Helping each other with countless me.

Chapter 561 The group is destroyed
At the edge of the misty forest, banners fluttered, and a murderous aura filled the air.

"Blood Wolf" Gal, carrying his massive, blood-stained axe that resembled a door panel, stood on a makeshift platform, overlooking the silent, fog-shrouded forest before him.

Behind him stood nearly three thousand desperate men, the air thick with the stench of greed, sweat, and rust.

"brothers!"

Gal's voice boomed like thunder above the mercenary formation.

"The gold coins are right at my feet! The prince's favor is within my grasp! But a rat is lurking in the burrow! A cunning rat!"

He pointed to the deliberately concealed entrance to the cave, which resembled the mouth of a giant beast.

"Thousands of people squeezing in? That's like feeding rats!"

Gar grinned maliciously, his face contorted with the scars.

"I won't do that stupid thing! Let those scum hiding in their rat holes taste what it means for the sky to fall and the earth to crack!"

He waved his hand sharply.

"Mage Corps! Get out here and get to work!"

Dozens of mages from different mercenary groups, dressed in various robes, walked to the front of the formation, surrounded by guards.

They had arrogant expressions and eyes that carried the cold indifference characteristic of spellcasters.

The leader, an old mage with white hair and beard, held a staff inlaid with a huge sapphire. He was none other than Orlando, the archmage whom the "Skullbreaker" mercenary group had paid a lot of money to.

"The Archmage of Orlando."

Gal was quite polite to the old monk.

"It's up to you now! Lift up this rat burrow! Make sure they have nowhere to hide!"

Orlando nodded slightly.

"As you wish, Lord Blood Wolf."

After saying that, he turned around and looked at the group of mages behind him.

"Gentlemen, prepare the combined spells 'Earth Detection' and 'Earthquake'! Target: the core of the underground network ahead!"

The monks quickly sprang into action, taking their positions in specific locations and beginning to chant low, obscure incantations.

Magic flowed and converged among them, forming a massive complex magic circle. The powerful energy fluctuations caused the air to distort.

The gem at the top of the staff emitted a dazzling light, and powerful spiritual energy, like invisible tentacles, pierced the earth beneath its feet.

Inside the underground command center, Li Zhongren closed his eyes. From a war perspective, the dazzling red light representing a powerful magical source and detection fluctuations spread rapidly down from the ground like ripples from a stone thrown into water, attempting to outline the entire tunnel.

"coming."

A cold smile curled at the corners of Li Zhongren's lips.

"Activate the 'Resonance Chamber'! Everyone, retreat to the second level of the maze! Karenina, prepare the 'Black Flame Furnace'!"

At his command, deep within the tunnel, dozens of soldiers abruptly activated heavy mechanisms hidden in the rock walls.

These mechanisms connect to a huge cavity structure at the top of the first tunnel. It is not a real passage, but a specially designed trap area, like a huge resonating box. Its internal structure is exceptionally smooth and filled with glass-like energy channels that Karenina has carefully smelted with black flames.

On the ground, the mage's detection spells clearly "saw" the structure of the first tunnel, which was a relatively simple and interconnected network.

A hint of disdain flashed in Orlando's eyes.

"Hmph, nothing special. The core is locked! Inject magic power to trigger resonance! Let the earth devour them!"

The light of the combined magic circle instantly surged to its maximum! An overwhelming and unstoppable shockwave magic power, specifically designed for rock and soil structures, slammed down like an invisible giant hammer onto the detected tunnel "core" area!
Rumble——! ! !
A deafening roar came from the depths of the earth! The ground of the entire Misty Forest undulated and churned violently like boiling water!
"It collapsed! It collapsed!"

The mercenaries on the ground roared with excitement.

However, their excitement lasted for less than three seconds.

The expected scene of the underground cave collapsing completely and the enemy fleeing in disarray did not occur.

On the contrary, under the magical impact of the combined spells, the huge "resonance cavity" was like a giant bell that had been struck hard, amplifying and distorting this destructive shock energy geometrically, and then reflecting it back precisely upwards and around through a special glass energy-conducting layer!

Click! Click! Click!

