59: A narrow escape! Explode! Explode! Explode!

“Damn it, do they really think I’m easy to bully?!”

Li Dong leaned against the cold rock wall, his chest heaving violently, each breath tinged with the smell of blood.

Dozens of meters ahead, the faint light was like the eerie glow in a hungry wolf's eyes—a glimmer of hope, yet emanating a fatal temptation.

“Heh… finally, I’m getting out…”

Just as Li Dong was about to breathe a sigh of relief, an aura even colder and more violent than when the ‘Doctor’s’ main body had descended earlier, suddenly swept over from the light!

“You little beast, do you think you can escape from my grasp?”

A hoarse, venomous voice, as if crawling out of the Nine Hells, made all the hairs on Li Dong’s body stand on end.

Light and shadow flickered, and a figure slowly emerged from the shadows at the exit of the passage.

It was none other than the ‘Doctor’!

At this moment, the ‘Doctor’s’ appearance had drastically changed.

His white robe, a symbol of his status, was already tattered, revealing skin covered in strange greenish-black scales. His ten fingers had become sharp claws, his face was covered in bulging blue veins, and his eyes were blood-red, flickering with an inhuman ferocity.

His aura had clearly reached the Peak of the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, and there were even faint signs of a Breakthrough, but that power was full of ominousness and madness, carrying a strong Demonic Qi.

“You… you’re not dead?” Li Dong’s pupils constricted, his heart feeling as if it was clutched by an invisible hand.

This old bastard had actually survived that massive explosion, and he seemed… stronger?

“Dead?” The ‘Doctor’ let out a strange, hooting laugh, “My ‘masterpiece,’ my painstaking effort, all ruined by you, you little bastard! Did you think I would die so easily? That explosion actually allowed me to fuse with my ‘children’ even more thoroughly! Hahahahaha!”

He extended his scaled tongue and licked his lips: “The Spirituality on you is truly delicious! It’s purer than all the ‘materials’ I’ve collected before! Refining you into my Perfect Dao Body will surely make up for all my losses!”

Before his words finished, the ‘Doctor’s’ figure flickered, turning into an afterimage, and a A fishy wind (foul wind) assailed Li Dong!

“Damn it, lunatic!”

Li Dong cursed inwardly, his already scarce spiritual power furiously circulating, and the Mystic Iron Demon Suppressing Ruler swept out horizontally.

“Clang!”

With a loud crash, the ‘Doctor’s’ scaled claw directly grabbed the Demon Suppression Ruler, sending sparks flying!

A tremendous force surged through, and Li Dong felt his arm go numb. He was sent staggering back repeatedly, his Qi and blood churning.

“Too weak! Too weak!” The ‘Doctor’ sneered, his other claw, with a sharp ripping sound, aimed directly for Li Dong’s heart, “Your struggles will only excite me more!”

On that claw, wisps of black Qi lingered, carrying a strong corrosive nature—it was precisely the unique Demonic Qi found on those modified demons earlier!

Li Dong narrowly dodged the vital spot, but his shoulder was still grazed by the claw wind. The Black Scale Armor shattered in response, and a deeply bone-visible wound appeared, blood instantly staining his clothes.

“Hiss—” The intense pain made Li Dong gasp.

The fatigue of his body, the exhaustion of his spiritual power, the worsening of his injuries, and the ‘Doctor’s’ despair-inducing strength, all pressed down on Li Dong like towering mountains.

“Could it be… am I really going to die in this accursed place?”

A trace of despair uncontrollably welled up in his heart.

No! I can’t die!

I haven’t rooted out those bastards in the Demon Suppression Division yet!

I haven’t avenged those innocents who were used as ‘materials’ yet!

“Ah ah ah ah——”

Li Dong let out an unwilling roar to the sky, his eyes bloodshot.

Under the extreme pressure of life and death, in his Sea of Consciousness, the Cultivation Technique runes of the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal flashed wildly. The spirituality fragments and “heterogeneous energy” he had absorbed in the Earth Abyss earlier, along with his insights into “Spirituality” and “Suppression” from that blood-written note, surged out like a bursting dam!

That “Spirituality” attribute, as high as 9999, seemed to be completely ignited at this moment!

The Profound Truth of the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal, and this vast power of “Spirituality,” began to fuse and transform in an unprecedented way!

A brand new, purer, and more overbearing power of suppression erupted from the depths of Li Dong’s Dantian!

“Hmm?” A flicker of surprise crossed the ‘Doctor’s’ eyes. He felt Li Dong’s aura surging in an incredible way.

“Suppress… for me!”

Li Dong’s eyes widened, and he let out a thunderous shout.

On the Mystic Iron Demon Suppressing Ruler in his hand, it was no longer just a simple spiritual light, but was covered with a faint golden halo that seemed capable of purifying all things!

Spirit Transformation Demon Suppression Seal!

This was a brand new killing move Li Dong had comprehended in desperation, perfectly combining his own “Spirituality” with the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal!

“Boom!”

The ruler’s shadow fell, carrying an unprecedented power of suppression and purification, striking hard on the ‘Doctor’s’ extended sharp claw.

“Crack!”

The sound of bones breaking rang out!

The ‘Doctor’s’ triumphant sneer instantly froze, replaced by an expression of unbelievable pain.

