Choose Liu Bei at the start, I am the only one who knows the plot of the Three Kingdoms.

The earthenware jar shattered under the high temperature, and the viscous, dark green or red liquid inside splashed everywhere, emitting an even more pungent odor.

The metal instruments were burned and twisted, and the tubing was melted, emitting a foul, acrid smell.

Some assassins even wielded their swords, hacking at the eerily-looking devices or smashing the medicine tanks with heavy objects to destroy them completely.

In the chaos, someone threw a burning object into the black pool of blood in the center!
"boom--!"

The dark red pool water seemed to have been injected with a potent ingredient; flames suddenly shot up several feet high, crackling and popping violently. An even stronger, more dizzying odor spread, even drowning out other smells.

The runes by the pool seemed to flicker for a moment before dimming under the scorching flames.

The cave's resistance was much weaker than expected.

Apart from a few "Gods of Speed" soldiers responsible for internal security and some dark-clad personnel who appeared to be technicians and had no combat capability, they did not encounter any organized and powerful guard forces.

Clearly, Penglai's forces here are more focused on the refinement and research of those evil secret arts than on direct military combat.

The sudden attack from both inside and outside, especially the fire attack on their core area, completely disrupted their rhythm.

Amidst this chaos and destruction, Gu Rubing's sharp gaze suddenly locked onto a direction!
There was an old man with gray hair and beard, dressed slightly differently from the other people in hemp clothing, with what appeared to be simple patterns embroidered on the sleeves of his robe, who was tightly holding several bamboo scrolls that were clearly important records.

Under the protection of a team of about ten well-equipped guards, they tried to escape in a rather dark side passage at the edge of the cave, looking panicked!

Although the old man looked alarmed, his eyes showed an extreme regard for the bamboo slip in his arms, indicating that he must be of high status!
"Capture him! Alive!"

Gu Rubing shouted loudly, like a thunderclap, instantly pointing out the target!

He and Zhao Yun exchanged a glance. Without saying a word, the two exerted their strength simultaneously, like two arrows released from a bow, breaking through the thick smoke and scattered flames, and rushing towards the group of people who were trying to escape!

Hearing Gu Rubing's shout, the old man turned around and saw two fierce generals chasing after him. His face instantly lost all color, and his panic intensified. He urged the guards beside him in a shrill voice.

"Stop them! Stop them now!"

The guards' eyes shone with a fanaticism unlike that of ordinary "divine marchers." Upon hearing the order, they turned around without fear of death, brandishing their weapons and charging towards the old man, trying to buy him time to escape with their lives!
"court death!"

Zhao Yun's eyes were icy cold. With a flick of his silver spear, it instantly transformed into countless cold stars, like a rain of pear blossoms, targeting the enemy's wrists, throats, and eye sockets—areas with weak defenses! The spear's speed was astonishing, each strike precise and ruthless. Accompanied by the splattering sound of flesh being pierced and short screams of agony, the guards at the forefront were instantly felled!
Gu Rubing was not to be outdone. Although his swordsmanship was not as exquisite as Zhao Yun's spear technique, it was powerful and heavy, and he also had a domineering aura like a king.

With each swing of their longswords, sword energy surged, either parrying incoming blades or directly using overwhelming force to knock back and cleave enemies! The two joined forces, one as agile as an immortal, the other as domineering as an emperor, their cooperation was perfectly synchronized, like tigers among sheep!

In the blink of an eye, the guards who had fought desperately to stop them were slaughtered, either dead or wounded, and could no longer form an effective barrier.

Seeing that the guards were so easily defeated, the old man was terrified and no longer cared about anything else. He threw the bamboo scroll in his arms to the ground and only wanted to escape into the dark side passage as soon as possible!

"Where to go!"

Zhao Yun was quick-witted and agile; how could he allow him to escape? He flashed like a ghost, dodging the attack of a dying guard, and with a flick of his spear, changed from a thrust to a sweep. The spear shaft, accompanied by the sound of wind cutting, swept with perfect accuracy into the old man's knee!
"what!"

The old man screamed, lost his balance, and stumbled to the ground, the bamboo slips in his arms scattering to the side.

Zhao Yun stepped forward, and before the old man could struggle, the tip of his spear was already pressed against his throat. The cold touch made the old man freeze instantly, and he dared not move an inch.

With his other hand, he quickly twisted his arms behind his back, completely subduing him.

"Tie him up!"

