58: You little bastard, how dare you ruin my big plan!

The earth-shattering roar from deep within the Earth Abyss, like the drumbeat of death, not only triggered a devastating chain reaction underground but also, like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirred up monstrous waves throughout the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division.

"Rumble—Crack—"

Inside the Earth Abyss, countless rock walls collapsed under the terrifying energy impact, and smoke and dust mixed with the dense demon-attracting incense, forming a deadly vortex.

Some fragile areas even directly collapsed, completely burying the modified demons and experimental subjects who couldn't escape in time.

Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, Command Hall.

"Alarm! Alarm! Super-high intensity energy burst detected in the 'Earth Abyss' area of the Western Suburbs! Suspected large-scale Restrictions detonated!"

"Energy fluctuation Rank has exceeded Class A standard!"

"Earth Abyss entrance communication completely cut off!"

Piercing alarms and urgent reports rose and fell, instantly turning the otherwise calm night extremely tense.

The faces of the few Managers on night duty were pale, and one senior General Manager suddenly stood up: "Quick! Immediately investigate the situation! What exactly happened over at the Earth Abyss?"

At the same time, deep within the Demon Suppression Division, in several courtyards that usually exuded a stable, mountain-like aura, several powerful and heart-palpitating auras suddenly awakened, like sleeping Dragons being disturbed.

"Hmm? This fluctuation..."

"The Earth Abyss direction? Could it be that 'that' Forbidden Experiment went out of control?"

"Go investigate immediately!"

Several blurry figures transformed into streaks of light almost simultaneously, shooting towards the Earth Abyss. The sky above the entire Prefecture seemed to be stirred into a frenzy by this sudden change.

Inside Lin Fan's residence.

"Bang!"

A valuable porcelain cup was violently smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces.

Lin Fan's face was ashen, veins throbbing on his forehead, his chest heaving violently. He had just received news from his confidant in the Demon Suppression Division that a drastic change had occurred in the direction of the Earth Abyss, and the commotion was so great that it had almost alarmed all the high-ranking officials.

"Useless! A bunch of useless people!" Lin Fan gritted his teeth and roared, his eyes filled with fear and anger, "Manager Liu! Didn't you say it was foolproof? Didn't you say that place was a dead end, and Li Dong would be courting death by going in?!"

Manager Liu, who was standing by, was already scared out of his wits, stammering: "Young Master Lin... I... I didn't know it would be like this! Logically, with 'the Doctor' personally in charge, and so many modified demons, how could Li Dong, a Foundation Establishment Stage - Early Phase Cultivator..."

"How could he?!" Lin Fan spun around abruptly and grabbed Manager Liu's collar, "Is this the time to discuss this? With such a big incident at the Earth Abyss, what if... what if that little beast Li Dong didn't die and exposed what happened inside, both you and I would be finished!"

The more he thought about it, the more he feared. Once the secrets of the Earth Abyss were exposed, let alone him, a mere Disciple serving as an elder, even the Lin family would absolutely not be able to bear such consequences.

"The Doctor... how is the Doctor? Is there any news?" Lin Fan calmed down slightly and asked urgently.

Manager Liu had a mournful face: "No... no news. The Earth Abyss entrance has been completely sealed off. No one can go in now, and no one inside can be contacted. Some people speculate... speculate that 'the Doctor' might... might also be in trouble."

"What?!" Lin Fan felt as if struck by lightning, staggering back a few steps and collapsing onto a chair.

If "the Doctor" died, wouldn't the core secrets of the Forbidden Experiment be... He shivered violently, not daring to think further.

"No! This matter must be reported immediately! Vice Commander must know!" Lin Fan clutched at what seemed like his last straw, fumbling to pull out a specially made communication jade slip, trembling as he injected Spiritual Qi into it.

His only hope now was his high-ranking, influential uncle—the Vice Commander of the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, Lin Xiaotian!

Demon Suppression Division, Vice Commander's Residence.

Inside the study, lights were brightly lit.

Lin Xiaotian, a dignified middle-aged man in the Xuan-colored Commander's robe of the Demon Suppression Division, was calmly listening to Lin Fan's panicked report coming from the jade slip.

His deep eyes were as still as an ancient well, as if the drastic changes in the Earth Abyss were not enough to move him.

It wasn't until Lin Fan mentioned that "the Doctor" might be in trouble and the Forbidden Experiment base destroyed, that Lin Xiaotian's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Useless." He uttered two words faintly, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority.

