The moment the cave plunged into complete darkness, chaos and panic spread like a plague.

Screams, curses, the clang of weapons colliding, and the roar of energy beams raging, intertwined into a doomsday symphony.

However, this darkness, capable of swallowing everything, was like a warm womb to Moria.

He was in his element.

Zhou Huai's consciousness locked onto Li Gang's position instantly.

With a Shadow Sneak, Moria's figure appeared silently at Li Gang's feet.

"Now, go to the corridor above."

A cold voice, concise and swift, rang directly in Li Gang's ear.

"There's a small crescent moon symbol beneath the dirt wall there. Break that dirt wall, and you can get out."

"I've helped you this far; the rest is up to you."

Li Gang's body jolted. Without a moment's hesitation, he nodded heavily.

"Thanks, brother! I'll buy you a drink if we get the chance in the future!"

Before he finished ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) speaking, the ferocious great spear in Li Gang's hand had vanished.

In its place were two sleek black pistols, filled with a cold, murderous aura.

He no longer hid, his entire being like a awakened leopard, dashing towards the location of the corridor above, which he remembered, in the pitch-black darkness.

"Over there! Someone's moving!"

In the darkness, a vigilant shout came from a Radiant Alliance guard.

Several powerful auras instantly locked onto Li Gang's position.

However, what greeted them were two tongues of fire tearing through the darkness.

"Bang! Bang!"

The muffled gunshots were inconspicuous in the chaotic cave.

But the two spinning bullets, as if they had eyes, accurately drilled into the foreheads of the two guards.

Before they could even scream, the two guards fell straight down.

Li Gang's footsteps did not falter in the slightest. His body cut a strange arc through the darkness, and with every flash, every pull of the trigger, it was inevitably accompanied by the fall of a guard.

His marksmanship was precise, deadly, and filled with the iron-blooded efficiency characteristic of a soldier.

In the blink of an eye, the last few guards blocking the way to the corridor were all eliminated by him.

Li Gang's figure, like a phantom, successfully rushed into that narrow corridor.

"Someone entered the corridor! Stop him quickly!"

In the cave, someone roared hoarsely.

Immediately, several auras belonging to Radiant Alliance powerhouses followed Li Gang, plunging into the dark corridor.

For a time, within the narrow corridor, multicolored elemental lights flashed wildly, illuminating the entire passage erratically.

The roar of pistols, however, sounded like a death knell, ringing out continuously.

Seeing this, Zhou Huai did not linger.

His mission was complete.

The Zhou Family and Liu Family powerhouses who were exploring the Secret Realm could return at any time.

He had to leave this place of trouble immediately.

However, he was still a step too late.

Just as Moria's figure had stealthily reached the Secret Realm entrance.

Several powerful figures had already stepped out from the thick mist.

Leading them were Zhou Feng and Liu Zi'ang and their group.

Zhou Huai's pupils suddenly constricted.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

He hadn't expected them to return so quickly!

Fortunately, the cave was in chaos at this moment, and everyone's attention was drawn to the battle inside the cave, so no one noticed an uninvited guest in the shadows.

Zhou Feng looked at the dim, chaotic scene before him, and the noisy, ear-piercing shouts of battle, his brows instantly furrowing into a frown.

"What exactly is going on?!"

Beside him, the gray-robed elder who had been resting with his eyes closed, his aura as deep and unmoving as a mountain, suddenly slowly opened his eyes.

In those seemingly cloudy eyes, stars seemed to revolve.

"First, go deal with that fellow in the corridor."

The elder's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

"His strength is considerable, and he has the scent of the military on him. He's likely a scout sent by the military; don't let him escape."

"Yes!"

As his words fell, two powerhouses over Rank 50 behind him did not hesitate, their figures flickering, transforming into two streaks of light, and speeding towards the corridor.

Zhou Huai held his breath, his heart in his throat.

He controlled Moria, like a snail, slowly sliding inch by inch towards the entrance of the Secret Realm.

However, just as he was about to successfully slip away.

