57: Do you think I dare to die together with you?

That hoarse, dry voice, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together, seemed to drill directly into Li Dong's bones.

"Little mouse, you make me... very surprised."

The impenetrable darkness outside the cave seemed to squirm.

"Warning! Super high-energy life form has arrived at the cave entrance! Strength judgment: Peak Late Foundation Establishment Stage! Suspected 'Doctor' Main unit! Host has been locked! Escape probability: extremely low!"

The System's emotionless prompt sounded so sharp in Li Dong's mind it felt like it would explode.

Peak Late Foundation Establishment Stage!

Li Dong felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head. This old monster was far more formidable than he had anticipated! Escape? How could he escape? If the other party so much as wiggled a finger, he would probably be finished here.

"Surprised?" Li Dong bared his teeth, his facial muscles stiff from tension, yet his voice was surprisingly calm. "Old geezer, a bigger surprise is still to come!"

His mind raced. The information in the Jade Slip, the data previously scanned by the [Environmental Analysis] function... The data previously scanned by the [Environmental Analysis] function flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern. That's right! That place!

When he had used [Environmental Analysis] to scan the entire Earth Abyss before, he had noticed a very peculiar energy reaction point. It wasn't at his current location, nor was it in the main passages where the modified demons lurked. Instead, it was deeper in this area, in an inconspicuous, abandoned side passage. At the time, he just thought the energy fluctuations there were very unstable, and the smell of "demon-attracting incense" was unbelievably strong, like an abandoned experimental raw material warehouse, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

Thinking back now... that extremely strong "demon-attracting incense," those unstable energy fluctuations... Li Dong's mind went "boom," as if something had exploded.

"Old geezer, don't you like playing with spices? Don't you like playing with modified demons?" A surge of desperate madness welled up in Li Dong's heart. "I'll let you taste what it's like to be blown to the heavens by your own toys!"

[Environmental Analysis]!

He once again activated the System function, pushing his perception to its limit, instantly covering that suspicious area.

"Environmental Analysis: Detected 'demon-attracting incense' main storage point! Located at the end of the abandoned passage southwest of the host! Storage capacity: massive! Stability: extremely poor! Surrounding energy flow: chaotic, with high-intensity heterogeneous energy convergence points!"

"Warning! If this storage point is detonated, it will trigger a chain reaction! Energy shockwave range: unknown! 'demon-attracting incense' diffusion concentration: extremely high! May cause all modified demons in the Earth Abyss to enter a berserk state! Host faces extremely high risk! Recommendation: evacuate immediately!"

"Evacuate immediately my ass!" Li Dong cursed inwardly. He was already locked onto by a Peak Late Foundation Establishment Stage old monster, where could he evacuate to? No matter how fast he ran, could he outrun the other party's perception?

This wasn't a question of escaping or not, but a question of whether he could drag the other party down with him, or at least create chaos to buy himself a slim chance of survival!

"High risk? I'm dancing on a knife's edge right now, where isn't it dangerous?" Li Dong gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on the area model outlined by [Environmental Analysis]. "Unstable energy flow... heterogeneous energy convergence point... Good! This is the ignition point!"

He quickly formulated a detonation plan in his mind. He couldn't just rush over, it was too far, and the "Doctor" was definitely watching. He had to use the existing conditions. He needed a long-range detonation method, and it had to be sufficiently concealed.

"System Tip: Based on environmental analysis, the host can attempt to use the unstable energy flow within the Earth Abyss, combined with specific spiritual energy guidance or Talisman activation, to remotely detonate the 'demon-attracting incense' main storage point. Success rate depends on the host's precision in spiritual energy control and understanding of the environmental energy flow."

"Good! That's what I'll do!" Li Dong had a plan. He began to adjust the spiritual energy within his body, that unique suppressive force belonging to the Heavenly Pill Sky-Rending Demon Suppression Seal, which he now carefully controlled, no longer releasing it to suppress, but instead mimicking the surrounding chaotic energy flow, trying to find a resonance point.

At the same time, his peripheral vision scanned his surroundings, searching for the most suitable escape route. The abandoned passage... Yes, that abandoned passage leading to the storage point, perhaps after the explosion, that would be the safest escape route.

Just as Li Dong was fully focused on his precise calculations and preparations, the "Doctor's" figure slowly emerged from the darkness outside the cave. He didn't look like a living person, but rather a bundle of withered bones wrapped in a tattered black robe, with only his deep-set eyes glowing with a cold green light.