Gu Rubing shouted, and two assassins immediately stepped forward and tied the old man up tightly with the ropes they carried.

At this moment, the entire cave was completely engulfed in flames!
The raging flames devoured everything that could burn, and the heat was scorching, making the skin burn.

Thick smoke billowed, making it almost impossible to open one's eyes and extremely difficult to breathe.

Every now and then, broken wooden supports or hanging metal equipment would collapse with a loud crash, sending sparks flying everywhere.

Those imprisoned in the cages, led by some braver comrades or those rescued by the suicide squad, cried out in panic, running around the fire like headless flies, searching for a possible way out. The scene was extremely chaotic.

"Brother! Brother!"

A thunderous roar rang out, and Zhang Fei, wielding his eighteen-foot spear, covered in soot and blood, charged from the cave entrance, his face filled with anxiety.

"The fire is too big! If we don't leave now, we'll all be roasted alive here! Those bastards over there at the cave entrance are still fighting desperately, but I don't think they can hold out much longer!"

As if to confirm Zhang Fei's words, although the shouts of battle from the direction of the cave entrance were still intense, a unique and heavy sound of footsteps, like the beating of drums, could be clearly heard approaching rapidly from afar!

That clearly means more "God Marchers" are desperately rushing back to reinforce, trying to block their only escape route!
With flames blocking their path ahead and a powerful enemy closing in from behind, the situation is extremely critical!
Gu Rubing's gaze swept across the cave before him, which had been completely transformed into a fiery hell. The heat wave scorched his face, and the thick smoke stung his throat. The heavy, orderly footsteps behind him were like a death knell, getting closer and closer!
He knew that this was not the time to act rashly. Every second he lingered could lead to his complete demise in the mountain's belly. Not only would all his previous efforts be in vain, but his elite troops and even himself could perish in the flames or be overwhelmed by the returning "Divine Marching Army."

"Don't linger! Retreat!"

Gu Rubing made a decisive decision immediately, his voice hoarse but carrying an undeniable resolve.

He bent down and grabbed the scattered bamboo scrolls on the ground, which seemed to contain important information. Without even looking at them, he quickly stuffed them into his robes and gave stern orders to Zhao Yun, who had subdued the old man, and the soldiers around him.

"Take him with you, and let's go! Return the way we came, quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun didn't hesitate. With a swift movement, he lifted the ashen-faced, limp old man as if he were a chick, tucked him under his arm, and shouted, "Follow our lord, retreat!"

The group immediately contracted, with Gu Rubing and Zhao Yun as the vanguard and Zhang Fei bringing up the rear, retreating rapidly back along the rough passage they had come from. Along the way, they encountered some scattered individuals in dark hemp clothing who tried to stop them, or a few lone members of the "Divine March Army," but against Gu Rubing's group, who were eager to return home and possessed overwhelming strength, these resistances were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, swiftly and decisively eliminated. Amidst the flashing blades, corpses fell to the ground, and no one could slow their progress in the slightest.

The thick smoke grew increasingly choking, and the firelight cast flickering shadows on the passageway, making the air feel scorching as if it were about to burst into flames. Everyone covered their faces with their sleeves, enduring the discomfort, and ran with all their might.

Finally, they saw the ventilation shaft with several ropes hanging down below! The relatively fresh air coming down from above was like a refreshing rain, invigorating the people who were almost suffocating!
Looking up, they saw Huang Zhong and Ma Chao's men lying on the edge of the passage, anxiously peering down. When they saw Gu Rubing and the others, they quickly called out.

"My lord! Quickly! Come up here!"

"Climb up one by one, quick!"

Gu Rubing gave the order, but he himself stood still, scanning the way they had come, and personally covered their retreat.

Zhao Yun first tied the bound old man up with a rope, and then the soldiers above pulled him up with all their might!
Then, the elite soldiers grabbed the ropes and, using both their hands and feet, struggled to climb upwards.

Zhang Fei yelled and urged his soldiers to speed up, while he himself held his spear and stared intently into the depths of the smoke-filled tunnel.

Gu Rubing was the last to grab the rope. He glanced back at the core area of ​​the cave, which was ablaze with flames. He could vaguely see countless twisted figures struggling in the flames and hear heavy footsteps approaching.
Without further hesitation, he used his arms to climb upwards quickly.

Just as the last few soldiers covering the rear had barely left the ground and climbed a few feet onto the rope—

"Boom!"