After cutting off communication, Lin Xiaotian slowly rose, walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and gazed in the direction of the Earth Abyss.

"Forbidden Experiment... Artificial Dao Body... demon weapons..." He murmured softly, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible solemnity, "This chess piece has actually caused such a big problem."

He knew very well what this Forbidden Experiment meant to the Lin family. Once exposed, it would be eternal damnation.

"If the Doctor dies, it would be clean. It's just that a lot of those materials and results are probably destroyed." A hint of coldness flashed in Lin Xiaotian's eyes, "However, the most important thing right now is that boy named Li Dong."

He pondered for a moment, then instructed a seemingly empty corner: "Pass on my order. First, immediately contact the Earth Abyss through 'covert channels' to confirm the Doctor's life or death. If he is still alive, tell him that the Lin family will provide all necessary support to help him deal with the aftermath as quickly as possible and minimize losses. If he is dead, immediately activate the backup plan, have 'the successor' take over, and ensure the core data is preserved."

"Yes!" A low response came from the shadows.

"Second," Lin Xiaotian's eyes flashed with a cold light, "mobilize all our forces within the Demon Suppression Division to blockade the area around the Earth Abyss and thoroughly search for all suspicious personnel. Once Li Dong's whereabouts are discovered, kill him at all costs! He must not be allowed to leave the Earth Abyss alive, and even less allowed to bring out the secrets within!"

"Understood!"

"Also," Lin Xiaotian paused and added, "Publicly announce that demons in the Earth Abyss have rioted, and the Demon Suppression Division is fully engaged in their suppression. Anyone who dares to spread rumors or pry into the truth will be treated as colluding with demons!"

Pressure, immense pressure, like dark clouds, enveloped Lin Xiaotian's heart. But he knew that the more critical the situation, the calmer he needed to be. The great ship of the Lin family must not capsize under his watch.

At this moment, Li Dong was frantically fleeing through the abandoned passage in a sorry state.

"Cough... cough cough..." He coughed up blood, gritted his teeth, and pushed his speed to the limit.

Behind him, the aftershocks of the explosion had not completely subsided, and the entire passage was violently shaking, with gravel falling like rain.

What was even more critical was that those modified demons, whose ferocity had been completely ignited by the explosion and the high concentration of demon-attracting incense, although having lost unified command, their residual hunting instincts and craving for living Qi still drove them to madly pursue all living things.

"Roar!"

A Sewn Giant Spider, charred black all over and missing a leg, dragged its broken body and lunged out from a side cave, its eight blood-red compound eyes locked onto Li Dong.

"Courting death!"

Li Dong's eyes sharpened, his body moving forward instead of retreating. The Demon Suppression Ruler in his hand flashed with light, and the suppressing power of the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal instantly erupted.

"Pfft!"

The ruler's shadow cut through, and the already severely wounded Sewn Giant Spider was split in two before it could even let out a cry.

"Ding! Killed a modified demon (remnant)! Gained a small amount of experience points!"

Li Dong didn't even glance at it, continuing to sprint forward.

He had used all his trump cards. He had consumed a great deal of Qi when dealing with "the Doctor" earlier, and then was severely injured by the shockwave when detonating the demon-attracting incense storage point, his internal organs burning with pain.

"Crack!"

Another violent tremor, and a huge rock crashed down from above.

Li Dong narrowly avoided it thanks to the Crisis Prediction Enhancement, but his shoulder was still grazed by flying debris, and the Black Scale Armor on his body let out a groan of unbearable strain, a fine crack appearing in its texture.

"Damn it, this armor can't hold up much longer either!" Li Dong cursed inwardly.

This was already the third wave of interception he had encountered. Besides the modified demons, there were also some experimental subjects with vacant eyes and stiff movements, clearly under deep control. Although these guys were not as powerful as the modified demons, they were fearless and extremely troublesome.

After a bloody battle, Li Dong felt that his Spiritual Qi was almost exhausted, and the wounds on his body were countless.

"Warning! Host vital signs continue to decline! Spiritual Qi reserves below 20%! Please disengage from combat and replenish energy as soon as possible!"

The System's alert tone was cold and urgent.

"Nonsense, I want to too!" Li Dong gritted his teeth, relying on his unyielding will, as well as the System's analysis of the terrain and its premonition of danger, to repeatedly carve out a bloody path from desperate situations.

He knew that the exit of the abandoned passage was not far ahead!

Just as he was almost exhausted, the System's alert sounded again.

