Henry Lang couldn’t get his clothes back, so he sat on the ground in a huff. The three of them stared at each other, wide-eyed, until suddenly they all burst out laughing, almost speaking in unison: “What on earth happened?”

Isaac Lowell was the quickest to speak, describing his own experience first. When he entered the jade wall, it felt like he was in an ice cellar; the piercing cold was like needles, and he couldn’t even last a snap of the fingers before losing consciousness. Charles Quinn didn’t fare much better—after all, he was just an ordinary person, completely unable to withstand the baleful energy condensed and flowing within the jade wall, and he fainted before he could even look for the demon heart.

The red clay of the Nine-Dragon Azure Robe was no ordinary item. Fortunately, both of them used it to seal their vital points; otherwise, if the evil energy had invaded, they would have died before Henry Lang could arrive.

Things were much more complicated on Henry Lang’s side. Animatedly, with gestures and words, he finally managed to explain everything that had happened.

The two skilled men in azure robes listened, dumbfounded. Using the body as a medium to connect the jade wall and the stone vein—this idea was as simple as it was inconceivable.

To put it bluntly, maybe even a fool could have thought of such a thing, or maybe a seasoned veteran could ponder it for a lifetime and never figure it out. It was like a paper window separating them; it all depended on whether inspiration struck at the right moment.

And the two evil entities, as if they were enemies from a past life, immediately engaged in a life-and-death struggle upon contact. They even had to spare some strength to protect the “battlefield,” in case neither could achieve total victory and both perished together. Was all this predestined, or was it the ultimate coincidence? No one could say for sure, unless they first figured out the origins of the jade wall and the stone vein.

Charles Quinn looked Henry Lang up and down carefully. He seemed no different from before. After a while, Charles Quinn finally frowned and asked, “Do you… feel anything unusual now?”

Henry Lang moved his arms and legs, even performed a couple of Taizu Long Fist moves, and didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary.

Charles Quinn shook his head in silence, his brow full of doubt, and exchanged a glance with Isaac Lowell.

Isaac Lowell was startled and quickly shook his head. “This… isn’t a good idea, is it? What if… it could cost me my life.”

Charles Quinn put on a stern face. “If you won’t do it, do you expect these old bones of mine to try?”

Henry Lang was completely confused, blinking as he asked, “What are you guys talking about?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Isaac Lowell suddenly lunged forward, grabbed Henry Lang by the shoulders, and threw him hard to the ground with a back throw. Then he clapped his hands briskly and said, “Sir, test complete—he’s still the same!”

Henry Lang jumped up, furious. “What’s your problem!”

After surviving such a great ordeal together, Henry Lang felt a newfound closeness to Quinn and Lowell, with no sense of rank or status—just like kids from the same street of convicts. This feeling made Henry Lang incredibly comfortable.

Charles Quinn looked rather puzzled, muttering to himself, “That shouldn’t be!”

Given what Henry Lang had just experienced, from the perspective of a martial artist, a cultivator, or even a demonic practitioner, it should have been a tremendous stroke of fortune—his body should have become incredibly tough, his strength immense…

But right now, Henry Lang was still just an ordinary teenage boy—and still without clothes.

Of course, Isaac Lowell understood what Charles Quinn was thinking. He shook his head and smiled. “The fact that he survived is already thanks to Lord Lang’s blessing from above. Everything else can wait until we get out.”

At that moment, a strange rumbling sound echoed in their ears. Henry Lang froze for a second—this sound was clearly coming from his own stomach…

Isaac Lowell burst out laughing. “The kid woke up from hunger!”

Charles Quinn couldn’t help but smile as well. Leaning on the Yangshou Evil Bow, he stood up. “Let’s go. The jade wall is shattered, and there’s a way out!” With that, he took the lead, heading toward where the jade wall had been.

Only now did Henry Lang see that after the jade wall was destroyed, a winding tunnel had appeared behind it. Though not spacious, it was wide enough for them to pass through!

Earlier, Henry Lang and the others had dug through the ominous stone vein, making their way deep beneath the mountain. Now, the tunnel ahead wound upward, and the air was relatively fresh. It really did seem to lead to the surface.

Having survived disaster and now seeing hope of escape, Henry Lang felt full of energy. He hurried after Charles Quinn, entering the tunnel behind the jade wall, still questioning Isaac Lowell as he went: “Why did you throw me just now?”

The tunnel wasn’t very wide, but it was enough for the three of them to pass in single file. Isaac Lowell, unable to stand Henry Lang’s endless questions, ran ahead to lead the way.

On the tunnel walls, crisscrossed everywhere, were marks as if cut by knives and axes. Even Henry Lang could tell that this tunnel had been carved out by someone with immense strength, blow by blow.

No one knew how long they walked. Henry Lang’s steps grew heavy, and even Isaac Lowell, leading the way, began to sweat. At last, a faint light appeared in the distance!

All three were overjoyed, supporting each other as they quickened their pace, scrambling toward the end of the tunnel. The closer they got to the exit, the brighter the light became. Yet the light was not dazzling, but rather hazy. Suddenly, Henry Lang realized—it must be night outside, and the light filtering in was from the stars and moon.

Just as they reached the end of the mine, panting and full of hope, Isaac Lowell, who was in front, suddenly cried out, “There’s someone outside forming a formation!”