Accompanied by heavy, clattering footsteps, a large number of "God Marching Army" soldiers, clad in dark armor and with cold, crazed eyes, surged into the area like a tidal wave!
They were so numerous that they almost filled the passageway!

However, what greeted them was not the enemy they had imagined, but towering flames, billowing smoke, and burning supports and rocks constantly collapsing and crumbling! The entire interior structure of the cave was becoming extremely unstable under the raging fire!

Faced with this apocalyptic scene, these "God Marching Army" soldiers let out roars like wild beasts, filled with anger and resentment. But they were, after all, flesh and blood, unable to cross this sea of ​​fire, let alone fly up to the high ventilation shaft. They could only watch helplessly as their target disappeared above, waving their weapons in vain, forced to retreat by the spreading fire.

Gu Rubing successfully climbed to the top of the cliff, his feet once again resting on solid rock. A cool night breeze blew in, dispelling some of the heat and dust.

He stood on the edge of the cliff, looking back down.

The mountain, which had once concealed a great secret, was now spewing out scorching flames and thick black smoke from its multiple ventilation ducts, turning the night sky into an eerie dark red.

The entire valley seemed to be burning and groaning in the flames, and even from a great distance, one could feel the destructive energy contained within the towering fire.

Gu Rubing's face was cold and stern, showing no joy of victory whatsoever.

Although this fire severely damaged Penglai's important stronghold in Liangzhou, destroyed their evil workshop, and rescued many innocent people who were imprisoned, he knew very well that this was far from the end of the matter.

Key figures in Penglai, such as Yu Ji and Zuo Ci, have not appeared, and their true purpose and a larger network remain hidden behind the fog.

"Destroying a nest is merely severing one of its tentacles. The real storm... may have only just begun."

Gu Rubing gazed at the blazing fire, muttering to himself, his eyes filled with even deeper worry.

After successfully evacuating the Qilian Mountains area, Gu Rubing and his group did not stop for a moment. With their familiarity with the terrain and the help of the Qiang guides, they bypassed any possible spies and patrols and returned to their secret base in Liangzhou as quickly as possible.

Once back at the relatively safe base, everyone's tense nerves finally relaxed a little, and an overwhelming sense of fatigue washed over them.

A headcount revealed that while the battle was successful, it came at a considerable cost, with dozens of carefully trained elite warriors lost, forever remaining in the burning mountainside.

Everyone felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

However, the results were also remarkable. They successfully destroyed a large-scale, evil secret base in Penglai, rescued hundreds of imprisoned and dying people, captured an old man who appeared to be the leader and might know the inside story, and seized several bamboo scrolls that most likely contained the secrets of Penglai.

From any perspective, this was a major blow and a crucial breakthrough to the forces of Penglai.

The captured bamboo slips were carefully stored away, and the old man was placed under close guard in preparation for interrogation. The group had just removed their armor and were preparing to rest, treat their wounds, and eat.

However, the tree wants to be quiet but the wind keeps on.

Before Gu Rubing could even pick up the bowl of water, or even wipe the soot off his face, two messengers from different directions rushed into the stronghold almost simultaneously, covered in dust and filled with anxiety, and presented Gu Rubing with two urgent military reports sealed with sealing wax.

Gu Rubing's heart sank, and the sense of urgency that had just been suppressed rose again.

He quickly opened the first secret report, which was sent by Lu Su, who was stationed in Yizhou and in charge of the rear defense.

Lu Su wrote in a solemn tone in the letter.

According to reports from multiple scouts, Cao Cao's army, which was originally in a standoff with the garrison of Xindu, seems to have made unusual moves recently!

Some of its elite troops, which had been stationed on the second line, began to clearly gather at the front line. Although there were no clear signs of a cross-border offensive, the overall situation suddenly increased the sense of pressure!

Even more unsettling is that a spy risked his life to bring back a message that mysterious people of unknown identity and suspicious behavior have been entering and leaving Cao Cao's central camp recently. Their attire and demeanor are unlike those of ordinary strategists or envoys, and their actions are very secretive, suggesting that they may have been in contact with Penglai!

Lu Su made his own judgment at the end of the letter.

Cao Cao has likely learned through some channel that your lord has encountered trouble in Liangzhou, or even that you have personally gone there!
He most likely took this opportunity to reach some kind of tacit understanding or temporary alliance with Penglai, intending to exert tremendous pressure on the border while your main forces are tied down in Liangzhou and Yizhou, which are relatively vulnerable, or to seek an opportunity to strike! (End of this chapter)