He walked slowly, step by step, towards the cave where Li Dong was, and with each step, the ground seemed to tremble slightly. A suffocating pressure, like Mount Tai pressing down, enveloped Li Dong.

"Little fellow, come here obediently, don't make futile resistance. Your 'Spirituality' is very special, I like it very much..." The "Doctor's" hoarse voice carried a sickening greed. "I will give you a 'noble' destination, making you the most perfect 'Dao Body'..."

Listening to that voice, Li Dong felt his stomach churn. A noble destination? A perfect Dao Body? Screw you! Turning you into a perfect bomb is more like it!

"Old geezer, do you think I dare to blow you up to the heavens with me?" Li Dong suddenly raised his head, his eyes cold, with a look of desperate ruthlessness.

He no longer hesitated! The spiritual energy in his body, mimicking the chaotic energy flow, surged towards the unstable energy convergence point deep in the abandoned passage to the southwest!

"Boom—Rumble—!"

A terrifying roar, like an underground volcano erupting, instantly swept through the entire Earth Abyss!

That originally unstable energy convergence point, under the guidance of Li Dong's spiritual energy, completely lost control! It was like a giant detonator, instantly igniting the massive "demon-attracting incense" storage point nearby!

A dark green shockwave, mixed with an extremely pungent aroma, burst forth from deep within the abandoned passage with overwhelming force! The rock walls along the way instantly collapsed, the ground shook violently, as if the entire Earth Abyss was about to collapse!

"Roar!!!"

"Hiss—!"

"Howl—!"

The enormous sound and energy impact of the explosion, as well as the instantaneously diffused, ridiculously high concentration of "demon-attracting incense," instantly ignited all the modified demons in the Earth Abyss!

They let out painful, frenzied, bloodthirsty roars, their eyes turned blood red, their already chaotic consciousness completely collapsed, and they fell into an indiscriminate berserk state! They no longer obeyed any commands, and began to frantically attack all living things in their sight, including... the assistants of those experimental subjects, and even each other!

The entire Earth Abyss, at this moment, completely transformed into an out-of-control, bloody gladiatorial arena!

The "Doctor" was originally preparing to capture Li Dong, but was directly hit by the sudden terrifying explosion and shockwave! Although he was at the Peak Late Foundation Establishment Stage, such close proximity and such a massive release of energy forced him to defend with all his might.

"You bastard!" The "Doctor" let out an earth-shattering roar, his voice filled with unbelievable fury and monstrous hatred! His "demon-attracting incense"! His experimental materials! His gladiatorial arena! All ruined by this damned little mouse!

He had to stop, while resisting the aftershocks of the explosion, he struggled to control the modified demons that had fallen into complete madness due to the excessively high concentration of "demon-attracting incense." His pursuit plan was completely disrupted!

And Li Dong, at the moment of detonation, lunged towards the abandoned passage! The shockwave generated by the explosion was like a giant slap, hitting him hard on the back, sending him flying like a rag doll!

"Pfft—!" Li Dong violently spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, feeling his internal organs shift and his skeleton about to fall apart. Intense pain instantly swept through his entire body; he knew he was severely injured.

But at the same time, massive, chaotic, yet immensely powerful information streams, like a breached dam, flooded into his mind!

"System Tip: Absorbed a large amount of heterogeneous energy and 'spirituality fragments' from the explosion! Merit points +5000! Experience points skyrocketed! [Spirituality] attribute increased!"

Li Dong didn't bother checking the specific numbers; he endured the excruciating pain, scrambling on all fours towards the depths of the abandoned passage. Behind him were the deafening explosions and the shrill roars of demons, as well as the "Doctor's" murderous roar.

He knew he was fleeing in disarray, covered in wounds. But he also knew he had succeeded! He had used the enemy's weapon to deliver a resounding slap to the enemy's face!

He had overturned a corner of this dark den, and although the price was severe injury to himself, at least he had temporarily escaped from the clutches of that old monster. Moreover, he had absorbed a massive amount of energy and spirituality fragments, which would undoubtedly be a huge help for his upcoming Breakthrough!

"Old geezer... I'll remember this debt!" Li Dong swore fiercely in his heart that he would get out alive, and then... completely uproot this dark den!