Indeed, in no time, I heard a sound like an army of drill sergeants commanding a thousand runners, quickly followed by all manner of strange squeals and shrieks.

The noise drew nearer and nearer, finally thundering right beside our ears, deafeningly loud.

Such a massive commotion turned our faces ashen, slick with cold sweat, and we dared not even draw a breath.

And when we finally saw the scene unfolding on the ground below, we were so shocked our jaws hung slack.

Countless Green-Spiked Specters, as if acting on some unspoken command, surged toward Liang Qian in a unified rush, coming from every direction, instantly surrounding her so tightly she couldn't move.

But where such a terrifying sight would have sent me pissing myself in fear, Liang Qian remained perfectly composed, retrieving a bronze censer from her backpack and blowing a breath into it, causing wisps of blue-green smoke to rise.

As the smoke ascended, those Specters, which had been charging like maddened bulls, instantly froze ten to fifteen feet away from Liang Qian.

I thought to myself, this censer, which burns Qilin bone, is truly potent. When I first saw it in Black Bamboo Gully, I didn't think it served much purpose, but now I see that every venomous insect and savage beast fears this thing.

However, although most Specters were repelled or held back by the might of the Qilin Censer, a stubborn, smaller portion, unafraid of death, roared in fury and lunged at Liang Qian.

Anxious, I fumbled for my gun, wanting to help clear a path for her.

pulled me back, saying, "You'll easily hit Liang Qian by doing that. Let's watch for a moment."

So I tucked the gun away and continued to observe.

As our hoist ascended, the beam of the flashlight grew dimmer, but I could still make out Liang Qian, who had, at some point, drawn a pole as thick as a forearm and was whirling it about.

The rod was entirely black, tapering to a sharp point, shaped somewhat like a spear but shorter, with the tip and shaft appearing to be one seamless piece.

Every Specter that managed to close the distance with Liang Qian could not withstand even two passes; a single thrust from the "spear" in her hand sent it collapsing without even a scream.

Da Xiong stared, utterly stunned, and asked, "Damn, what is that thing she’s holding? It’s incredible!"

remarked from beside me, "If I’m not mistaken, that must be the rostrum of a Moths-of-the-Underworld. This woman is truly formidable, wrenching this weapon right out of the creature's mouth."

Liang Qian didn't simply kill a Specter; she stomped its corpse underfoot.

The remaining Specters, seeing their kin slaughtered, also lost all restraint and swarmed toward Liang Qian.

But the Moths-of-the-Underworld rostrum Liang Qian wielded carried a potent venom; contact meant instant death, anything near it meant ruin.

The pile of Specter corpses grew higher and higher, and Liang Qian, stepping on their bodies, actually managed to keep pace with the upward speed of the hoist.

I watched Liang Qian clamp the handle of the bronze censer in her teeth, gesturing wildly, wielding the Moths-of-the-Underworld rostrum with incredible flair—whatever staff or spear technique she was employing was devastatingly effective.

Yet, the Specters were too numerous; for every one that died, another surged forward.

As time went on, the speed of Liang Qian's weapon twirling began to slow, and she nearly showed an opening.

My heart tightened with worry. Liang Qian was still ten to twelve feet away from the hoist, but more Specters were pouring in, threatening to engulf her entirely.

At that moment, * shouted from beside me, "I'll jam the elevator with my combat knife. Pull her up fast!"

With that, * drew his military knife and thrust it into the rock wall through the mesh siding of the hoist.

The sound of the knife blade grinding against the wire mesh created a grating kaka sound, momentarily locking the hoist in place.

gritted his teeth, his grip on the knife handle turning his knuckles white from the strain; his entire body trembled violently, clearly enduring extreme agony.

Just then, Liang Qian killed another seven or eight Specters, bringing her to less than a meter from my outstretched right hand.

If she jumped, she could grab my hand with a mere stretch.

I yelled at her, "Grab my hand quickly, or it will be too late!"

In the midst of battle, Liang Qian glanced up at me. Her hair was completely soaked through with sweat, and her entire face was flushed crimson, like an apple.

