You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

Chen Yang and Qiu Niu walked through the winding passageway.

The deeper you go, the more humid the air becomes, and there's a musty smell.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

A winding underground river came into view.

The entire underground river space is very large.

Above the dome, there are stalactites and crystals that reflect a faint light onto the water's surface.

The riverbank was covered with moss.

"No wonder it was so damp,"

"There's such a huge underground river here!"

Looking at the scene before him, Qiuniu couldn't help but sigh.

Chen Yang stood on the shore, his sharp eyes scanning his surroundings carefully.

A moment later, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, you can walk around here freely now."

"I did not find any restrictions or formations."

"That's good."

Qiu Niu breathed a sigh of relief, then frowned: "Could Minister Jiang and the others have passed through here?"

He looked at the icy river water and squinted.

"Probably."

Chen Yang nodded, his gaze fixed on the river ahead: "Let's walk along the river, but be careful."

"understand!"

Qiuniu agreed.

The two walked along the riverbank, one in front of the other.

Chen Yang walked ahead, constantly keeping an eye on the surroundings.

Qiuniu followed closely behind, responsible for observing the movements behind them.

The two can coordinate instantly at the slightest sign of trouble.

Just then, the water in the middle of the river ahead began to churn violently.

"Wow!"

"boom."

With a loud bang, waves of water shot skyward.

"Roar."

A deafening roar followed.

A colossal creature suddenly emerged from the water.

"A newt?"

Qiuniu cried out in alarm.

It was a giant salamander.

It is several feet long and two feet thick.

The skin was black, covered with wrinkles and green bumps, and some of it oozed some mucus.

It's disgusting to look at.

Its head was shaped like a frying pan, and its two lantern-sized eyes were staring coldly at them.

Its head is flat, and its two huge eyes are like lanterns.

Its mouth was open, revealing two rows of densely packed fine teeth, which sent chills down one's spine.

Its claws gripped the rocks on the shore, making a cracking sound that sent shivers down one's spine.

"what!"

Qiuniu's pupils shrank suddenly as he stared at the enormous creature in disbelief.

Is this still a salamander?

The body shape doesn't look like it at all.

The salamander had already locked onto the two people on the shore.

"Roar."

Another deafening roar followed, clearly indicating that he was enraged.

The massive body suddenly exerted its strength, roaring as it charged from the water toward Chen Yang and Qiu Niu on the shore.

"So strong!"

Qiuniu's expression instantly turned serious: "Be careful."

"This is a mutated spirit beast that has absorbed spiritual energy! It is now comparable to a Ghost Immortal!"

Chen Yang squinted at the salamander in front of him.

Its strength far surpasses that of spirit beasts like the weasel.

Clearly, they have been cultivating here for who knows how long.

Therefore, there must be spiritual energy down here, or nearby.

As the salamander charged, Chen Yang said in a deep voice, "Qiuniu! This thing has thick skin and tough flesh, do your best to attract its attention!"

"I'll find an opportunity to launch a sneak attack and aim for a fatal blow!"

"Otherwise, if a fight breaks out and the commotion is too great, who knows if there are other monsters in this godforsaken place!"

"understand!"

Qiuniu agreed without hesitation: "Leave it to me."

"Roar!"

The giant salamander had already charged forward.

It opened its blood-red maw and bit at the two of them.

"bring it on!"

Qiuniu suddenly exerted force with his feet, and a pair of iron hammers appeared in his hands.

It swung up and smashed it hard against the salamander's head.

"clang!"

The hammer struck the salamander.

It made a metallic clanging sound.

However, his attack only left a few marks on it.

The skin wasn't even broken.

"What a strong defense!"

Qiuniu was startled and retreated rapidly, avoiding the salamander's attack from a distance.

"Roar."

The salamander, having missed its attack, roared in anger.

It shook up the surrounding water waves.

Its tail, like a steel whip, swept across.

"Damn, it's pretty fast."

Qiuniu had just regained his balance and could only grip the iron hammer tightly, holding it in front of him.

"Oh!"

There was a loud noise.

Qiuniu was instantly sent flying.

It crashed violently into the rock wall behind it.

"Qiuniu!"

Chen Yang quickly shouted to attract the salamander's attention.

Then he suddenly threw a huge rock at the salamander.

"boom."

It hit the salamander directly.

The salamander was attracted to him.

It roared and charged forward.

"It's now!"

