Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

"Truth and falsehood, reality and illusion, the most dangerous place may be the safest place. The fact that the Shadowless Pavilion has appeared in this place is not accidental; they may have discovered something. Let's search this mine first," Lin Feng decided.

He looked at Bai Xiaohe: "We must find that secret chamber before the Shadowless Pavilion does. Otherwise, once they've laid a trap, even if we escape, we'll never find the fragment again."

Bai Xiaohe nodded emphatically, twirling her short sword between her fingers: "I'll cover the rear. You search ahead."

Without another word, the two of them ventured deeper into the mine, one after the other.

The alleyway grew narrower and the air became increasingly polluted, filled with a strange smell of aged sulfur mixed with rotten wood.

As forks in the road appeared one after another, Lin Feng, relying on his intuition, decisively chose the left path at several intersections.

"Wait." Bai Xiaohe suddenly grabbed him and pointed to a rock wall in front of them. "There's a faint light."

Lin Feng narrowed his eyes. In the darkness, a faint, unnatural, eerie blue glow shone through the darkness ahead. It wasn't the light of a torch, but rather the cold light emanating from some kind of fluorite.

The two held their breath and, pressed themselves against the slippery rock wall, silently approached the light source.

After rounding a huge stalactite, the sight before him made Lin Feng's pupils shrink slightly.

This is a small cave that was carved out by hand. In the center of the cave, there is a miniature "mine model" that is about half a person's height. The model is not made of stone, but is made of countless tiny metal particles with a faint blue luster, which emit an alluring glow in the darkness.

Next to the model, several pieces of parchment, soaked in blood and dried, lay scattered, with intricate mineral vein diagrams drawn on them in vermilion.

Lin Feng strode forward and picked up a blueprint. In the corner of the blueprint, a few words were written in delicate yet sharp small regular script:

"Complete Map of the Ling Family's Private Mine - Top Secret"

He quickly scanned the drawing, his gaze darting through the spiderweb-like red lines. The lines eventually converged at a single point, next to which were three words:

"Soul-Breaking Reef".

"Soul-Severing Reef?" Lin Feng pondered the name.

"It's a dangerous place three hundred miles to the northwest, on the upper reaches of the Blackwater River," Bai Xiaohe whispered behind him. "The currents there are swift, there are many hidden reefs, and it's shrouded in miasma all year round. It's known as 'the boat coffin.' If the Ling family has a secret stronghold there, it must be an underwater cave."

Lin Feng carefully put away the blueprints and looked at the miniature mine model again. He reached out and gently touched the metallic particles that gleamed with a faint blue light.

Cold and hard.

"These are slag," Lin Feng said, "or... another kind of associated mineral."

He suddenly realized that Ling Aoyun had hidden more than just wealth. The third fragment was probably hidden in the underwater cave known as "Soul-Severing Reef."

"Let's get out of here first!" Lin Feng made a quick decision.

Just as the two were about to turn around, a sound of rocks scraping against each other suddenly came from the entrance of the cave!

"Crackling sound—"

A huge, moss-covered rock slowly descended from above, completely blocking the only exit!

"Oh no! The mechanism has been triggered!" Bai Xiaohe shouted sharply, her short sword held across her chest.

"Hehehe..." A chilling laugh echoed from the darkness. "Lin Feng, you killed Ling Aoyun, but you also sealed your own fate. This mine holds the remains of three generations of the Ling family. Go down and join them!"

They're assassins from the Shadowless Pavilion!

Laughter echoed through the narrow passageway, sending chills down one's spine. Having finished speaking, the dark figure didn't linger, disappearing into the intricate mine tunnels with a few leaps.

"We can't just sit here and wait to die!" Lin Feng and Lin Xiaohe walked through the mine, scanning their surroundings.

In the deathly silent cave, a faint, extremely cool breeze suddenly brushed against his cheek. He closed his eyes, sensing the direction of the wind, then abruptly opened them: "Over here! There's a ventilation shaft!"

He rushed towards the cave wall. Then he tapped the rock with the hilt of his sword, producing a hollow echo. Bai Xiaohe understood and brandished her short sword!

"Boom!"

The falling rubble revealed a ventilation shaft barely wide enough for one person to pass through!

"You go first!" Lin Feng supported Bai Xiaohe's feet and lowered her into the dark shaft.

The ventilation shaft was pitch black, with slippery walls, and only a faint glimmer of light overhead offered any hope of survival.

Using both hands and feet, and relying on the friction of their fingertips wedged into the cracks in the rocks, the two men laboriously climbed towards the wellhead. The ventilation hole above them drew closer, and they could even smell the damp scent of grass and trees outside.

Just as he was about to climb out of the well, a crisp "crack" sound suddenly came from above!

"Oh no! The manhole cover is stuck!"

Lin Feng, gritting his teeth, shouted from below, "Step back! I'll hold them off!"

He gripped the well wall with one hand, gathered strength in his other palm, and pushed upwards with a jolt!

"Splash—"

The heavy stone cover was shaken open, and moonlight poured down instantly, illuminating two faces covered in mud.

The two tumbled out of the well and landed heavily on the soft grass. Looking back, the dark ventilation shaft resembled the throat of a wild beast, hidden in the dense bushes.

"Chase after Batel and the others first." Lin Feng's voice was hoarse with exhaustion. "Su Xuanji has lost too much blood and can't afford any more delay. The assassins from the Shadowless Pavilion could catch up with them at any moment."

Bai Xiaohe nodded silently. She also knew that Su Xuanji and Batel were in more danger than they were at this moment.

Without further hesitation, the two hurried westward. The darkness was their only cover, and the sound of the wind their only accompaniment.

About two hours later, the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn. Under a sheltered rock face, they finally saw the messy footprints—the distinctive, varying shades of the footprints left by Batel's Golden Fox Guards.

"They're heading north." Lin Feng crouched down, his fingertips brushing against a crushed blade of grass. "They didn't take the main road; they're trying to circle around to the other side of Ironwall City."

"That area has many swamps and abandoned salt mines, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack," Bai Xiaohe added. "Battle is familiar with the terrain and chose a dangerous route."

The two immediately changed course and headed north. After chasing for another half an hour, they could faintly hear the sound of horses' hooves and men's shouts ahead!

Lin Feng and Bai Xiaohe exchanged a glance and then disappeared behind the rocks by the roadside.

A troop of about twenty cavalrymen was chasing a mule cart. The cavalrymen's clothing was messy, but without exception, their banners all depicted a black wolf with a broken horn—these were the remnants of Burte's army!

"They're from Burte!" Bai Xiaohe whispered, her hand already on her sword hilt. "Are they planning to rob a caravan, or...?"

Lin Feng narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping across the valley.

Soon, he saw the familiar blue-veiled mule cart! On the cart shaft, Batel, his face full of ferocity, brandished a repeating crossbow, driving away the cavalry that tried to approach.

"It's Miss Su and Batel!" A cold glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. "Bertie's remnants wanted to take advantage of the situation and rob them like fat sheep!"

Looking at this loosely organized group, most of whom were just a ragtag bunch bluffing, Lin Feng thought, "The worst thing about highway robbers is that there are even more ruthless ones out there."

He looked at Bai Xiaohe and whispered a few instructions.

Bai Xiaohe nodded emphatically. She silently left her hiding place, circled around to the other side of the valley, and disappeared into the rocks and withered grass.

Lin Feng then removed his blood-stained cloak and covered his face, leaving only his eyes exposed. He touched a boulder, took a deep breath, and suddenly let out a desolate wolf howl!

"Awooo—!"