Countless droplets of sweat, green ichor, and blood mixed with the mud on her face dripped downward; she was barely recognizable as human.

She looked at me deeply and reached out, trying to grasp me.

But at that precise moment, several Specters climbed up the sheer rock wall of the elevator shaft and lunged at Liang Qian from the side.

Instantly, Liang Qian was submerged within the swarm of seven or eight creatures.

I watched as those Specters clawed and bit at her; the hand she had extended slowly slipped away.

"Liang Qian! Don't you dare die!" I shrieked in a sound like wailing ghosts, nearly breaking down in tears.

But at that moment, * could hold on no longer. Blood was seeping from his hands gripping the knife, and with a loud kacha, the combat knife snapped in half, and the hoist began to rise again.

Watching the hand she slowly lowered drift further and further away from me, my heart plunged into an icy abyss.

Then, a faint voice drifted up from the mass of Specters: "Nie Chuan... thank you... you are a good person..."

Finally, my tears slid down the bridge of my nose, and blood seeped from my tightly clenched jaw.

But I refused to give up. I whipped out the leather belt from my waist, let it drop down, and shouted, "Grab my belt! This is the last hope, please!"

Seconds ticked by, and my heart grew colder inch by inch.

Just as I was about to lose all hope, suddenly, a slender, heavily scarred arm shot out from the heap of Specters, gripping the very end of my belt tightly.

Joy surged through me. I held the other end of the belt firmly with both hands, and Da Xiong rushed over to assist, helping me hold the strap steady.

Finally, as the hoist slowly ascended, Da Xiong and I slowly pulled Liang Qian up from the pile of Specter corpses.

When I saw her, Liang Qian was covered in wounds, her entire body resembling a figure carved from blood, yet her eyes—they were still just as resolute, staring steadily at me.

After completely hauling Liang Qian free of the mound of bodies, I told Da Xiong to hold the belt while I drew my Silver Fish Dagger and cut a hole just large enough for one person through the wire mesh on the platform floor.

Then, together, we dragged Liang Qian into the hoist car.

Only then could we collectively take a proper breath.

We slumped against the walls of the hoist, panting like broken bellows.

Liang Qian was more direct; without a word, the foolish girl passed out cold.

Her head ended up resting upon my thigh.

After resting for a while, Da Xiong and * both looked at the way Liang Qian and I were positioned and suppressed giggles.

For some reason, I felt a bit awkward, so I mumbled, "Uh... I'll find some medicine to treat her injuries."

"No need! Don't move! It might cause the injured party discomfort..." Da Xiong waved his hand dismissively.

Then he instructed * to retrieve the medical kit they’d confiscated from Boss Wu’s men and begin tending to Liang Qian’s wounds.

Since there were far too many injuries, * only treated the deeper gashes, disinfecting the rest and applying simple bandages; finally, the bleeding was stopped for the time being.

Watching Liang Qian lying peacefully on my lap, breathing steadily, I finally felt a sliver of genuine relief.

The ascent speed of the hoist was ridiculously slow; reaching the cave ceiling nearly two kilometers up would take at least half an hour.

Even if it didn't lead directly to the top, it would still take twenty minutes.

None of us spoke again. We took this opportunity to catch a few much-needed naps, as the hoist was the safest enclosed space we had occupied recently.

After an unknown amount of time, while drifting in and out of sleep, I felt a wave of heat washing over my body, immediately leaving my mouth dry and my throat parched.

I hastily opened my eyes to look for the canteen, just as the hoist emitted a kacha sound and stopped ascending.

Da Xiong was the first to jump up, tearing off his tactical jacket, yelling happily, "Damn, it’s hot! It’s burning me alive!"

This was perhaps the only time in his life he’d complained about the heat with such genuine joy.

Because the hotter it was, the closer we were to the surface. We hadn't seen the sun in ages; even the scorching sun of Lop Nur, I longed to feel its warmth!

Da Xiong impatiently kicked open the door of the hoist and stepped out.

He hadn't taken more than a few steps when he let out a surprised, "Huh?"