’Haha, flying on my avatar... I’m a genius!’

Wang Yi felt smug. He soared through the sky, enjoying a wide field of view as he flew along the chasm to observe the situation.

As for Fish-Transformed Dragon, Wang Yi had already ordered him back to camp to guard against the Wood Knot army.

In fact, Wang Yi had been scouting from the sky like this for quite some time. He discovered that the chasm below followed the original path of the Underground River. The Flame Tree People and other creatures that appeared within it were heading upstream along that riverbed, a mighty host on a campaign of conquest. They even swept through many secret laboratories in the underground passages, burning numerous Dr. Xiaos to death.

In contrast, they showed little interest in him or the Indigenous People of Black Tooth Village.

Wang Yi thought, ’The Divine being controlling the Flaming Wooden Stakes probably isn’t Mr. Jin. In fact, they might be enemies.’ Judging by the situation below, the Flame Army was on a path of conquest, destroying every one of Dr. Xiao’s secret labs they came across. It was clearly a war between one Earth Deity and another.

’So Earth Deities can have conflicts with each other? Is that Mr. Jin somewhere upstream along the Underground River?’

Just as Wang Yi was pondering this, he suddenly spotted Lu Aqi and his men down in the chasm.

Lu Aqi also saw the "Monkey King." He knew this was the work of a Divine Being. The Divine Monkey was the Great Saint, and the Great Saint was Lord Wang!

"Lord Wang! Great Saint! Please, save us!"

Lu Aqi shouted, a glimmer of hope returning to his eyes.

And this time, a Divine Monkey riding another Divine Monkey actually landed right in front of him.

"Lord Lu, it seems you’ve run into some trouble!"

Wang Yi glanced at the battered soldiers before him. ’Mortals are so frail, their lives as insignificant as weeds,’ he thought. ’They can’t even climb out of a chasm that’s only seventy or eighty feet deep. If no one helps them, they’ll probably all die here today.’

Lu Aqi quickly dropped to one knee, and the other eighteen men immediately followed suit.

Wang Yi thought for a moment, then said, "I’ll give you two choices. One, I carry you out of here, but I don’t have time to look after you. From then on, you’ll have to fend for yourselves. Two, I grant you a great opportunity, allowing you to obtain Extraordinary Power, but from this day forward, you will pledge your loyalty to me..."

He was brazenly trying to poach Xue Shentian’s men.

Xue Shentian had a large and powerful force, but it had a huge hidden weakness: the vast majority of his subordinates were not Professional Soldiers recruited from barracks, but ordinary Indigenous People from the Typhon World.

This created a problem of loyalty.

Strictly speaking, Xue Shentian was not the Lord of those indigenous soldiers. They were loyal to him only because of his status as a Prince, and nothing more.

Perhaps the original King Dongsheng had a powerful, charismatic personality that could command the loyalty of his subordinates, but Xue Shentian was just a Player from another world. He might have the Prince’s title, but not necessarily the Prince’s substance, nor the competence to be a proper leader, and certainly not the ability to command the army’s genuine respect.

Moreover, in this new world, the halo effect of one’s status was greatly diminished. Wang Yi didn’t believe Xue Shentian’s men were a monolithic block, all fiercely loyal to him.

’It wouldn’t hurt to develop some inside sources,’ Wang Yi mused. ’I’m not trying to tear down Xue Shentian’s entire fortress, just chip away at a corner. I don’t need to recruit some incredibly powerful spy, either. Just a few ordinary moles to keep me better informed would be enough.’

And achieving this didn’t seem too difficult. For instance, these men right here—if he just saved them, perhaps they would be willing to pledge their loyalty?

To Wang Yi’s surprise, the moment he finished speaking, Lu Aqi slapped his chest and declared resolutely, "I choose two! I, Lu Aqi, am willing to pledge my loyalty to Lord Wang!"

Having come to this world, Lu Aqi’s original worldview had long been shattered. Mortals were weak, and he yearned to become extraordinary.

A Divine Being was willing to give him a chance. This was a heaven-sent blessing; how could he not seize it?

Yue Gang and the others also quickly knelt and saluted, shouting their willingness to serve Wang Yi.

"Good!" Wang Yi laughed heartily. "In that case, follow me! I’ll take you to find your opportunity!"

The opportunity Wang Yi spoke of was the secret laboratories that hadn’t been destroyed yet—in other words, having Lu Aqi and his men undergo Dr. Xiao’s modifications to become Muscle Men.

Those secret labs were currently being purged. If they didn’t take this chance to change their class, the Muscle Man profession might become a limited edition, gone forever.

Wang Yi himself didn’t think much of Muscle Men, but it was a type of extraordinary class nonetheless. One look at that Black-toothed Wild Boar was enough to know that once an ordinary person became a Muscle Man, their strength would be massively enhanced.