Centered on the entrance to the cave, the ground within a radius of several hundred meters instantly became covered with huge, spiderweb-like cracks, like a fragile eggshell! Then, to the mercenaries' horrified gaze, the entire ground collapsed downwards!

"Do not--!"

"what happened?!"

"Help!"

Smoke and dust billowed into the sky, accompanied by piercing screams.

Thousands of mercenaries, various weapons, alchemical bombs, and even some spellcasters, fell into the bottomless pit like dumplings being dropped into a pot! A huge column of smoke and dust rose up, blotting out the sky.

As the surviving mercenaries struggled to their feet from the violent tremors and falls, coughing and choking on the smoke and dust, they were horrified to discover that they had not fallen into the collapsed enemy lair, but into a much larger, deeper, cold, damp world filled with faint magical light—the Underworld!
This is no longer a simple cave, but an incredibly complex three-dimensional labyrinth made of rock!

Even more terrifying, when they looked up, the place where they had fallen, which should have been the sky, had somehow been covered again by soil and rocks, forming a new dome that sealed them underground.

"What...what kind of place is this?" A mercenary from the "Iron Thorns" looked around in horror.

"A trap! It's a trap!"

The experienced "Black Scorpion" mercenary leader roared.

"Quick! Find a way out!"

"Go to hell! We fell from up there! Where's the mage? Blast the top open!!"

Following the mercenary's suggestion, the mages quickly regrouped and prepared to cast spells again. As noble mages, they did not suffer any major damage, after all, they all had constant defensive magic on them.

However, it's too late.

Om-!
The runes on the floor and walls of the entire maze, which were originally dim, suddenly lit up with a dazzling earthy yellow light!
A vast, ancient, and seemingly powerful force originating from the heart of the planet was awakened and guided!
This is a completely new energy, different from traditional psionic energy. Before today, people in this world may not have discovered it. This is the "power of the earth veins" that Li Zhongren has connected to and initially mastered by using Evelyn's knowledge of earth magic and his own ultimate understanding of "military formations"!
"The hunt begins."

Li Zhongren's icy voice seemed to echo in the ears of every survivor.

The next moment, the dance of death unfolded in the maze, giving the mercenaries no time to regroup.

A squad attempted to traverse a seemingly dry passage, only to find it suddenly slippery, as if oiled, throwing them against the walls on either side. Silently, sharp, barbed iron spikes sprang from the walls, closing in like animal traps!

A group of mercenaries cautiously tested the stone slabs under their feet, and only after confirming that they were solid did they take a step. However, when most of the group stepped onto the slabs, the ground of the entire area suddenly became transparent and softened, like flowing black glass, instantly swallowing more than a dozen people, leaving only a few short screams and the gurgling sound of churning lava.

Suddenly, a thick, sweet-smelling, grayish-green mist filled the narrow passage. Those who inhaled it instantly felt their lungs on fire, their muscles went numb, and they collapsed to the ground. Immediately afterward, a heavy stone roller covered in sharp spikes fell from the top of the passage...

A group of mercenaries trying to push aside the boulder blocking their path triggered a hidden alchemical bomb. The violent explosion did not spread outwards, but was instead contained by a specially designed metal shield into a destructive jet of high-temperature metal that instantly pierced through and vaporized the crowd!
In a relatively open "node square", dozens of mercenaries formed a defensive formation back to back.

Suddenly, the runes beneath their feet shone brightly, and a visible, earthy-yellow shockwave spread out like ripples!
The mercenaries affected felt their internal organs shift instantly, their bones groaning under the strain. Those weaker than them bled from all seven orifices and collapsed like mud! This was the most direct impact of the earth's vein power!
The mercenaries fled desperately through the vast and deadly labyrinth like lambs being herded.

Their prized martial arts skills and teamwork appear utterly pale and powerless in the face of the omnipresent and unpredictable mechanisms and the immense power of the earth's veins.

Screams, explosions, the cracking of bones, and the scraping of rocks intertwined to create a symphony of hell.