His proud, enhanced body, which had fused several demonic characteristics, actually began to emit black smoke like melting ice and snow under the golden halo, its scales shattering inch by inch!

“Impossible! What kind of power is this?!” The ‘Doctor’ shrieked, his voice filled with terror.

He could clearly feel that the Demonic Qi within his body was being furiously purified and suppressed by that golden power! His proudly developed experimental body defense was as fragile as paper before this power!

“You dog! Die!”

Li Dong seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, pouring the suppression Concept of the Spirit Transformation Demon Suppression Seal into the Mystic Iron Demon Suppressing Ruler without reservation, his entire spiritual power surging in like a flood from an open sluice gate.

With this strike, he even felt that he couldn’t fully control it!

The Mystic Iron Demon Suppressing Ruler erupted with an unprecedented dazzling golden light, like a small sun, illuminating the entire dark passage!

“No——!”

The ‘Doctor’ let out a desperate roar. He wanted to retreat, but found his body unable to move under that terrifying suppressive force.

“Explode for me! Explode! Explode!”

Li Dong used all his strength to fiercely cleave down with the Demon Suppression Ruler in his hand!

“Rumble——!!!”

An explosion even more violent and terrifying than when the demon-attracting incense storage point was detonated earlier occurred!

Wherever the golden light passed, it was devastating!

The ‘Doctor’s’ half-human, half-demon body, along with the remaining part of the experimental core area behind him that he had just reinforced, was instantly swallowed, torn apart, and annihilated by the golden light!

The terrifying energy shockwave swept through the remnants of the entire Earth Abyss like a tsunami. Countless rocks, metals, and experimental instruments were hurled into the sky, then crashed down heavily.

The Earth Abyss, this experimental ground hiding countless evils, suffered a devastating blow at this moment! Most of its facilities and experimental traces were reduced to nothing in this earth-shattering strike!

“Pfft——”

Li Dong felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, spewing blood. His entire body was violently thrown by the turbulent shockwave, flying backward like a kite with a broken string. He was directly swept into the depths of the abandoned passage he had escaped from earlier, instantly losing consciousness.

Before his consciousness completely blurred, the System’s notification sounds intermittently rang out:

[Ding! Successfully killed ‘Mutated Experiment Subject - Doctor (Peak Late Foundation Establishment Stage)’! Gained massive experience points! Gained a large amount of merit!]

[Ding! Detected the ‘Doctor’s’ remaining ‘core experimental data chip,’ automatically picked up!]

[Ding! Host life is critical… System energy insufficient… Automatically entering hibernation…]

...Mu Shi County, Demon Suppression Division.

Zhang Wu suddenly stood up from his seat, his face pale.

The special communication jade talisman Li Dong had left in his hand, after flickering a few times earlier, had completely dimmed, and even fine cracks appeared on its surface.

“Li Dong!”

Zhang Wu exclaimed, a strong sense of unease instantly seizing his heart.

Lost contact! Completely lost contact!

“Earth Abyss… Prefecture…” Zhang Wu’s forehead pulsed with blue veins, his fists clenched, knuckles white from exertion.

He immediately grabbed another jade talisman and began frantically contacting his old acquaintances in the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division.

“Old Wang! It’s me, Zhang Wu! What exactly happened over at the Earth Abyss?!”

“Hello? Brother Chen! Do you know the situation in the Earth Abyss? I have a junior brother in there!”

However, most of the responses he received were silence, or vague evasions.

“Damn it!” Zhang Wu slammed his fist on the table, his eyes filled with anxiety and rage… Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, Deputy Commander’s Residence.

Lin Xiaotian listened expressionlessly to his subordinate’s report.

...“Reporting to Deputy Commander, another violent explosion occurred in the direction of the Earth Abyss, its power far exceeding the previous one… According to the last message from our informant, the ‘Doctor’… the ‘Doctor’ may have… died in the line of duty. The entire Earth Abyss base is over ninety percent destroyed…”

Lin Xiaotian’s hand, holding the teacup, paused slightly. A subtle ripple of emotion, almost imperceptible, flashed in his deep eyes.

“The Doctor is dead?” He repeated softly, his tone betraying no joy or anger.

“Yes, sir. And… according to preliminary judgment, the cause of all this is very likely still that newcomer named Li Dong.”

Lin Xiaotian put down his teacup and slowly stood up, walking to the window, standing with his hands behind his back.

The destruction of the Earth Abyss and the death of the Doctor were undoubtedly a huge loss; years of investment by the Lin family had almost gone to waste.

But… “As long as that Li Dong also died in there, this secret can still be kept.” A fierce glint flashed in Lin Xiaotian’s eyes, “With the Doctor dead, some loose ends are actually cleaner.”

What he was most worried about now was if Li Dong was still alive and had escaped with the secrets of the Earth Abyss.

“Issue my order,” Lin Xiaotian’s voice was cold, “Block all possible passages out of the Earth Abyss at all costs! Even if you have to dig three feet deep, you must find Li Dong’s body for me! I want to see him alive, or his corpse dead!”

“Additionally, intensify efforts to spread the ‘fact’ that Li Dong is a Demonic Path spy who destroyed important facilities of the Demon Suppression Division! I want him to be utterly disgraced, never to rise again!”

The night outside the window seemed to grow even heavier.