation. A look of unconcealed surprise appeared on both of their faces.

The Gale captain walked over to the Demon Spider Commander’s corpse and inspected the wounds on its carapace, paying special attention to the deep pits left by Xu Wuyi’s spear and the cracks from Tana’s Heavy Hammer.

He looked up at the Star Martial Squad again, the admiration in his eyes growing stronger.

As Martial Artists, their perception was sharp. They could naturally see the key to the previous battle.

The student squad had managed to hold on until their arrival because of Xu Wuyi’s frankly monstrous offensive and defensive capabilities, which had played a decisive role.

However, now was not the time for praise. The Gale captain said grimly, "Alright, we can’t linger here. This Commander is dead, but the beast tide isn’t over."

"You’ve expended a lot of energy. You can rest on the perimeter for a bit. We need to hurry to the other side."

With the flames of war still burning, no one had time for pleasantries. After thanking them, Xu Wuyi and his squad began to retreat.

The air in the mine was thick with the mixed smell of gunpowder and blood. The fighting had paused for now, but the heavy atmosphere had not dissipated.

Xu Wuyi leaned against the cold rock wall, slowly regulating his breathing. The Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace within him operated on its own, restoring his heavily depleted Qi and Blood.

The brief clash with the Demon Spider Commander, though only lasting a moment, had been more draining on his Heart and Spirit and stamina than clearing out large numbers of ordinary Star Beasts before.

The other team members also seized the moment to rest. Tana popped a High-Energy Nutrient Paste into her mouth, Luo Liang silently checked that his Golden Jade Skills were circulating smoothly, and Li Hao’s figure hid in the shadows, his presence barely detectable.

On the communication channel, the panicked voice that had represented the Gray Rat Squad was gone. In its place was the calm report from the Gale Squad’s captain:

"The Rock Armor Centipede Commander encountered by Gray Rat Squad has been eliminated. Support team Gray Rat... two killed in action, the other three heavily injured. They have been evacuated by the follow-up medical team."

The voice stated the outcome calmly, betraying little emotion, but the words landed like a cold stone in everyone’s hearts.

The tunnel fell silent. Even Tana stopped chewing her nutrient paste.

’Two killed in action...’ 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Xu Wuyi closed his eyes, and the scene of him rescuing Lin Yue’s squad flashed through his mind.

The struggle and helplessness of those Social Martial Artists against the Star Beasts slowly overlapped with the words "killed in action" that had been so casually mentioned over the comms.

This wasn’t a Battle Network simulation where you could reset after dying.

This was reality. You only live once.

For the first time, these genius students from the ivory tower of Star Martial University felt the cruelty of war and the fragility of life so viscerally.

All their usual competitive thoughts about points and rankings were crushed under the heavy weight of this reality.

Luo Liang’s face turned a little pale, and he subconsciously clenched his fists. Ding Haichuan pushed up his glasses, his gaze unfocused behind the lenses.

Even the ever-boisterous Tana pressed her lips together, the previous excitement in her eyes replaced by solemnity.

A silent, oppressive feeling permeated the air.

A few minutes later, Xu Wuyi was the first to open his eyes. The slight turmoil within them had been suppressed, and his expression was once again calm.

He stood up, stretching his slightly stiff muscles and bones from the short rest, and gripped the dark-red spear once more.

"Rest time’s over." His voice wasn’t loud, but it reached every team member’s ears clearly. "There are still a lot of ordinary people trapped down here. The sooner we clear this place out, the sooner the rescue teams can get in."

He didn’t say anything impassioned; he merely stated a simple fact.

Yet, these plain words were like a ray of light, dispelling the gloom that had settled over the squad.

’That’s right. We’re not just fighting here for mission points. We’re fighting to give those miners buried in the collapse, their fates unknown, a fighting chance.’

’Isn’t a Martial Artist’s duty to protect?’

Zhao Qingwei looked at Xu Wuyi, a flash of agreement in her eyes. She also stood up. "Xu Wuyi is right. Get ready. Let’s keep pushing forward."

"Let’s go!" Tana shot to her feet, shouldering her Heavy Hammer. Fighting spirit returned to her face. "Let’s smash every last one of these damn Star Beasts to pieces!"

Luo Liang took a deep breath, and a faint golden luster reappeared on his skin. Li Hao emerged silently from the shadows, and Ding Haichuan quietly adjusted his bowstring.

The squad moved out once more, advancing toward the uncleared sections of the tunnel.

After experiencing a life-and-death struggle and the shock of death, the team seemed to have undergone a subtle change.

Their teamwork was more stable, with less of their former sharp edge, but more of a tough resilience forged through fire.

The cleanup work that followed became even more tedious and drawn-out.

The structure deep within the mine was far more complex than the map indicated, with numerous forks in the path leading into unknown depths.

The Star Beasts seemed endless. As soon as they cleared one area, new ones would quickly emerge from other tunnels or ventilation shafts.

Not long after, two other support squads, covered in blood and looking exhausted, emerged from another tunnel and met up with Xu Wuyi’s team in a relatively spacious cavern.

The groups simply exchanged glances and nodded, with no unnecessary pleasantries.

The leading Martial Artist made a hand signal, indicating they should work together to clear an area ahead that looked like a nest.

Three squads, nearly twenty people in total, formed a temporary alliance in the dim underground space.

The communication channel was unusually quiet, with only the most essential information being exchanged.

"Left tunnel, three Demon Spiders."

"Copy. Cleared."

"Energy reading at the fork to the right-front. Suspect a lurker."

"Li Hao, go scout."

"Ding Haichuan, high ground, provide cover."

Everyone held their breath, silently swinging their weapons, turning one roaring Star Beast after another into a cold corpse.

The roar of colliding Qi and Blood, the wails of Star Beasts, and the crunch of blades breaking through carapaces composed the main theme of this underground battlefield.