Zhao Tiji spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, glanced back at the darkness behind him, his heart still filled with lingering fear. "When the insect swarm erupted, I was on night patrol with the brothers in the east. We originally wanted to head towards the central command tent, but then we saw flames shooting skyward over there, and the spiritual pressure was so chaotic that even communication talismans couldn't be sent out. I was just thinking we were done for this time when I saw this blue pillar lighting up here."

At this point, he looked at Su Ming, his voice lowering a bit. "I remembered what you told me before, 'Beacon fire as signal, gather at the desperate pass.' I thought to myself, since the central command is a dead end, I might as well come find you, this 'Half-City Su.' Even if we die, the brothers of Bing-7 Battalion can die together!"

Su Ming nodded, not saying much more.

Trust, this kind of thing, is worthless when just talked about casually. Only at this life-and-death juncture does it feel heavy and substantial.

"Brother Zhao, don't rush to reminisce just yet."

Su Ming's gaze went past Zhao Tiji, looking towards the southwest. "More people are coming."

A moment later.

Several staggering figures emerged from the shadows to the southwest.

The one at the front wore a moon-white formation master's robe, now stained gray-brown with dust and blood. His left arm showed an unnatural twist, hanging limply at his side, clearly broken.

Lu Jun.

This once arrogant genius apprentice from Yi-3 Battalion now looked as wretched as a beggar. Behind him remained only two formation servants who were usually inseparable from him, plus five or six wounded soldiers supporting each other.

"Instructor... Instructor Su..."

The moment Lu Jun saw Su Ming, his legs gave way, and he almost knelt on the ground.

In his hand, he clutched tightly the jade token Su Ming had issued for the "graduation assessment." A faint, flickering light on the token resonated distantly with the main formation plate.

"Bing-9... it's completely gone..."

Lu Jun's voice trembled, carrying the collapse of someone who had witnessed hell. "They came burrowing up from underground... too many... the formation was instantly overwhelmed... Master, to cover our retreat..."

Before he could finish, he suddenly coughed violently, coughing up pink, frothy blood.

That he could find this place wasn't entirely due to luck.

In this chaotic spiritual energy storm, only the special frequency Su Ming had left in that jade token acted like an invisible thread, pointing the only direction in the darkness.

With the arrival of Lu Jun and the others, this not-so-spacious open space among the ruins had gathered nearly forty people.

Among them were veterans like Zhao Tiji skilled in combat, and formation apprentices like Lu Jun who, though not strong in combat, possessed technical knowledge.

This was a force.

A force that, amidst the chaotic army, could let people live a few more moments.

Su Ming's gaze swept over the crowd.

Those originally frightened, despairing, bewildered eyes, upon seeing this gradually growing group, slowly gathered a glimmer of vitality.

This was "momentum."

A single person is an insect; a group is a dragon.

"Don't just stand there."

Su Ming took a deep breath, suppressing the intense pain in his chest. His voice, though not loud, clearly reached everyone present.

"Save the mourning talk for later. Now, anyone who wants to live, listen to me."

He turned to look at Zhao Tiji, his gaze instantly turning sharp. "Brother Zhao, do your men still have the strength to hold blades?"

"As long as they're still breathing, they can bite two to death with their teeth!" Zhao Tiji planted his chipped battle axe on the ground, radiating killing intent.

"Good!"

Su Ming pointed around. "Take your men, use this light pillar as the center, clear a radius of fifty zhang! Only engage lone insects or small groups of ten or fewer, fight quickly, don't get bogged down! If you encounter a large swarm, immediately retreat into the confusing trail arrays!"

"Orders received!" Zhao Tiji didn't waste any words, waving his large hand. "Brothers, follow me! Clear the area!"

After arranging the perimeter, Su Ming turned his gaze to Lu Jun, who had just caught his breath.

"Can you still move?"

Lu Jun struggled to stand up, wiping the blood from his face with his intact right hand. "I can! Instructor Su, give your orders!"

"Call your two formation servants and the others who know a little about formations over here."

Su Ming pointed at the ruins beneath their feet. "This used to be the auxiliary formation base for Bing-7 Battalion's 'Earth Fire Gushing Spring.' I want you to immediately inspect the surrounding remaining foundations. Even half a formation stake, a broken spiritual energy line, as long as it still shows a spiritual energy reaction, find them all for me!"

"This..." Lu Jun was momentarily stunned, clearly not understanding the use of finding scrap at a time like this. But looking into Su Ming's terrifyingly calm eyes, he instinctively swallowed his question. "Yes! This disciple will go right away!"

As Su Ming's instructions were issued, this temporarily assembled team immediately sprang into action.

On the periphery, shouts and killing sounds rose again, but this time it was no longer disorderly chaos but organized clearing. Zhao Tiji led the veterans, relying on the terrain, slaying the hunting insects trying to approach one by one.

In the inner circle, Lu Jun and the others scurried through the ruins like moles, occasionally digging out pieces of broken formation plate fragments.

Su Ming did not move.

He crouched beside a half-destroyed stone platform, which had once been the core formation core of the "Earth Fire Gushing Spring."

The stone platform had cracked open, revealing dark red rock veins beneath. Su Ming extended his blood-stained fingers, gently brushing over those broken lines.

A wave of warmth came from his fingertips.

Not just warmth, but also an extremely faint, yet extremely regular vibration.

"Master, do you feel it?" Su Ming asked in his heart.

"I feel it."

Lin Yu's voice was somewhat low. "This earth fire vein hasn't extinguished. Instead... it's more active than before. Those tunnels the insects dug out have disrupted the pressure balance of the earth's crust. The fire energy underground is surging upwards."

Su Ming narrowed his eyes.

This was both bad news and good news.

The bad news was, if left uncontrolled, this place could become an erupting volcanic crater at any moment.

The good news was... if used properly, this was a ready-made, unlimited energy powder keg.

"Instructor Su! Found it!"

In the distance, Lu Jun excitedly waved a half-broken stone tablet in his hand. "This 'Ignition Pivot' is still connected to the earth vein! The spiritual energy lines still have a reaction!"

Su Ming stood up, his body swaying slightly before steadying.

He looked up towards the north. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

That was the direction of the Spiritual Hub Hall, the core of the entire Iron Wall Pass.

At this moment, the flames there were the fiercest. Surging spiritual energy fluctuations stirred the clouds, and faintly visible, a massive defensive light screen flickered with difficulty, like a candle flame swaying in a gale.

"Elder Mo..."

Su Ming murmured softly.

Su Ming withdrew his gaze, no longer looking at the teetering light screen of the Spiritual Hub Hall.

He knew that Elder Mo and the other high-ranking officers within the pass were currently bearing pressure a hundred times greater than his.

They might already be preparing the most desperate last resort, and his own position here might be a small piece in whether that last resort could succeed, or perhaps... a faint sliver of hope.

The tightness in his chest and the taste of blood on his tongue constantly reminded him of the cost. But the hand holding his sword was steadier than ever.

"Bring that Ignition Pivot over here." Su Ming's voice was cold and hard, yet carried a decisiveness that severed all hesitation. "Our fire here isn't just to keep ourselves warm..."

He paused, looking towards the boundless insect shadows stirring in the darkness.

"It also has to burn a path out."