"Ding! During combat and escape, the Host unconsciously absorbed special experimental energy and spirituality fragments scattered by the explosion remaining in the Earth Abyss! The Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal Cultivation Technique comprehension deepened! The understanding of 'Spirituality' has slightly improved!"

A faint but pure warm current suddenly emerged from deep within his Dantian, nourishing his dry Meridians and tired body.

Although it was just a drop in the bucket, it invigorated Li Dong.

"The dogs' 'legacy,' why not take it if it's free!" He grinned, though his smile appeared somewhat ferocious due to the pulling of his wounds.

This unexpected gain deepened his understanding of the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal by another layer, especially the parts about "suppression" and "Spirituality," where he seemed to have gained new insights. Perhaps, once he escaped, his cultivation could advance significantly.

Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, New Recruit Camp.

"Have you heard? Something big happened at the Earth Abyss in the Western Suburbs!"

"More than just big, they say the entire Earth Abyss was almost overturned!"

"I heard it was done by that new recruit named Li Dong! He took on a mission in the Earth Abyss, and as a result, he detonated something inside, causing a huge disaster!"

Several new recruits gathered together, discussing in hushed voices.

A man with a sharp chin and monkey-like cheeks, clearly from Lin Fan's faction, said mysteriously: "I have inside information! That Li Dong is actually a spy sent by the Demonic Path! He infiltrated the Demon Suppression Division to destroy the secret facilities of the Earth Abyss!"

"What? A Demonic Path spy?" The others looked shocked.

"Isn't that right! Otherwise, how could a new recruit be so daring as to cause destruction in a place like the Earth Abyss? I heard the losses this time were heavy, and many people died!" The man added fuel to the fire, "Now the higher-ups are furious and have ordered a thorough investigation! I think that Li Dong won't be able to escape this time!"

Rumors spread like a plague through the New Recruit Camp.

Some new recruits who didn't know the truth believed it, filling with disdain and anger towards Li Dong. Others who had interacted with Li Dong, or those with sharp minds, were half-skeptical.

The enemy had already begun to use methods beyond brute force.

Mu Shi County, Demon Suppression Division.

Zhang Wu held the communication jade slip, which had completely lost its luster and even developed cracks, his face extremely grim.

"Earth Abyss... high risk... core of spices... lost contact... thorough investigation..."

Li Dong's last message was intermittent and unclear, but the danger signals it conveyed made Zhang Wu extremely anxious.

He immediately tried to contact some old friends in the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, hoping to inquire about the situation in the Earth Abyss and warn them of the danger Li Dong might be facing.

However, as soon as those old friends heard the words "Earth Abyss," they either became evasive, stammered, or simply hung up the communication.

"Bastard!" Zhang Wu slammed his fist on the table, his eyes bloodshot.

He knew that the matter of the Earth Abyss was probably more complex and dangerous than he had imagined. With his current authority and identity in Mu Shi County, he couldn't directly interfere with Prefecture affairs.

"Li Dong, you must hold on!" Zhang Wu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

He began to carefully sort through all the clues he had: the enhanced demonic spiders in the abandoned mine, the special spices, the spices on Zhao Zhen's confidant, the secret contacts in the Prefecture, and Li Dong's previous speculation about "internal Forbidden Experiments."

"The Lin family... Zhao Zhen..." Zhang Wu's eyes grew sharper, "Since I can't rely on the internal Prefecture, then I can only find a way from the outside!"

He had to find a force that could stir the stagnant water of the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division and had the ability to intervene in this matter.

Earth Abyss, near the exit of the abandoned passage.

Li Dong leaned against the rock wall, breathing heavily.

The exit was just a few tens of meters ahead, and a faint glimmer of light could be vaguely seen.

However, the System's Crisis Prediction Enhancement function was at this moment emitting an unprecedentedly strong alarm.

"Warning! The front exit has been sealed! Multiple high-Rank Cultivator auras detected! At least three Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and one Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator! Suspected ambush targeting the Host!"

"Environment Analysis: Exit guard force has been temporarily strengthened several times, defensive spell formation activated! Some guard auras are highly similar to personnel from Lin Fan's faction!"

Li Dong's heart instantly sank to the bottom.

"Sure enough... they still came, didn't they?" A fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

The Lin family's people were really fast! They were determined to silence him inside!

Damn it, I barely escaped from that old pervert "the Doctor," and now I have to face the Lin family's inescapable net?

These dogs, they really think highly of me!