Meanwhile, Zhang Heng was utterly spent, and when the ground finally collapsed, Zhao Yingkong hauled him up by the collar from behind. A grown man, being lifted like a child by a mere girl—though deeply embarrassing, the situation was dire, leaving him no energy for shame. He could only allow himself to be carried like a cat on a leash. Fate was cruel; not long after the fall began, a flying stone struck his head, leaving him bleeding. Though not yet unconscious, Zhang Heng was dizzy and exhausted, functionally akin to being knocked out. The lives of four had now devolved into a burden shouldered by only two.

Wang Xia, though managing to hold onto Chu Xuan, was terrified by their continuous descent. The plaza beneath his feet had disintegrated completely, revealing far below a vast expanse of fiery red magma—no, a veritable Sea of Magma. They were deep within the mantle, where the temperature and pressure alone would crush an ordinary human. Before the land broke apart, the others hadn't felt it due to the protective restrictions placed by the cultivation technology overlaying the plaza and ground. But with the collapse, the oppressive heat and surrounding pressure became palpable.

Wang Xia was paralyzed by fear in this environment until he saw Zhao Yingkong expertly stepping and leaping upwards across the rubble and rock fragments.

For unknown reasons, their falling speed was far greater than that of the debris. They were plummeting at the full acceleration of gravity, whereas the rocks seemed acted upon by some counterforce, slowing their descent below standard gravitational pull. Gradually, the four fell into the middle stratum of fragments and stones. If they dropped any further, they would plunge into the magma without any chance to brace themselves. Thus, Zhao Yingkong's maneuver was their only hope for immediate self-rescue: leap upward relentlessly to prolong their time above the lava, then pray silently that Imhotep would descend fast enough. Though Wang Xia understood the necessary action, his skill level barely matched half of Zhao Yingkong’s; naturally, he couldn't leap with such agility. Yet, in that critical instant, he had his own method.

He transformed his Demonic Energy into living Flying Bomb Organisms, leaping upward by constantly landing on the surface of these bat-like entities. Each organism could only sustain minimal force, compelling Wang Xia to shift his footing continually, manufacturing a new one with every step until the one beneath him launched upwards. Wang Xia's Demonic Energy was nearly depleted.

Despite their efforts, the four continued to fall, the magma drawing closer when, suddenly, a colossal shadow descended from directly above them.

A section of that massive blob of flesh was finally falling. Above them floated the largest remnant of the plaza, and this blob was merely a piece broken off that very fragment.

Though described as "a piece," this chunk of flesh spanned nearly a hundred square meters. Descending directly over the four, who were now suspended mid-air with nothing to grip, escape was impossible. As the mass threatened to swallow them all and crush them toward the lava—a fate sealed even if Imhotep arrived swiftly—Zhao Yingkong was positioned above Wang Xia.

With Zhang Heng held in one hand, she gripped the Sword of Victory and Vow in the other, resolutely charging toward the descending flesh-mass. But barely had she approached it when a muffled thud echoed.

An invisible energy barrier materialized between her and the flesh, the resulting force slamming her downward.

Fortunately, Wang Xia managed to propel a Flying Bomb Organism toward her, allowing her to bounce off it and leap onto another nearby rock.

Zhao Yingkong and Wang Xia stared at each other in shock. Back when the God of Gods’ Core was destroyed and the infinite proliferation formed the flesh-mass, the Light of the Mind ability had vanished. If it hadn't, they wouldn't have been able to withstand the mass for even this short time. In fact, only a few members of the Central Continent Team could destroy the Light of the Mind, and neither she nor Wang Xia was among them... (What to do? Are we going to die? This despair... I think I felt this despair once before, when facing the Light of the Mind. But when did I face the Light of the Mind? Who used the Light of the Mind? I seem to remember... back then I...) Zhao Yingkong’s eyes flickered violently, as if she had fallen into a stupor or a daze. At such a critical moment, this lapse terrified Wang Xia, who was watching her from a distance and cried out. However, Wang Xia then heard a faint, almost inaudible giggle, like a small girl suddenly laughing, though he couldn't be certain—her personality wouldn't allow such a sound, and the noise of exploding rock made hearing difficult. Before he could process it, Zhao Yingkong, still clutching Zhang Heng, charged the flesh-mass once more. This time, however, something shifted: the flesh-mass's Light of the Mind failed completely. With a slight impact from Zhao Yingkong, she punched directly into the mass. Inexplicably, the giant structure tore and withered like scrap cloth starting from the point of her entry. As masses of decaying flesh rained down, Wang Xia saw Zhao Yingkong looking down from above. The little girl wore a gentle, smiling expression, yet her eyes were utterly cold...

