In King Dongsheng’s main camp, a golden light flashed before Xue Shentian, and an Information Scroll appeared.

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Intel 1: A chasm has opened in the southwest. A total of 233 members of your Red Tiger Camp have fallen into it. More than half are already dead.

Intel 2: The King Deity Liu Nan is mass-producing Flaming Ascetics and Fireline Shooters. These two types of Wood Knot Monsters are Middle-Tier Spirit Transformation Eco-War Beasts. They burn with intense flames, are capable of leaving their ecological territory, possess considerable combat strength, and can accelerate the expansion of their territory, but they self-immolate and perish within 24 hours.

Intel 3: A Player has damaged the ecosystem, causing King Deity Liu Nan’s Wood Knot army to divert to the southwest.

Intel 4: In the center of the Kun City ruins, the A22 ruins are no longer under King Deity Liu Nan’s surveillance. Its defenses are currently weak.

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After reading the intel, Xue Shentian immediately contacted Li Mingli. Following a brief discussion, they quickly dispatched a thousand elite soldiers, led by Li Mingli, to advance on the Kun City ruins from the southeast.

Meanwhile, Xue Shentian led another team and hurried toward the southwest.

’The defenses of the A22 ruins are weak. This is the perfect chance to explore. But for a safe exploration, it’s best to lure King Deity Liu Nan’s Wood Knot army over. It’s risky, but fortune favors the bold. Worth a try!’

Xue Shentian plotted silently. He was leading a large force from the camp specifically to engage the Wood Knot army. His plan was to draw them in and lead them into a direct conflict with "Wang Shanhe’s" army. By holding their aggro head-on, he would make it convenient for Li Mingli to secretly explore and search for treasure in the rear.

Soon, Xue Shentian spotted the Wood Knot army. It was like a sea of fire, slowly creeping forward.

He also spotted the "chasm." It connected to the sea of fire that was the Wood Knot army, like a vanguard tentacle constantly stretching forward, causing the ground to sink and collapse. Even from a distance, he could see firelight flaring up from within it.

Xue Shentian rode his hippopotamus to the edge of the chasm. One look inside made his scalp go numb.

Down in the chasm were numerous Flame Tree People, along with many flame monsters resembling big-headed monks and giant, octopus-like creatures that spat lines of fire. They were bombarding the rock walls and gnawing on the earth, causing the ground to collapse as if they were trying to carve out an underground river of fire.

’So this is the Wood Knot army. Did they create this chasm? And they’re going to keep digging to advance?’

As understanding dawned, Xue Shentian’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Great, someone’s here!"

"It’s the Prince!"

"Prince, save us!" 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Please, pull us up!"

There were actually soldiers in the chasm. They were dodging flames, hiding amidst rubble and in the cracks of rocks. Most had shed their armor; their bodies were scorched black, a wretched sight. When they saw someone at the top of the chasm, it was as if they’d found their savior, and they began to shout with excitement.

Lu Aqi was one of the survivors. His arm was broken, but his face lit up with joy as he shouted up to Xue Shentian, "Heaven never seals one’s path! Prince, please, save us!"

Xue Shentian shot Lu Aqi a cold glance.

’The remnants of the Red Tiger Camp. From the looks of it, only a few dozen are left, and they’re all wounded!’

Xue Shentian shook his head.

Save them?

The chasm was seventy or eighty feet deep, with steep, sheer walls.

’They won’t be easy to save!’

’One false move and you’ll get burned!’

’Besides, I have to lure the Wood Knot army. There’s no time or reason to take risks here for a few dozen wounded soldiers.’

"All troops, on my order! Watch your step, stay away from the chasm, and advance with me!"

Xue Shentian shouted, and the hippopotamus he was riding turned around, took a dump into the chasm below, and then galloped away at a surprisingly fast speed.

The men at the bottom of the fiery chasm stared in stunned silence, which then erupted into rage, despair, and a flood of curses.

Furious, Lu Aqi ripped the cooking pot off his head and smashed it against the rock wall with a loud CLANG.

"That damn King Dongsheng! So cold and heartless!"

Lu Aqi’s eyes were bloodshot with fury. His Red Tiger Camp was already a remnant unit to begin with. After falling into the chasm, they had immediately suffered over fifty percent casualties. They lost another group fighting the Flame Tree People. Now, only 36 men remained, and almost every one of them was injured.

But those 36 were still human lives!

"I, Lu Aqi, have served King Dongsheng. I wouldn’t say I’ve braved life and death for him, but I have been dutiful and loyal. I never thought he’d be so cold and heartless, to actually see me in mortal danger and refuse to help."

Lu Aqi took a sharp breath, then swore, "That son of a bitch! Brothers, I’ve seen the light. King Dongsheng is a cold, callous man, not a worthy lord! I, Lu Aqi, swear this oath: if I can get out of here alive, I will desert King Dongsheng’s Prince Mansion! I’d rather be a bandit or a brigand than ever serve King Dongsheng again!"

"Same here!" the Red Tiger Camp’s Vice Commander, Yue Gang, said with a nod.

The other surviving soldiers all voiced their agreement.

Lu Aqi’s gaze swept over the men. "My good brothers, from this day forward, I’m no officer, and you’re no soldiers. We’re just brothers, addressing each other as such! If no one will save us, we’ll save ourselves! Follow me! Heaven never seals one’s path—there must be a way for us to survive!"

"We are willing to follow you, Sir!"

"Not ’Sir.’ ’Big Brother!’"

"Right! We’ll follow Big Brother!"

The thirty-some survivors shouted, a spark of fighting spirit rekindled within them.

But trapped in the hopeless depths of the chasm, with the Wood Knot army steadily amassing and compressing their space, their chances of survival were slim indeed.

Half an hour later, they were beginning to despair.

But at that very moment, a Divine Monkey clad in Golden Armor came flying down from the sky.

And on the Divine Monkey’s back rode another Divine Monkey!

The one riding the Divine Monkey was, of course, Wang Yi.

The one he was riding was his doppelgänger.

Wang Yi couldn’t fly himself, so on a whim, he ordered his doppelgänger to carry him. He hadn’t expected it to actually work!