Chen Yang watched as the salamander became enraged.

It's coming at me.

It suddenly lunged at the salamander.

We arrived at its top.

The salamander sensed the threat above its head and wanted to retaliate.

Unfortunately, it has difficulty moving its head up and down.

This is also a problem that Chen Yang has just discovered.

While Qiuniu attracted Chen Yang, it also gave Chen Yang an opportunity.

Chen Yang watched as the salamander prepared to move its body towards him, and a cold smile appeared on his face.

"You beast, you have no chance."

He sneered, and the Xuan sword in his hand fell.

A cold blade, imbued with his martial arts skills, followed and slashed down.

"puff!"

The Xuan Sword, combined with the spiritual power infused by Chen Yang, instantly pierced into the salamander's neck.

Pull it up smoothly.

"Wow!"

"Pfft..."

Immediately afterwards, a jet of blood burst forth.

"Roar!"

The salamander let out a pitiful roar.

Then the massive body suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Blood was flowing everywhere, emitting a pungent, fishy stench.

The salamander rolled and struggled on the ground.

Its massive body convulsed incessantly.

It gradually lost its vitality.

For a moment, only the sound of flowing water remained.

The noise from just now completely disappeared.

Chen Yang immediately rushed to Qiuniu's side and asked with concern, "How are you? Are you badly injured?"

Qiuniu shook his head and coughed lightly: "It's nothing! It's nothing."

"Eat this."

Chen Yang didn't hesitate either, taking out a pill from his storage bag and handing it to Qiuniu.

"This is... elixir?"

Qiuniu stared wide-eyed at the pills he was offered.

This is very rare; they just gave it away like that?

Their respect for Chen Yang immediately rose even higher.

He is powerful and generous, and is someone worth befriending.

Chen Yang bent down and carefully examined the wound, confirming that the salamander was completely dead.

He then stood up and said in a deep voice, "Let's go."

Qiuniu had just taken the elixir when his spirits lifted: "Ahead..."

"Um,"

Chen Yang nodded and continued, "It's no accident that this beast was so powerful just now. There must be a spiritual spring nearby."

"Jiang He and the others might be heading there."

"Lingquan!"

Qiuniu was initially delighted, then said, "If that's really the case, then Minister Jiang and the others..."

"Let's hurry and get going."

As Chen Yang spoke, he walked forward along the riverbank.

"it is good!"

Qiuniu agreed and followed closely behind.

He has now fully recovered.

After walking for about half an incense stick's time, they discovered something at the bend in the riverbank ahead.

"Ok?"

Chen Yang stopped and waved his hand.

Qiuniu stopped immediately.

Then, they looked in the direction Chen Yang indicated.

His expression instantly turned serious.

The two approached cautiously.

Once he could see the situation clearly, Qiuniu's eyes widened.

A look of grief appeared on his face.

"They're...the Special Administration Bureau!"

He stepped forward, looked at the corpse, and gasped in shock.

They all looked miserable.

Some were completely unrecognizable.

He had clearly experienced a fierce battle before his death.

Chen Yang crouched down and carefully examined the body.

"He has been dead for some time."

He stood up and examined the remaining corpses: "They're all the same. It looks like the battle was fierce."

“I know all of these people; they are all under Minister Jiang’s command.”

Qiuniu looked grave as he gazed at the corpse and asked, "So... how is Minister Jiang?"

"He'll be fine, don't worry."

Chen Yang offered a word of comfort, then continued, "It's obvious this place was attacked from the shadows; there aren't any signs of a fierce fight."

“We’ll keep going. The bodies here mean we’re not far from them.”

Qiuniu nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes! Let's keep going."
The two bypassed the corpse and continued on their way.

Although these are the bodies of our own people, now is not the time for sentimentality.

Finding the person is more important.

We walked a few hundred meters more.

Just then, several charred corpses appeared in front of them.

Chen Yang suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"It's them!"

Chen Yang's voice was icy, his brows furrowed: "These are the assassins who tried to kill me outside!"

"These people were burned alive! What terrifying fire power! It doesn't seem like Minister Jiang did this."

Qiuniu murmured softly, then looked at Chen Yang: "This matter is a bit complicated."

"The situation has indeed become complicated."

Chen Yang pondered for a moment, then looked at Qiuniu and said, "Alright, I'll continue forward, you can go out first."

"what?"