The corpses piled up quickly, and the blood soaked through the dry soil and rocks. The strong smell of blood even overpowered the earthy odor from underground.
As the radiance of the earth's energy gradually subsided, and the deadly traps fell silent due to exhaustion of energy or reaching their trigger limits, the once massive mercenary "army" was reduced to less than a tenth. In a relatively spacious, enormous cavern at the deepest part of the labyrinth, resembling an ancient Roman amphitheater, the remaining few dozen mercenaries huddled back to back.

They are the true elite, including "Blood Wolf" Garr, "Skullbreaker" leader Morey, "Iron Wall" Hawk, vice-leader of "Iron Thorns", "Viper" Lina, the poison master of "Black Scorpion"... and a few other powerful and lucky captains.

Everyone was covered in blood, but the injuries weren't actually theirs. After all, they were true superhumans, not so easily injured or killed.

Now, what do we do?
A voice rang out from among the crowd.

Silence met her with nothing.

Of the three thousand men and more than a dozen mercenary groups, only they remained.
keep fighting.

"Blood Wolf" Garr took a deep breath, his eyes bloodshot.

Don't even think about escaping. We don't have the resources to make a comeback. If we can't complete the mission, we'll really lose everything. As long as we join forces, this strange place can't do anything to us. I don't believe that man has endless power.

As he spoke, Garr let out a roar that was three parts anger, three parts provocation, and three parts venting.

"Damn farmer! Get out here! Fight like a man! Your tricks are useless against us!!"

His roar echoed through the empty cave.

Step...step...step...

A moment later, steady and orderly footsteps, like the drumbeats of death, came from the passageways around the cave.

Li Zhongren's figure slowly emerged from the front passage.

He was still wearing that cold plate armor, but it was covered with fresh scratches and dents.

Behind him were a hundred soldiers.

Each of them wore an unmistakable weariness on their face, yet their eyes remained sharp as knives, and they were as silent as rocks.

Their auras were more concentrated than before, but they were all faintly entwined with an ominous, decaying aura—the traces of life depletion left behind after they forcibly guided the power of the earth's veins to harmonize energy nodes as "human pillars".

Karenina hovered silently behind Li Zhongren, surrounded by black flames, like a messenger from the underworld. Her aura was even more profound and terrifying than before, clearly indicating that she had been tempered in the process of guiding the earth's energy and releasing the black flames.

"duel?"

Li Zhongren's voice was calm and even, yet it carried a chilling edge.

"Come."

"kill him!"

With bloodshot eyes, Garr could no longer contain himself and roared, charging towards Li Zhongren like a runaway chariot! The giant axe, accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore through the air, came crashing down!

"kill!"

The other elite mercenaries also unleashed their final ferocity, unleashing all their hidden weapons—battle aura, magic, poison mist, and concealed weapons—and sweeping towards the outnumbered hundred-man group!

The final battle erupted instantly!
The cave became the cruelest meat grinder.

Garr's giant axe was powerful and heavy; each strike was enough to split mountains and shatter rocks.

Li Zhongren did not take the attack head-on. His figure flashed like a ghost. The power of the military formation was not fully concentrated. Instead, under his exquisite control, it was sometimes dispersed to empower the soldiers, and sometimes instantly gathered on his own body, unleashing a terrifying power far exceeding 60 points to make crucial blocks and counterattacks.

His fist was wrapped in a force compressed to the extreme, and each time it collided with the giant axe, it produced a loud clang of metal striking metal, which caused Garr's tiger's mouth to split open and his arm to go numb!
Under Li Zhongren's micromanagement, the more than fifty soldiers worked as a single unit.

They formed tight small battle formations, with shield bearers charging forward, spearmen thrusting precisely through the gaps, and soldiers on the flanks slithering and ambushing like venomous snakes.

The golden light of the military formation flowed among them, sharing the damage, and occasionally it would erupt on a particular soldier, delivering a fatal blow far exceeding his own strength!
Soldiers fell one after another, their withered aura dissipating the moment of death—a sign that their lives had been completely consumed after the earth's veins were forcibly channeled.

But before each soldier fell, he took at least one or even more enemies with him!
So tragic!

