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Qin Shu wielded her sword with both hands, appearing to be able to hold her ground against the Frostflame Pelt Mouse. However, she knew deep down that she couldn't even break through the beast's defense.

Once her spiritual energy was depleted, both she and Hexin would be in grave danger.

The Frostflame Pelt Mouse seemed to sense Qin Shu's persistence. It halted a dozen feet away, its small beady eyes rolling around cunningly, looking particularly eerie in the darkness of the mine tunnel.

Qin Shu remained on high alert. A second-tier demonic beast had already developed intelligence, and this one was a rodent—renowned among demonic beasts for its cunning nature.

The beast let out a few sharp squeaks and scratched at the ground with its front paws, causing small sparks to scatter.

Qin Shu wished she could grow extra eyes and ears, heightening her vigilance to the maximum. If those claws scratched her, she would undoubtedly be ripped apart.

Yet, just as they were locked in a standoff, the rodent cautiously retreated.

Seeing this, Hexin let out a small sigh of relief. It seemed the beast was going to flee.

However, in the next instant, the creature lunged forward at lightning speed.

Its movement was so fast that Hexin had no time to react. In the blink of an eye, its blood-red eyes were right in front of her.

The moment the beast moved, Qin Shu had already thrown her Violet Jade Sword.

Hexin watched as the sword stabbed into the ground before her, forcing the beast to dodge to the side.

Following her survival instincts, Hexin immediately retaliated, summoning the only attack spell she had mastered—Fireball Technique—and hurling it toward the rodent.

But the Frostflame Pelt Mouse was too fast. Even if she managed to land a hit, with its second-tier fire attribute resistance, it was doubtful she could even singe its fur.

Yet, despite her missed attack, she succeeded in stalling the beast for a brief moment.

And in that split second, Qin Shu had already completed her hand seals. She thrust both hands forward—this was her first time using this technique.

A golden seal descended lightly, yet the entire mine trembled.

The Frostflame Pelt Mouse was sent flying and embedded into the stone wall. Its legs twitched twice before falling limp, and the red light in its eyes faded away.

Hexin held her breath, eyes wide with disbelief as she turned to Qin Shu.

What kind of move was that? She had slain the demonic beast with a single strike?

A second-tier demonic beast was at least equivalent to a human cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refinement. Those three cultivators earlier had needed to work together just to challenge it.

But only Qin Shu knew that she was completely spent. That technique had drained all her spiritual energy. At this moment, even a child could topple her with a finger.

She quickly swallowed a Spirit Recovery Pill. After confirming the beast was lifeless, she pried it out of the stone wall and stored it in her spatial jade pendant.

"We need to leave now. That commotion probably attracted others. I'll keep the beast for now, and we can split it once we're out," she told Hexin.

Hexin hurriedly waved her hands. "No, no, I don't want it. You killed it—I didn't help at all."

As Qin Shu used an iron pick to erase the marks on the wall, she heard Hexin's response and grabbed her hand. "We have to go. Someone will be here any moment."

Sure enough, just as they left, the three cultivators from before arrived once again.

They took out lanterns and scanned the dark stone walls, eventually spotting a small trace of blood beneath the marks Qin Shu had erased.

The leader squatted down, dipped his finger in the blood, rubbed it between his fingers, and then sniffed it lightly before rising. "Looks like someone beat us to it."

The Frostflame Pelt Mouse was fast and skilled at burrowing, making it difficult to track in the mine's complex terrain. They had already lost it several times before.

A subordinate frowned. "Only cultivators below the fourth level of Qi Refinement were allowed to mine here, according to the Zhong family's rules. A second-tier demonic beast shouldn't have been taken down so quickly."

Wei Wufeng cast him a sidelong glance. "Do you really think that commotion was caused by someone below the fourth level?"

His companion fell into deep thought. "Could someone have been hiding their true cultivation?"

Wei Wufeng clasped his hands behind his back and nodded slightly. "That must be the case."

"What about those two little girls?" his companion asked.

Wei Wufeng sneered. "They probably ran when they saw the situation turning bad."

Two girls, barely eleven or twelve years old—what could they possibly accomplish?

If they were true prodigies from prestigious families, they wouldn't even bother coming here for a few spirit stones.

Meanwhile, Qin Shu led Hexin through the tunnels, following the airflow toward the exit.

They had barely covered half the distance when the ground began to shake, and stones started falling from the ceiling.

Seeing the dire situation, Qin Shu quickly swapped into her Swiftstep Boots, hoisted Hexin onto her back, and sprinted toward the exit.

They weren't the only ones running—many others were fleeing as well.

Just as they escaped the mine, a strange roar echoed from deep within.

Moments later, two of the three mining tunnels collapsed—the very ones Qin Shu had avoided entering earlier.

Hexin tightened her grip on Qin Shu's hand, shuddering as she muttered, "How did mining for a couple of spirit stones almost get us buried alive? The Zhong family is really unreliable! They didn't even clear out the demonic beasts before letting us in?"

But Qin Shu's mind was crystal clear.

They had to leave immediately—this was no longer something within their level.

She dragged Hexin to hand in their mined spirit stones, stamped a spirit seal, and checked her storage bag to ensure nothing was missing. Then, without delay, they exited the protective barrier.

Inside the barrier, the commotion continued.

Qin Shu took out the small turtle her master had given her. She enlarged it to about the size of a palm before hopping onto its back.

Hexin stared at her, curiosity shining in her eyes. Just how many hidden treasures did her friend have?

Then, Qin Shu turned around and beckoned, "Hexin, get on!"

Hexin: "???"

Get on? How? That little turtle could barely fit one foot. Was she supposed to stand on Qin Shu's foot?

"Where do I stand?" Hexin asked, her expression a mix of amusement and disbelief.

Qin Shu patted her back. "Climb on! I'll carry you!"

Hexin eyed Qin Shu's small frame hesitantly. But seeing Qin Shu urging her anxiously, she gritted her teeth, lifted her robe slightly, took a few running steps, and jumped onto her back.

The moment Hexin climbed on, Qin Shu grabbed her arms and steadied herself. Then, she commanded the little turtle to fly away at full speed.

Since Hexin was two years older and half a head taller than Qin Shu, she dangled awkwardly on her back, her feet swinging in the air.

But Qin Shu couldn't care less at this moment.

Her Du'e cultivation technique was operating at full speed, and a sense of imminent danger ran from her toes to the crown of her head.

There was only one thought in her mind.

Escape!