Qiuniu snapped out of his daze, thinking he had misheard, and pointed to himself: "Get out? What about you?"

"Get out of here immediately and notify our people,"

Chen Yang looked at Qiuniu and then reminded him, "Tell them about the situation here and send reinforcements outside to set up defenses."

"no!"

Without a second thought, Qiuniu shook his head vigorously and said, "How could I abandon you? No way!"

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Chen Yang looked at him with a confident expression: "You've seen my strength just now, dealing with them is no problem."

"Your calling for reinforcements is the only way to get us out of this predicament. If we leave together, no one will know what happened if something goes wrong."

"But……"

Qiuniu was still somewhat hesitant.

Firstly, Chen Yang's words made sense, and secondly, he was worried about letting Chen Yang go alone.

"don’t worry."

Chen Yang interrupted him, a serious look flashing in his eyes: "Time is precious! Don't hesitate."

"Okay! You must be careful! I'll go back and get reinforcements right away, you must be careful."

Qiuniu couldn't persuade him otherwise and finally had to agree.

"rest assured."

Chen Yang nodded and smiled, showing an indifferent expression: "Go ahead."

"it is good!"

After being granted help, he turned around and went back immediately.

Chen Yang watched him walk away before continuing to look ahead.

Upon arriving here, the situation gradually became clear.

Just like what those people said yesterday.

It seems they really did set a trap for Jiang He.

So, why did they also suffer losses after arriving here?
There must be a reason.

While thinking, Chen Yang's feet were also busy.

Continue on your way.

After traveling some distance along the underground river, we arrived at another open area.

Chen Yang continued on his journey.

Gradually, the smell of blood filled the air.

After turning around, I saw the scene ahead again.

More corpses lay scattered around the river.

"really……"

Chen Yang's expression hardened, and he said in a deep voice.

Some of the corpses were dressed in Special Administration uniforms, while others were dressed as assassins in black.

Clearly, a fierce battle took place here.

Chen Yang did not step forward to examine each corpse carefully as he had done before.

Jiang He and his group were indeed ambushed.

He focused his attention on the center of the river.

There is an altar there.

The altar was entirely black.

It is two or three zhang tall.

"It seems that what they are fighting over is right here on this altar."

He quietly activated his keen eyesight.

They carefully observed the entire altar environment.

"The altar has been destroyed!"

Chen Yang looked at the scene before him with a grave expression: "What are they fighting over?"

After walking over, you can see a lot of footprints here.

There were even footprints leading into the distance.

"Someone left here alive."

Chen Yang looked ahead and frowned: "Is it Jiang He and his group? Or those men in black?"

He didn't linger and chased after the passage.

……

Deep within this passage, somewhere.

The air here is thick with the stench of blood.

There were also dozens of people facing off against each other.

"Jiang He, just surrender! There's no way you'll leave us alive!"

One of the men in black looked at Jiang He with a cold smile.

The armor he was wearing was the same as the one used to assassinate Chen Yang.

There were a dozen or so other people like him around him.

They all stared intently at the Jianghe group in front of them.

"Hmph, don't even think about it!"

"As long as we have a breath left, we will never let you succeed!"

One of Jiang He's men looked coldly at the crowd in front of him and said through gritted teeth.

"Minister Jiang, you go first, we'll take care of them!"

"Minister, you should go. If we try to stop them, they definitely won't be able to catch up with you."

"..."

Several people stepped forward and shielded Jiang He behind them.

Each of them wore a look of resignation to their fate.

They had already made up their minds to die.

"Hmph, foolish. You think you can stop us with just a few of you?"

One of them looked at the group of people in front of him with a sneer and said, "If you surrender, we can spare your lives."

"If you resist stubbornly, then you can only wait to die."

“You are not employed by these families.”

"They don't have the financial resources to hire you."

“You wouldn’t serve such a family.”

Jiang He stepped aside from his men, looked them over, and said, "In that case, let's live and die together."

"Let me leave on my own, at the expense of you? That's impossible!"

"Minister, only when you go back will we have a chance for revenge!"

"Yes, we can't let them sacrifice themselves in vain!"

"..."

The group became anxious and quickly tried to persuade them.

Everyone wore a solemn expression.

"Hmph, still trying to get sentimental here?"

The leader looked at them with disdain: "Let me see your friendship? How laughable."

"Stop talking nonsense, come on!"

Jiang He roared, ready for the final battle. (End of Chapter)