In the distance, Karenina hid at the very back, controlling a giant dragon formed from black flames to bombard the enemy's ranged classes. With the support of the earth's vein power, she seemed to have become a spellcasting machine, managing to fight to a standstill with her opponent. Occasionally, when a spell fell, it was absorbed by the hundred-man army using their formation.

However, human strength is ultimately finite.

Despite the frenzied attacks, Li Zhongren seized an opening and delivered a powerful punch, imbued with the full force of the entire army, to the joint of Jia's twisted arm!
Click!

A sickening cracking sound rang out! Garr let out a beast-like howl of pain, and his giant axe flew from his hand!

Li Zhongren followed closely, his other hand forming a knife-like shape with fingers, radiating a golden light that seemed to tear everything apart, piercing straight into Garr's heart!

Garl's eyes widened in fury as he tried to block with his remaining arm.

puff!

The hand chop pierced through muscle and bone without any resistance, emerging from Gal's back!

The leader of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group, the strongest among three thousand men, collapsed to the ground with a thud, his face filled with astonishment and resentment.
The ensuing battle turned into a one-sided pursuit and extermination.

The soldiers of the 100-man regiment, like silent reapers of death, efficiently and ruthlessly reaped the lives of the remaining enemy under Li Zhongren's command.

When the last captain of the "Skullbreakers" was pierced by three spears and pinned to the rock wall, convulsing as he breathed his last, only heavy breathing and an overwhelming stench of blood remained in the entire massive cavern.

Li Zhongren stood amidst the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, looking around.

Behind him, fewer than thirty of the hundred-man regiment soldiers remained standing.

Everyone was covered in wounds, their spirits were low, and the desolate aura of life being drained was even more pronounced.

Karenina landed beside him, her black flames subsided, and her face turned somewhat pale.

The cost was heavy.

But the gains...

Li Zhongren closed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the dense array of faint lights in the war perspective, representing the attributes and skills that could be acquired.

The attribute points from most of the ordinary mercenaries were gathered together and evenly distributed among the remaining hundred-man group. This massive amount of attribute points directly helped them break through the supernatural boundary. At a glance, the remaining twenty-seven people each had one attribute that broke through the 20-point limit, gaining a unique supernatural ability and becoming true superhumans!
The essence of the dozens of truly extraordinary mercenaries he ultimately killed was also extracted by Li Zhongren and gathered into his own body.
However, he did not use these powers directly, but stored them away temporarily.

The reason is also very simple.

The marginal effect that Li Zhongren mentioned before.

He can increase his power through killing, but the increase will be smaller and smaller as time goes on. There may be a huge increase from 10 to 30 points, but from 30 to 60 points, it may only be a doubling, and after that, it will be even smaller.

Now, after this battle, Li Zhongren can be fairly certain that in this world of low to medium magic, even if he frantically piles up skill points, it will only be a waste. However, if he can use this power to expand his extraordinary legion, then with his control over the power of the earth's veins, that would be the real capital for him to sweep across the world!
Moreover, and most importantly, this experience can become his capital for rewarding his subordinates.

Why was Li Zhongren willing to go to such great lengths to help those twenty-seven people break through their limits?

That's something people risked their lives to earn.

He will never be stingy as long as you're willing to work hard!

He slowly raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the thick layers of rock, looking towards the direction of the capital.

The surviving soldiers silently began to clean up the battlefield, collect spoils, and carefully carry the bodies of their comrades aside. This was an order from Li Zhongren. Afterward, they would return to their hometowns, and all the children of these fallen comrades would join his legion and become members of the Earth Vein Legion!
Those who became members of the hundred-strong group of extraordinary individuals all knew what this meant.
Aaron West appeared at the entrance of a passageway at some point. He looked at the hellish scene and at Li Zhongren, who stood in the center of the pool of blood like a demon. His face was as pale as paper, and his body trembled involuntarily, but his eyes shone with an almost fanatical light of awe.

From this day forward, the title of Lord of the Mist will no longer be a joke, but a fearsome name forged with the bones of three thousand mercenaries!

The outcome of the "litmus test" that Princess Alicia Carlos was waiting for was already self-evident.

(End of this chapter)