As Robin prepared to leave with Angelia, Hacsen urgently called out, "Wait! How do I get out of here?"

He couldn't afford to wait; he genuinely didn't want to stay a moment longer. This place was pushing him to the brink, especially after a sleepless night had left him utterly drained.

Yet, Robin didn't spare him a glance. With Angelia in tow, she vanished cleanly from his sight.

Gone???

A chill suddenly struck Harrison’s heart. He rushed forward, hoping to slip away in their wake. To his utter dismay, he found himself still trapped, turning in circles!

Would I be stuck here forever?

A flicker of despair ignited in Harrison's chest. In this godforsaken place, his hope and resolve were being steadily eroded!

Just then, to his utter shock, Robin reappeared. She was standing directly in front of him.

"You—" Harrison choked out the word as if something had lodged in his throat.

Robin’s sudden presence startled him so badly he nearly launched a preemptive defense! Good thing he hadn't, or he wouldn't even know how he’d met his end!

Robin rolled her eyes, gave him a look, and asked in a flat, indifferent tone, "Want to leave?"

Robin had only returned because Zhong Shenxiu had instructed her to; otherwise, she wouldn't have wasted a second on this arrogant fellow!

"Don't waste my time. Yes or no?" Seeing Harrison standing there stunned, Robin felt a spike of irritation.

"How do I leave?" Harrison snapped back to reality and couldn't help asking.

Robin suddenly wore a strange, wicked smile, one strikingly similar to Zhong Shenxiu's.

"Are you ready?" Robin asked.

"Ready for what?" Harrison was bewildered.

"To send you out."

Harrison immediately brightened. "Yes, tell me quickly how to go."

In that moment, Harrison didn't hear Robin's answer, but he saw that same wicked smile again.

A sharp "Bang!" sounded.

Before Harrison could process what was happening, his whole body shot out like an arrow, whoosh!

The camera zoomed in. Harrison was now lying on the ground, twitching violently, resembling an elderly patient recovering from a stroke.

Angelia, who had been watching the whole sequence, stared blankly at the returning Robin. She hadn't expected Robin’s definition of "sending out" to involve kicking. She couldn't recall Zhong Shenxiu giving such instructions—why did Robin act on her own initiative?

"Good, now the nuisance is gone," Zhong Shenxiu said to Angelia, giving Robin an approving nod in return.

Angelia shuddered, feeling like a tender lamb living in the tiger's den, constantly in danger of being devoured!

"Hey, girl, it's time for you to get to work," Zhong Shenxiu smiled at Angelia.

Angelia felt involuntary goosebumps erupt across her skin, wondering what dreadful task was next.

Zhong Shenxiu then bent down, drew a circle on the ground, picked up the same shovel from before, and handed it to Angelia.

Not digging again, please?

Angelia wore a vacant expression. She had suffered enough digging last time, especially since she unearthed the treasure only to receive a single gold coin after Zhong Shenxiu sold it—that imbalance sat poorly with her.

"The task is simple, same as last time: keep digging until I say stop!" Zhong Shenxiu stated matter-of-factly.

Though Angelia inwardly protested, she knew arguing was useless. She understood Zhong Shenxiu’s nature; his word was absolute!

She had no choice but to accept her fate!

Because the area had seen several rounds of construction and earth movement before, the ground was packed with a thick layer of sand and gravel, causing Angelia immense suffering.

But what depressed Angelia most was that while she toiled exhaustedly in the pit, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin sat idly by, chatting comfortably—it felt like intentional torment!

Guided by the principle of "out of sight, out of mind," Angelia began to transform her frustration into strength, losing herself completely in the grueling work of digging.

Pity the woman called the Ice Beauty; she had now become a common laborer!

This time was clearly far more strenuous than digging in the Beast Forest. Firstly, there were the crushed stones left over from old structures. More significantly, Angelia felt her Dou Qi was incredibly unstable, as if being pulled by some unseen force.

She was unaware that the "Stone of Void Absorption" buried beneath was causing this disturbance.

"Girl, focus your mind and don't get distracted. This is a perfect opportunity for you to practice control over your Dou Qi," Zhong Shenxiu suddenly announced.

Though he appeared engrossed in conversation with Robin, he possessed the ability to multitask, keeping a peripheral watch on Angelia's movements via a "mental wave."

Angelia didn't doubt him and quickly reined in her thoughts. Although it was still arduous, her control was noticeably better than when she had first started!

By noon, Angelia had only managed to dig about twenty meters deep. The further down she went, the less control she felt over her surrounding Dou Qi...

