One second, two seconds. Nothing happened. On the third second, the entire ceiling of the tunnel abruptly opened. Innumerable black spiders, each the size of a fingernail, surged out. Accompanied by a rustling sound, they pounced towards Yu Qingqiu.

While Xing Qianhu was immersed in an intense and thrilling adventure underground, those on the surface were not idle.

COUGH, COUGH, COUGH—

Li Yushan coughed up blood as he slowly stood up from the ground, his bloodshot eyes scanning left and right.

The once resplendent Wangfu Banquet Hall had been reduced to ruins. Delicate silk curtains, now on the ground, caught fire from the candles, burning swiftly and sending up brief, dim sparks.

The troopers of Xijishi Factory and Wude Guard lay scattered across the courtyard floor, bleeding and groaning in pain, but miraculously, not a single one had died.

"Damn it! Everyone, get up! Take off your armor!"

Li Yushan roared hoarsely, dragging his subordinates up from the ground and violently tearing off their leather armor.

The final self-detonation of the White Lotus Demon Cultivators had not only destroyed the main hall but also scattered clusters of white mycelium.

Mycelium that landed on bricks and stones remained motionless and unchanged. However, the mycelium that fell on trees and wood grew at a visible rate. It quickly spread, forming white fuzz about a finger's length, much like mold on fruit left to rot for too long.

The leather armor worn by the troopers also seemed to attract the mycelium. The white fuzz burrowed deep into the leather, growing wildly upon contact with air, only to dissolve immediately upon touching the skin's surface.

No, it wasn't dissolving. Through Li Yushan's sharp senses, he perceived that the white mycelium turned into tiny droplets the moment it touched the skin, seeping into the pores of the troopers.

Whatever these things are, they certainly aren't beneficial for the human body...

Images of various bizarre and evil techniques he had witnessed flashed through Li Yushan's mind, sending a chill up his spine.

Demonic beasts powerful enough to move mountains aren't to be feared, nor are unpredictable ghosts and fiends. For the Wude Guard troopers, what's truly terrifying are the Gu Poisons—invisible, intangible, and often impossible to counter effectively...

Urged by Li Yushan and realizing something was wrong, the troopers sprang up from the ground. They hastily shed their armor and pulled out ointment specifically for countering Gu Poison from pouches on their waists, applying it to any skin the mycelium had touched.

Some troopers had been at the very front of the battle formation, their entire bodies exposed to the white mycelium. They simply tore off their shirts, bared their torsos, and frantically smeared ointment everywhere, rubbing fiercely. Comrades helped apply it to the areas on their backs they couldn't reach. For a moment, the ruin-filled courtyard resembled an open-air bathhouse.

No mycelium clung to Li Yushan. He paid no heed to the troopers smearing ointment on each other and quickly walked to the front of the ruins. He shifted beams, large logs, and rubble to reach the spot where Bai Yongyan and Yu Qingqiu had vanished.

The tunnel entrance had disappeared. No matter how Li Yushan used his precious saber as a shovel, he only dug up piles of dirt, finding no sign of the tunnel.

At this moment, six high-ranking monks from Yongling Temple and the Annam Diplomatic Corps rushed over from a side hall. Seeing the chaotic scene in the main hall, their expressions changed dramatically.

A middle-aged monk from Yonglin Temple asked, "General Li, where is the Auspicious Beast?"

Li Yushan straightened up. With a flick of his saber to shake off the mud, he said through clenched teeth, "The White Lotus Demon Cultivator took it through the tunnel as a hostage."

HISS...

The middle-aged monk gasped. Yonglin Temple had communicated with the Wude Guard and knew they planned to use the Auspicious Beast as bait tonight. The goal was to eliminate those plotting to seize it, thereby clearing the path for its secure transport to the capital.

He hadn't expected the Wude Guard to be so unreliable. The Auspicious Beast had been abducted right under their noses.

"The Auspicious Beast is adept at divination and Prediction. The White Lotus Demon Cultivators could very well cooperate with it, having the Auspicious Beast help them evade the city-wide pursuit," the Yonglin Temple monk said through gritted teeth. "If they manage to escape this time, recapturing them will be extremely difficult..."

"Enough, Liao Nan! What's done is done. Speaking more is of no use."

An older monk from Yongling Temple frowned, silencing his disciple's complaints. He then looked at Li Yushan and said, "General Li, the iron cage holding the Auspicious Beast was crafted from Nine Heavens Mysterious Iron by a great artisan from Annam. It is indestructible and impregnable, and we hold the only key. Even if the White Lotus Demon Cultivators abducted it and fled, they wouldn't be able to get far with such a heavy cage."

"I understand," Li Yushan nodded. "I've already sent a signal instructing the Lvzhou authorities to seal the city gates and conduct a thorough search of the city. A tunnel with an entrance must have an exit. Miao Renfeng, Wu Renji, you two, continue digging!"

The two troopers whose names were called hurried over. From long cases at their waists, each took out a Metal Stick. They then attached some small components from the cases into a narrow groove at the front of the stick, assembling a tool somewhat resembling a modern military entrenching shovel. They quickly began to dig.

Li Yushan breathed a slight sigh of relief and took a round Compass from within his robes, holding it in his hand. He held his breath, focused, and began adjusting the small markers on its surface.

The Xijishi Factory and the Wude Guard weren't entirely unprepared. The Xijishi Factory had smeared a special ointment on the Auspicious Beast's cage, one that allowed swarms of fireflies to trace its scent. The Wude Guard, on the other hand, had placed a tracking restriction on the cage, which, when used with the Compass, could pinpoint its location.

Dozens of small metal pieces on the Compass rotated autonomously for a moment before most stabilized. Only one continued to slide along the Compass's track.

Found it! It's in the western part of the city!

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