Far, far away from Zhao Yingkong and the others, Zheng Zha, enveloped in ten thousand feet of azure light, continued to fall. His situation wasn't as dire as it seemed; within this Three Pure Ones Dao Light capable of dissolving anything, the white flames surrounding him—his Light of the Mind—remained undissolved. Perhaps this was what the cultivators' inscriptions meant. After the eruption of the azure light, most objects in the pavilion where he stood had been annihilated, save for a few cultivation artifacts and glowing stones. Now, Zheng Zha floated entirely in the void, surrounded only by the azure radiance; every single piece of rock debris had vanished.

Zheng Zha was completely immobilized. The vast azure light felt as heavy as Mount Tai, pressing him down toward the magma flow. Not only could he not beat his wings, but even his internal Neili and Zhenyuan energies felt frozen. Only his Vampire energy and Demon Power retained some mobility. Without hesitation, he channeled his Demon Power into the Tiger Soul Saber. Sure enough, that strangely compelling pressure reappeared around the Saber. The surrounding Three Pure Ones Dao Light instantly warped, as if deliberately avoiding the Saber's oppressive aura. Zheng Zha immediately felt his arm grasping the Saber freed, and he began furiously slashing all around him, carving a massive gash in the thick, solidified Dao Light. Before the gap could seal, Zheng Zha channeled all his internal power and Vampire energy, unleashing the full force of his "Destruction" state. He finally burst clear of the azure light, but the cultivation scriptures and various artifacts within it were irrevocably lost to him.

Zheng Zha glanced back mournfully at the receding twinkling points within the azure light. Then he looked at the few glowing stones and a small bronze bell in his palm, and the mirror clutched on his finger. Though only a fraction of the great cultivation treasure trove, it was better than nothing; the value of these items far surpassed several S-rank side mission credits. After a brief moment of contemplation, he turned resolutely and flew backward. His companions were still waiting to be saved... and with that, this perilous side mission finally concluded... Zhao Yingkong and Wang Xia had reached the uppermost layer of rock debris. In fact, they had managed to ascend slightly further using Wang Xia’s explosive flying devices, but now they could truly do nothing more than wait for rescue or death.

Whatever Wang Xia was feeling, he was nervously gazing upward at the sky. Only Zhao Yingkong’s reaction was peculiar. She held Chu Xuan up to eye level and stared intently until the man felt his skin crawl, then she giggled at Wang Xia, particularly at Chu Xuan in his hands—her demeanor was unnervingly strange yet adorable. Before the little girl could act on whatever impulse struck her, a ball of white flame shot over from the distance. This flame was Zheng Zha, who had just escaped the azure light. He extinguished the flame upon arrival and called out casually, "Good thing you're all here! It would have been terrible if you’d fallen..." With that, he retracted the Tiger Soul Saber into his Spatial Ring, reached out, and wrapped his arms around Zhao Yingkong’s waist. Then, spreading his wings, he flew toward Wang Xia.

"Hehe, why so affectionate? Trying to take liberties with me? Careful, I’ll tattle to your little girl back home..." Zheng Zha, initially overjoyed at saving his companions, suddenly heard this inappropriate tone. He flinched, nearly dropping Wang Xia, while Zhao Yingkong in his embrace began to chuckle foolishly, completely devoid of her usual cold indifference. Only her eyes remained chilling, seeming to peer straight into his soul.

"Zhao Yingkong... are we comrades?" "Uh... yes."

"Then look at us as comrades... Welcome back, Zhao Yingkong. Let's all go back now, to our world..." Burdened by the four, Zheng Zha silently ascended. Ahead, a whirlwind approached, carrying several Green Goblin Gliders. Finally, this near-death side mission had concluded...