After a lunch break, Angelia resumed her backbreaking labor. After another ten meters of digging, she finally could no longer contain the Dou Qi swirling around her. Once it dissipated, she collapsed like a punctured balloon, instantly deflated.

"Girl, come up!" Zhong Shenxiu suddenly called out.

Though harsh toward Angelia, he wouldn't truly harm her. Making her dig was a form of tempering—a grind not just for her Dou Qi and stamina, but more importantly, for elevating her perseverance!

Angelia showed no sign of joy; she lacked the energy even to smile. Only a look of sheer relief crossed her face.

"Robin, go help her up," Zhong Shenxiu instructed when he saw Angelia failing repeatedly to climb out.

Robin obeyed, leaping into the pit with a whoosh, and then, with another whoosh, hauled Angelia out as easily as lifting a hatchling.

Angelia leaned weakly on her shovel, looking dazedly at Zhong Shenxiu.

"Open your mouth!" Zhong Shenxiu commanded blandly.

Angelia didn't understand why, but at this point, she was too weary to question anything. She simply complied, opening her mouth whatever might come.

As her ruby lips parted, she felt an object shoot into her mouth. Before Angelia could react, the item mysteriously melted and slid down her throat.

Instantly, Angelia felt a profound tremor run through her body. All fatigue seemed to be swept away by a spring breeze, and her entire being suddenly surged with renewed power.

Angelia froze, looking at Zhong Shenxiu in confusion, unsure what she had just ingested.

"No need to look at me so strangely. What I gave you is called 'Sufudan'; there's no need for you to know anything else," Zhong Shenxiu said, sensing her thoughts.

In truth, this 'Sufudan' was a formula Zhong Shenxiu had developed recently, making Angelia his first clinical trial subject. Its primary effects included soothing fatigue, supplementing various vitamins, and restoring both physical strength and Dou Qi.

This time, Zhong Shenxiu didn't send Angelia back down; instead, he told Robin to take over. The handover was simple: Angelia passed the iron shovel to Robin.

At this moment, Robin displayed strength far beyond her apparent age. The pulling force of the 'Stone of Void Absorption' seemed to have no effect on her. With every swing, a shovelful of dirt was tossed neatly out of the pit—effortless and perfectly rhythmic!

Angelia watched Robin dumbfounded, her admiration for the girl flowing like the ceaseless waters of the Yangtze River. She had only just climbed out and knew exactly how difficult the task was.

Clearly, Robin's efficiency was several times that of Angelia's. In no time, she descended another thirty meters. Just as she neared the 'Stone of Void Absorption,' Zhong Shenxiu called her back up.

At this critical juncture, Zhong Shenxiu intended to take over personally. He couldn't risk any oversight; if Robin misjudged her strength and shattered the 'Stone of Void Absorption,' the loss would be unacceptable!

Angelia never imagined that the ever-commanding Zhong Shenxiu would personally wield the shovel, causing her to stare blankly in surprise.

Zhong Shenxiu's movements were slow, slower even than Angelia's digging pace. This was entirely due to caution.

He understood the wisdom of 'haste makes waste'; he would never allow momentary impatience to breed future regret. Though bold in his actions, he never lacked meticulous planning—a core quality of his 'genius' nature!

As time crept by, the moment arrived when the 'Stone of Void Absorption' was ready to be unearthed. By then, Zhong Shenxiu had abandoned the shovel entirely, switching to using his bare hands.

Though archaic, it proved highly effective!

Not long after, Zhong Shenxiu finally touched something hard—it was the 'Stone of Void Absorption.'

What is that?

Angelia, standing by the pit's edge, also saw the stone and felt a surge of confusion. She had always assumed Zhong Shenxiu was excavating ancient ruins or relics; clearly, this was something else entirely!

When Zhong Shenxiu lifted the 'Stone of Void Absorption' out, both Angelia and Robin leaned in curiously!

After Zhong Shenxiu cleaned it, the 'Stone of Void Absorption' finally revealed its true form.

Angelia stared dumbly at the dark, muddy stone, unable to comprehend why Zhong Shenxiu wanted it.

However, Robin's reaction was markedly different; excitement now colored her expression.

"Master, is this the stone?" Robin couldn't help but ask.

"Yes," Zhong Shenxiu nodded gently. In terms of excitement, no one could match him.

Angelia looked left at Zhong Shenxiu, then right at Robin, trying to decipher their puzzle.

Just then, Zhong Shenxiu finally lifted his head, catching Angelia's perplexed gaze.

Zhong Shenxiu smiled at her and said, "Girl, don't underestimate this stone. Now, let me give you two a brief demonstration of its power!"