The gray-robed elder suddenly let out an "Hm?" and frowned slightly.

He lowered his head, his gaze seemingly penetrating layers of obstruction, landing on the shadow beneath his feet.

"Wait a minute."

The elder's voice rang out again.

"It seems there's something else beneath our feet!"

At these words, everyone was startled.

Zhou Huai inwardly cursed, thinking this was bad.

This damned perception-type powerhouse was indeed unbelievably sharp!

Given the situation, there was no point in hiding anymore.

Zhou Huai simply stopped concealing himself, controlling Moria's figure to suddenly accelerate, like a black arrow shot from a bowstring, sweeping past everyone's feet and instantly rushing into the Secret Realm!

"Trying to leave?"

The elder, seeing this, merely snorted disdainfully.

"Since you've come, stay."

He turned and spoke calmly to Liu Zi'ang.

"I'm going to catch a cockroach; I'll leave things here to you for now."

Liu Zi'ang nodded, without the slightest worry on his face, merely politely cautioning him.

"Old Fu, come back soon."

The elder, referred to as Old Fu, merely gave a faint "Hm," and his figure had already vanished from the spot.

The next second, he had already lifted his foot and stepped into the boundless thick mist.

...

Abyss of Mist.

Zhou Huai controlled Moria, pushing the speed of Shadow Sneak to its limit, frantically moving through the impossibly thick white fog.

However, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

A sense of impending crisis, like daggers in his back, consistently locked onto him, following him like a shadow.

He could clearly sense the terrifying powerhouse behind him, pursuing him unhurriedly.

Moreover, no matter how he changed direction, or how he used Shadow Sneak, he was always unable to shake off the opponent's lock.

"Damn it!"

Zhou Huai cursed inwardly.

Is this what a powerful perception-type is like?

It's like a dog-skin plaster stuck to you, impossible to shake off!

The opponent was a Rank 60 powerhouse, more than twice Moria's Rank.

If caught, it would definitely be a dead end.

The only option now was to run!

Try everything to shake off the opponent!

However, Old Fu seemed to have no interest in playing this cat-and-mouse game.

High in the sky, he trod the Void Realm as if on solid ground, his cloudy eyes calmly watching the black shadow rapidly moving through the shadows below.

The corner of his mouth curved into a faint, almost imperceptible arc.

The next second, his figure suddenly accelerated!

The speed was so fast that the naked eye could not capture it, even leaving a series of clear afterimages in the air!

Almost instantly, he had already arrived directly above Moria!

"Buzz—!"

Old Fu slowly opened his mouth, and a visible, circular transparent sound wave, like a ripple, spread from his mouth, enveloping the rapidly moving shadow below!

Zhou Huai's pupils suddenly constricted!

An unprecedented sense of fatal crisis instantly engulfed him!

He didn't even have time to think, reacting instinctively.

Countless streams of dark Devilish Qi surged wildly from Moria's body, rapidly condensing into a thick, monstrous black shield on his back!

However, that shield, formed from Devilish Qi, instantly shattered upon contact with the transparent sound wave, like a popped balloon, without the slightest resistance!

The sound wave, its momentum undiminished, fiercely struck Moria's body!

"Pfft!"

Moria's body jolted violently. The flowing shadow was actually forcefully flung from the ground, tumbling in mid-air, spitting out a mouthful of dark demonic blood.

【-9121】

A staggering, enormous damage number slowly floated above Moria's head.

Nearly 15,000 health points, two-thirds of it instantly wiped out by this single blow!

And this was after blocking with the Devilish Qi shield.

If he had been hit directly, Moria would probably have been instantly killed!

High in the sky, Old Fu looked at the shadow below, which, though heavily wounded, had not dissipated, and for the first time, a hint of surprise appeared in his cloudy eyes.

He looked down at the shadow, which had re-merged with the ground, with interest, murmuring to himself in a voice only he could hear.

"Oh?"

"Didn't die, huh?"

"It seems... quite interesting."