The secret labs downstream along the Underground River had already been destroyed by the Flaming Wood Tumor Army. To find intact labs, they had to head upstream.

So, Wang Yi activated his Third-stage Illusion Clone, summoning nine Monkey Kings to clear a path and act as guards, leading Lu Aqi and the others forward through the chasm.

Ten minutes later, Wang Yi discovered a dense cluster of secret laboratories. A quick glance revealed a dozen or so of them.

"One person per room! Once you’re inside, don’t panic. If you’re asked anything, just agree. Cooperate, don’t resist. Time is short, move quickly!" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Wang Yi shouted. Under his command, the nine Monkey Kings landed in front of the secret labs, swinging their Golden Cudgels to block the Flaming Wood Tumor Army. Sparks flew instantly as a fierce battle erupted.

"Brothers, listen to the Lord! Get in there!"

Lu Aqi knew time was of the essence. Without hesitating, he let out a roar and led the way into one of the secret labs.

The others followed in succession.

At that very moment, as Xue Shentian was leading his troops in firing arrows at the Flaming Wood Tumor Army on the ground in an attempt to draw their aggro, a flash of light appeared before him, and he received an Intelligence Scroll.

====

Intelligence 1: 16 D-level underground ruins have appeared five kilometers to the southeast. Individuals not native to the World of Suffering who enter may re-spec into the special class: Muscle Man.

Intelligence 2: Muscle Men are Bio-Warriors created by Mr. Jin using Eco-Technology. They possess immense physical strength, have no blood or bones, and have no vital weaknesses anywhere on their bodies. They are divided into two types: Angel Muscle Men and Devil Muscle Men. Angel Muscle Men can fully retain their individual consciousness, but their physical enhancement is smaller, and they can control their Transformation. Devil Muscle Men are much stronger and more savage, cannot control their Transformation, and are usually irritable and prone to rage.

====

"Sixteen ruins, a chance to become Muscle Men! This is a huge opportunity!"

After reading the Intelligence Scroll, Xue Shentian immediately ordered, "All troops, listen up! We’re changing course to the southwest to find those underground ruins!"

The troops obeyed, quickly spurring their horses toward the southwest.

However, five minutes later, Xue Shentian halted the column.

He had received another Intelligence Scroll. This one showed that all 16 D-level underground ruins had already been activated.

"Damn it, someone else snatched the opportunity! The chance to become Muscle Men is gone!"

Xue Shentian snorted and issued a new command, "All troops, listen! Turn back! Resume the attack on the Flaming Wood Tumor Army and lure them toward our camp."

"Yes, sir!"

The troops responded listlessly, turning their horses back once more.

Meanwhile, in the chasm, Wang Yi saw Lu Aqi walk out of the secret laboratory.

Lu Aqi’s body looked unchanged, but his injuries were healed, and his face was filled with excitement.

Suddenly, he let out a great roar. His body shot up in height, and his muscles swelled as if inflated, instantly bursting the tattered armor he wore.

"Muscle Man Transformation! Brothers, charge with me!"

Lu Aqi roared, and the other soldiers emerging from the labs immediately began their own transformations. They then charged forward with Lu Aqi to fight the Flame Tree People.

Though they appeared to be flesh and blood, they were now fearless against the fire of the Flame Tree People. They rushed forward, swinging their fists, and could pulp the Flame Tree People with their blows.

Wang Yi observed them for a moment and found that Lu Aqi and his men’s transformations weren’t as exaggerated as he had imagined. Their bodies grew to about 2.6 meters tall, and their muscles bulged, but only to the level of a bodybuilder. It wasn’t particularly terrifying.

"Alright, everyone, don’t get tied down fighting! Follow me and we’ll help the others get their opportunity!"

Wang Yi shouted. All the secret labs in this area had been used up, but there were still twenty men who hadn’t been able to re-spec as Muscle Men. They needed to continue upstream along the Underground River to find more secret labs.

With nine King Level Monkey Kings clearing the way, plus the newly transformed and battle-hungry Lu Aqi and his men, the rest of the journey was thrilling but ultimately safe.

Just ten minutes later, Wang Yi found another eight secret laboratories.

And at the same time, Xue Shentian also received an Intelligence Scroll.

"All troops, cease fire! Full speed to the southwest! Follow me and search for the underground ruins!"

He shouted the order, taking the lead on his hippopotamus mount.

The soldiers and their officers were in the middle of attacking the Flame Tree People, but now they could only quickly pack up their bows and arrows and follow Xue Shentian.

Then, a mere five minutes later, Xue Shentian stopped again and barked, "All troops, listen up! Follow me back and continue provoking the Flaming Wood Tumor Army!"