Shao Qi uttered a string of numbers, instructing, "First squad, proceed immediately to my location. Ensure protection and await further orders."

Mobile roaming was a thing of the past, and cross-regional signal towers couldn't be established. Phones only worked within individual bases. Shao Qi's communicator was military-grade, but it could only send messages, not make calls.

Now powerless, going after the criminal alone would be suicidal for him. He needed to assess the situation first and hoped he wasn't too late.

The horrors of the past were etched deep in his memory. Compared to those power-hungry martial artists, this Master Wei was even more detestable. He needed to be dealt with promptly.

After two hours of driving, Shao Qi arrived at the location. From a distance, he saw a red light in the sky. Only up close did he realize the entire mountain was shrouded in a red mist, eerily reminiscent of what he'd seen years ago.

He parked the armored vehicle in the dense forest and approached the cave stealthily. "With so many vehicles outside, there's surprisingly no guard."

Knowing Master Wei, he wouldn't be at the scene but hiding somewhere, controlling everything from a safe distance, using human life force to cultivate his powers after his schemes succeeded.

The martial arts association speculated that this technique was an ancient forbidden art. Many ancient martial techniques were lost over time, but after the apocalypse, the martial arts trend revived, and some people rediscovered age-old manuals, occasionally stumbling upon real treasures.

The red light at the entrance was intense. Shao Qi didn't know how many victims were inside, but his priority was to stop the ritual.

He walked to the parking area, picked the largest armored car, and drained its fuel over two other vehicles.

The roar of engines echoed as two cars sped towards the mountain. Just before impact, he threw a lighter, causing a massive explosion. Debris flew everywhere, and even from his distance, Shao Qi felt the heat. After blowing up two vehicles, he had to leap multiple times to avoid being scorched.

Author's Note: Zhou You: "You transferred my 100 points to someone else?"

Shao Qi: "You didn't cook for me. Why would you get points?"

Zhou You: "You could pay in advance, and I'll cook for you later."

Shao Qi: "I don't lack chefs."

Chapter 027: Don't Let Me See You Again

Zhou You, with eyes closed, manipulated several swords, carving patterns on the cave floor, immediately reducing the red glow by half.

He used his psychic power to sense every inch of the cave's depth, finally focusing on nine stone pillars. After the floor's magical formation was disrupted, only these pillars remained unaffected. Destroying one should make a difference.

He gathered all the swords and, with all his strength, fiercely lunged at one of the stone pillars. If this strike failed, he would surely meet his end here.

A deafening rumble echoed. Zhou You initially thought it was the result of his own attack. He clutched his chest and coughed violently. Looking down, he saw every sword shattered, yet the pillar remained unscathed. However, a piece of the pattern on it seemed to be missing, making it incomplete. Those ordinary people who had been under mind control jolted awake as if snapped from a trance.

"What... What just happened?"

Gasps and screams resounded as some realized that they had almost stepped into a trap. Had they not woken in time, they would have fallen and become fodder for the formation, their blood drained dry.

Several large rocks fell from the cave ceiling, causing panic and commotion. Some who couldn't evade in time were crushed beneath. Zhou You observed that those who fell weren't being drained of their blood. Could this mean the formation was now dysfunctional?

He looked up, noticing the ceiling pattern too was now incomplete after the rock fall. The eerie red glow vanished, and a sudden quiet filled the cave.

Unable to hold back any longer, someone burst into tears, "It's gone... It's gone! Are we saved?"

Zhou You, relieved, sat down to recover his inner energy.

Outside the cave, trees on the mountain ignited. Shao Qi replicated his earlier tactic, detonating two vehicles. Another ground-shaking tremor occurred, terrifying the people inside who thought the master might be angered by the destruction of his formation and intended to collapse the cave, burying them alive.

"Evacuate to the entrance, NOW!" Zhou You bellowed, handing an unconscious Old Qiao to a guard. Exhausted, he lacked the strength to carry the man out himself.

By this time, half of the workers trapped at the bottom had been rescued. The guards had switched allegiance, no longer willing to sacrifice their lives for some absurd deity. Their only hope for survival now was to follow Zhou You.

"The exit seems to be blocked by another formation, we can't get out!" the leader of the guards exclaimed anxiously.

"Then destroy it! Dig around the side. I don’t believe there’s any magical formation that can expand indefinitely."

"Wait... the entrance seems to be collapsing. Does anyone else feel the heat increasing?"

"I think I see red light outside too. Are we... are we doomed? Has the entire mountain been engulfed by the formation?" Someone murmured, retreating step by step in dread.

"I'll check it out." After a brief moment to regain his breath, Zhou You hurried outside, immediately breaking into a sweat from the intensifying heat.

He recalled the cave entrance being spacious enough for trucks to pass. But now, half of it was blocked by dirt. A troubling thought crossed his mind: had his actions inadvertently caused a landslide?

As he approached the entrance, a large, burning tree crashed down, blocking the way. Bewildered, he thought, "How can a simple shake cause a fire?"

Just then, he saw a figure move the flaming tree and rush into the cave. Assuming it was the master coming to deal with the aftermath, he hurled a stone with all his might.