Zhou You and Sha Qi exchanged glances, recognizing Miao Miao's voice. Sha Qi then asked, "Do you need help?"

"Throw down a rope!"

Zhou You hurriedly fetched a rope. Handing one end to Sha Qi, he grabbed the other and jumped down. Sha Qi tried to grab him but was too late and had no choice but to anchor the rope from above.

Sliding down a slope, Zhou You found darkness beneath. Surely, even if Miao Miao and the others had fallen, they couldn't have lost all their flashlights? He drove his dagger into the wall to halt his descent and called out, "Yun Xi? Miao Miao? Are you there?"

It was Miao Miao who replied, "Yes, why did you come down? Get back up!"

"What's down here?" Zhou You asked tensely, "Is everyone okay?"

Miao Miao quickly warned, "The bottom's covered in water plants. We got entangled after falling, and there's toxic gas. Make sure to wear a mask if you come down further."

Zhou You pulled out his dagger and continued downward. The air smelled musty and damp, but he took a deep breath. When he shone his flashlight downward, a horrifying sight met his eyes.

The illuminated area was covered in a dark green layer that occupied the entire space. It looked like seaweed, but this wasn't a river or ocean. Could it be that the vegetation from the supermarket had overgrown and taken over this area?

"Miao Miao, are you okay?" Zhou You couldn't sense their positions through his psychic abilities, but their voices sounded close.

"I'm fine... Have you reached the bottom?"

"Yes." Zhou You had landed at the base of the slope, and it seemed like this used to be a conveyor belt for transporting goods between floors of the supermarket. Hearing voices right beneath him, he paused and urgently asked, "Where are you?"

The beam from the flashlight was limited, and the previously dropped glow sticks had disappeared. Zhou You threw down several more, but they extinguished upon impact.

"We... we're trapped in the grass... cough... cough..." A hand reached out, brushing against Zhou You's foot, nearly causing him to strike it with his dagger.

Miao Miao had thought a rope would be enough to rescue everyone. She was wrong. The binds grew tighter and more numerous. Nobody else made a sound. She couldn't keep speaking, for every time she opened her mouth, the plants tried to invade, making her nauseous.

Zhou You grabbed the hand and pulled, but couldn't free the person. Looking down, he only saw an arm. Had it not been for Miao Miao's voice, he might've mistaken it for a severed limb.

"Are you stuck deep? What has bound you?"

"It's the water plants... I can't see you."

With one hand holding onto Miao Miao's wrist, Zhou You felt a pulling force. Carefully, he extended his other hand with the dagger, wary of hurting her.

As his hand delved deeper, the plants immediately wrapped around him. Zhou You realized the danger they were in. He tried to cut through the plants, but they were surprisingly resilient.

Suddenly, two more people slid down from the slope, crouching beside Zhou You, and promptly placed a gas mask on his face.

Zhou You quickly briefed them, "These plants are incredibly tough. No wonder everyone's trapped. Rescuing them is going to be tricky."

Sha Qi touched the water plants, quickly retracting his hand before they could ensnare him. Calmly, he said, "If they can attack, it means they have a nervous system. Cutting them is too slow; we need to find their weak point."

"What does the grass fear? Fire?" Qin Lifeng took out his lighter, brought the flame close, and indeed, the water plants recoiled.

Zhou You was animated, "This works! But it's damp down here, making it difficult to ignite a fire. Plus, we can't exactly pinpoint their location, risking accidental harm."

Miao Miao spoke, "They're all beside me. We fell to this spot. They're probably unconscious; I've already taken an antidote."

Zhou You removed his coat, lit it, and brought the flame near the water grass. Instantly, a large section was pushed back, revealing half of Miao Miao's face and neck.

Shao Qi and Qin Lifeng used the same method, igniting their coats and signaling to Cheng Yuran above to send down something flammable.

Cheng Yuran tied a rope to a shelf, then ran to find flammable materials, eventually gathering some cardboard and planks. He secured them with the rope and slid them down.

Miao Miao was the first to be pulled up, drenched and covered in green moss, emitting a foul stench. Gasping for breath with a flushed face, she exclaimed, "Damn! Almost suffocated!"

Zhou You tied one end of the rope around her waist, shouting to Cheng Yuran, "Pull Miao Miao up first." The weather was chilling, especially after dusk. The instant Miao Miao emerged, her clothes began to freeze; she needed to change quickly.

The others were more deeply ensnared. From above, it looked like a thin layer of water grass, but once dispersed, the grass was almost waist-high, floating on the water's surface. Beneath was a layer of silt, occasionally disturbed by emerging insects.

When Li Yunxi was pulled up, half her body was sunk in the mud. Her mouth was clamped shut to prevent the water plants from entering, rendering her unable to call for help. She lay stiffly, her skin marked with streaks from the grass, looking utterly disheveled.

Zhou You wiped the mud off her face with his sleeve, softly asking, "Are you alright? Any injuries?"

After a pause, Li Yunxi shook her head, "I'm fine." She grasped Zhou You's arm, "There's something below. I felt a soft creature slide across me, snake-like. I also heard Dragon's muffled grunt; I'm not sure if he's injured."

Everyone frowned at the sight. The repelled water grass returned immediately in the absence of fire. They hadn’t seen Zhuo Hao or Long Gan yet. If they were injured, it'd be critical.