Two days later.

Abyss of Mist.

The stone forest area had long lost its former tranquility.

Countless professionals, like worker ants, scurried back and forth under the overseers' shouts.

They carried heavy Ore on their shoulders, their faces numb and weary, transporting pieces of magic-infused crystals from the deep mine shafts and piling them onto designated empty spaces.

Qin Ming stood at the top of a towering stone pillar, his hands clasped behind his back.

His face was stern, his gaze like lightning, sweeping over the busy crowd below.

“Everyone, perk up!”

“Move faster! Anyone who dares to be lazy won’t get dinner!”

He earnestly fulfilled his duties as a team leader, his voice loud and full of Qi.

Just then, the long shadow cast by the stone pillar at his feet subtly wiggled.

“Qin Ming.”

Qin Ming’s expression remained unchanged, still that cold demeanor.

He seemingly casually turned, walked down the stone pillar, and paced to a quiet, unnoticed corner.

Only then did he lower his voice and respectfully speak.

“Master, you’ve arrived.”

From within the shadow, Moria gave a faint “hmm.”

“Any new developments with the Radiant Alliance and this Secret Realm recently?”

Qin Ming immediately relayed the intelligence he had gathered.

“Reporting to Master, the Radiant Alliance has been bringing in more and more people lately.”

“I haven’t counted precisely, but there are at least over four thousand people in the entire Secret Realm now.”

“And...”

Qin Ming’s voice dropped even lower, carrying a hint of solemnity.

“This time, Liu Zi'ang, the third son of the Liu family, brought quite a few powerhouses.”

“I've subtly inquired and found that there are at least twelve individuals above Level 50.”

“There are also at least two at Level 60.”

“As for how many of them are S-rank, I don't know; I didn't dare to inquire rashly.”

“I heard they are mainly responsible for exploring the depths of this Secret Realm.”

“To deploy so many powerhouses, there must be something extraordinary in this Secret Realm.”

Zhou Huai’s consciousness, within Moria, subtly frowned.

Not only ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) were there Level 50 professionals.

Even Level 60 ones had arrived.

The Liu family’s Pay attention to of this Secret Realm far exceeded his imagination.

Qin Ming seemed to remember something and quickly added.

“Oh, Master, among those two Level 60 powerhouses, one is extremely skilled in perception.”

“If you encounter him, please be very careful.”

“A few days ago, a covert operative sent in by the military was discovered by them, causing quite a stir.”

“I heard that person was instantly killed by a palm strike from that Level 60 powerhouse.”

Zhou Huai’s heart skipped a beat.

Li Gang?

He quickly pressed for more information.

“What did the person who was killed look like?”

Qin Ming shook his head.

“I don’t know that either.”

“At the time, I was leading a mining team deep in the Secret Realm and wasn’t present.”

“I only heard about it later from others.”

Zhou Huai understood.

A Level 60 powerhouse skilled in perception was indeed a huge problem.

Although Moria was good at hiding in shadows, it didn’t mean he was absolutely imperceptible.

“Is that powerhouse in that large cave now?”

“No,” Qin Ming replied.

“They have already gone deeper into the Secret Realm for exploration again, and probably won’t be back for a while.”

“Understood.”

Moria’s voice sounded again.

“You be careful.”

“When the time is right, I will take you out.”

“Thank you, Master!”

Qin Ming’s voice was filled with gratitude and excitement.

Moria said no more, his figure silently receding from the shadow at Qin Ming’s feet.

He passed through the large gate connecting the Secret Realm to the outside world, arriving once again in the vast, empty underground cave.

As Qin Ming had said.

The number of people in the cave now was significantly more than before.

The number of Radiant Alliance guards had also more than doubled.

They held weapons, patrolling back and forth among the crowd, their eyes vigilant, the atmosphere grim.

Moria moved cautiously in the shadows, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, attracting no one’s attention.

He glanced inadvertently.

And in the crowd in the distance, he saw that familiar figure.

Li Gang.

At this moment, he was sitting on a protruding stone stool, sweating profusely and panting heavily.

His clothes were already soaked with sweat, and his face was covered in dust, looking utterly disheveled.

Zhou Huai couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Good.

This Lord Li Gang wasn’t dead.

He was a relatively important part of his plan and couldn’t just die here so easily.

With a few shadow leaps.

Moria’s figure had silently arrived in the shadow at Li Gang’s feet.

“Lord Li Gang.”

A sudden voice echoed directly in Li Gang’s mind.

Li Gang’s hand, wiping sweat, suddenly paused.

His sharp eyes instantly became alert, and he seemingly casually surveyed his surroundings.

Around him were still the numbly toiling miners and the patrolling guards.

There was nothing unusual.

He frowned, feeling a little puzzled.

“Damn it, am I too stressed lately, hearing things?”

However, the next second.

That cold voice sounded again.

“Lord Li Gang, no need to search.”

“I’m at your feet.”

Li Gang’s body stiffened abruptly.

He slowly, inch by inch, lowered his head.

Indeed, in the pitch-black shadow at his feet, a pale, bloodless human face was slowly emerging.

That face seemed to merge with the shadow, with only a pair of silver eyes quietly watching him.

Even with Li Gang’s extensive experience, this eerie scene made his heart skip half a beat in shock.

He forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart and did not make a sound.

He lowered his voice, speaking in a volume only he could hear, to inquire.

“Who are you?”

“How do you know my name?”

Zhou Huai, controlling Moria, spoke calmly.

“You don’t need to know who I am.”

“You can call me... a helpful citizen.”

“A helpful citizen?”

Li Gang was stunned when he heard this title.

The corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

What the hell is a helpful citizen?

Zhou Huai ignored his reaction and continued to persuade.

“Lord Li Gang, not only do I know your name.”

“I also know your identity.”

“Most importantly...”

Moria’s voice carried a hint of temptation.

“I can help you get out.”

Li Gang’s frown deepened.

He was silent for a moment, then spoke again.

His voice carried wariness.

“Why should I trust you?”

Zhou Huai seemed to have anticipated his question, simply stating a fact calmly.

“You currently seem to have no other choice.”

“This is a thousand meters deep underground.”

“Without my help, you won’t be able to get out.”

Hearing this, Li Gang fell silent again.

He knew what the other person said was true.

Since being trapped here, he had not stopped trying to escape.

But each time ended in failure.

And he even lost a team member because of it.

The defenses here were too strict, with powerhouses everywhere.

Moreover, above them was a thousand-meter-thick layer of rock.

Even if he could miraculously break out of this cave, he would absolutely not be able to break through the rock layer and escape before being discovered.

He was now a tiger trapped in a cage.

He possessed great strength but had nowhere to use it.

Seeing his wavering, Zhou Huai continued.

“In these two days, something big will happen in this cave.”

“At that time, you can take advantage of the chaos to escape.”

“I dug a passage in the corridor outside that leads directly to the surface.”

“Now the entrance to the passage has been re-sealed by me with rocks and disguised; people passing by normally won’t notice any traces.”

“However, I will mark the bottommost stone.”

“At that time, you just need to find that mark, and with your strength, you should be able to break through the stone wall and escape quite easily.”