The shaking in the underground passage became increasingly violent, and large chunks of soil and road debris even fell from above.

'boom--'

A huge bomb exploded.

A roaring sound rang out, and because the distance was so close, even Ruan Qing'an experienced tinnitus. Her vision blurred for a moment, and she staggered, almost falling to the ground.

037: [Ancestor, are you alright?!]

A large amount of dust was inhaled into her lungs, and she coughed violently. Her subconscious action of pressing the knife against the ground even stopped—Ruan Qing'an's soul and mental strength were indeed powerful, but her body was still the original one, a weakling without even any superpowers, and she was very unbalanced.

But just as she was about to fall—

The next moment, a pair of long arms reached out and caught Ruan Qingan.

Then the surrounding roots surged, and thick vines intertwined, forcibly stabilizing the crumbling underground passage.

Amidst the swirling dust and chaos, the tall man shielded her in his arms, the falling clods of earth being thoroughly crushed and pulverized by his massive root system.

Even if the simulated skin is warm and the core of the rhythm is just like a heartbeat, Eleven is not a real human being, and its adaptability is far superior.

"Are you alright, Qing'an?"

"Cough cough—no, it's nothing, I'm fine."

Ruan Qing'an waved her hand, subconsciously trying to get out of Shi Yi's arms, but the dust that filled the air kept getting into her lungs, making even breathing extremely painful.

Eleven couldn't help but frown: "Don't try to be strong. Why are you doing this all by yourself, just like before when you were doing missions?"

"Cough cough, let me go, Eleven."

"Qing'an, wait a moment, it seems something has changed."

Ignoring Ruan Qing'an's words, Shi Yi's grip on his arm didn't loosen in the slightest. He looked up at the ceiling of the underground passage, and after a brief tremor—

The shockwave from the explosives spread, creating a hole in the ground, and a sliver of light immediately emerged from the dark, green underground.

Even from a distance, you can still vaguely see human figures.

"What happened, Eleven?"

"...No, it's nothing. Qing'an will probably have to wait."

Eleven said casually, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing against the warm skin of a human, unlike his own…

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

How could he be content with just the last leg of the journey? He had waited here for countless reincarnations, how could he bear to let go?

There was no smile on Shiyi's lips, they were pressed into a straight line. He raised his free arm and pointed his slender fingers at the figures on the edge. The next moment, the mutated plants hidden underground surged out like crazy, brushing past them and flowing in the direction of his finger.

"ah--"

"Help! Help me!"

"What is this? What the hell is this?!"

Accompanied by terrified screams, the vines wrapped around those standing at the edge and dragged them into the underground passage, where they were held up in front of Eleven—but the force was not as gentle as before.

Eleven rarely smiled, and her expression was as still as stagnant water, unable to stir any emotion. She simply looked at him coldly and asked, "Who are you?"

"We, we are..."

The voice sounded somewhat familiar, and Ruan Qing'an was slightly taken aback.

She exerted some effort, and after the dust settled, she felt better. She pulled away from Shiyi's embrace and turned to look at the people entangled in the vines: "You are the people who separated from me before."

Eleven looked at the empty embrace, her dark green eyes twisting for a moment, but she could only barely suppress her emotions and look up.

Those people were actually fugitives carrying explosives.

Upon recognizing Ruan Qing'an, the first person to speak cried out, "I recognize you! I recognize you! Please, please, make him let us go! We really didn't mean to—"

"Was it you who made that commotion just now?"

"Yes, it's us..."

The person's voice grew softer and softer.

Ruan Qingan's expression also turned cold: "I told you about the explosives to lure away the zombies and create conditions for your escape. I didn't ask for anything in return, nor did I ask you to come back and almost kill me!"

These men knew they were in the wrong. One of them, with a mournful face, said, "We couldn't get the explosives away, so someone suggested going back to the action team and threatening them with suicide bombings to try and remove these deadly things."

"But, but... the action team wasn't afraid of us at all. They used their superpowers to kill people directly, killing all the troublemakers and instigators."

“Those of us who are left still have families in the outer areas. He said that if we don’t obey, our families will die with us. We really had no other choice but to come back!”

"Yes, please let us go..."

Ruan Qingan listened to the cries of these fugitives with a stern face, then suddenly asked, "Why did they send you back?"

Suddenly, all sound ceased.

Finally, Ruan Qingan sneered: "So you're here to come find me, right? Just like the explosion just now, when you find me, the explosives on your bodies will detonate."

"You're begging me because I have a way to disarm the explosives."

"But why should I save a group of people who came to kill me?"

The atmosphere froze upon hearing this. Those who had spoken paused for a moment before saying, "But you have a way to disarm the explosives. If we survive, you survive too—"

'Bang!'

Before the man could finish speaking, the explosives on his body seemed to have received a command signal from afar and suddenly exploded!

The collapsed earth was mixed with blood and flesh scattered everywhere.

Screams erupted, but this was only the beginning. The aftershocks of the explosion triggered other explosives, causing them to explode one after another. The people who had been begging for mercy screamed in terror and even began cursing Nguyen Thanh An for not saving them.

Ruan Qing'an's expression darkened slightly. Just as she was about to break through and leave, she saw the entwined vines loosen their grip and instantly retreat, forming a barrier that blocked all the aftershocks.

Shiyi grabbed her arm: "Don't try to be strong on your own. I know you can handle it, but... leave me something to do, Qing'an."

"you--"

Ruan Qingan paused.

But before Ruan Qing'an could react, the remaining roots surged and broke through the ground, and Shi Yi carried her out of the hole.

After blocking the aftershocks of the explosives, there were still continuous explosions underground, but they were standing not far away, protected by mutated plants, and were not damaged.

Shiyi straightened the hem of her clothes, which had been ruffled by the aftershocks.

"It looks like they're all dead."

"I think so."

Eleven replied, his dark green eyes looking back. Vines burst forth from the ground, and several survivors were sent flying not far away before they exploded. But before they could even breathe a sigh of relief—

The vines that pierced through the ground instantly pierced through the person!

Eleven then withdrew her gaze and said coldly, "Hmm, they should all have been blown up. You shouldn't have told them about this in the first place. Why are you still being dragged down by these small acts of kindness, just like before?"

"...Forget it, let's go. There are still action team members waiting outside. There will be a fierce battle after we get out."

Ruan Qing'an pinched the bridge of his nose, seemingly somewhat helpless.

Watching the petite girl ahead walk forward with one hand on the hilt of her sword, Shi Yi was left behind. He couldn't help but feel the vines on her wrist—this feeling was not good.

A barely concealed surge of malevolent energy stirred within him. Shi Yi glanced at the pair of inhuman eyes, which flowed with data, and his expression darkened slightly.

Unable to vent his anger on her, he was forced to change his target.