At the same time, Duke took advantage of every possible gap, during brief team rest, night watch rotations, and while navigating through complex terrain to continue secret reporting via the Star Dome Stone.

With each report, he tried to describe the surrounding significant terrain features, perceived changes in energy flow direction, the approximate travel direction and speed estimation of the team, as well as the members’ conditions.

Duke was unable to provide precise coordinates, but these fragmented pieces of information sufficed for the Star Dome Commerce Association and even the Empire’s military, which possessed planar maps and capable intelligence analysis, to sketch out their general escape route and possible exit directions.

He also observed silently.

Instructor Moran seemed not fully acquainted with this path of winds either, relying more on antique legacy descriptions and his keen sense of energy flow to find the way.

The passage was indeed becoming more ventilated, with the air now mixing with fresher yet colder streams not belonging to the underground and a faint decay smell of surface vegetation.

Hope seemed to faintly appear at the end of the darkness.

Several hundred miles west of Shadow Song Canyon, at the edge of a barren offshoot called the Iron Spine Mountain Range.

Here, with its bizarre stones and sparse vegetation, it is shrouded all year by grayish haze, marking the fringes of Night Elf territory, seldom frequented by anyone.

However, near potential exits where a secret fissure might lead to the surface, the Empire’s death net had silently extended.

Thanks to Duke’s continuous intelligence, the analysts at the Star Dome Commerce Association combined ancient maps and energy detection, successfully narrowing the possible exit range of Shadow Song’s secret path from the vast western mountains to three most likely natural caves or fissure systems on the eastern slopes of the Iron Spine Mountains.

After destroying the core of the Moon Mark Clan, Marquis Ares Iron Anvil had already left, leaving the rest to handle the subsequent cleanup and resource extraction.

Pursuing Lyrandra, the one who slipped through the net, was a direct elite squad from the Empire’s Intelligence Agency, skilled in tracking and killing, named Shadow Fang.

Their leader was a Level 3 Shadow Wizard with a cold aura and a magic burn scar on his face, code-named Viper.

"Based on Duke’s last two reports mentioning strong air currents and a faint resonating starry feeling, combined with the underground energy map analysis of the area, the probability of the target exiting through Grey Beak Cave or Gorge’s Throat exceeds eighty percent," a monitoring wizard wearing a Star Dome Commerce Association uniform, with a complex energy sandbox floating before him, reported to Viper.

Viper licked his cracked lips, his eyes gleaming with snake-like cold light: "The two exits are less than five miles apart... very well. Grey Beak Cave is concealed but its internal space is narrow, while Gorge’s Throat has a broad exit but positioned on a steep sidewall.

They will most likely choose the former as a reconnaissance or temporary resting point, set up a silent force field and an energy suppressing witch array within a hundred-meter radius inside and outside Grey Beak Cave. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

On the cliffs above Gorge’s Throat, deploy sniping wizards and binding traps, with the main force ambushed in the gravel corridor between the two locations, which is the necessary passage for rapid departure from the mountain no matter which exit they take."

The orders were efficiently executed, with Imperial wizards like the most precise machines starting to set up traps.

Metal stakes engraved with complex runes were quietly driven into the rock, transparent energy threads crisscrossed, connecting trigger-type paralysis arrays; wizards and war puppets proficient in camouflage and lurking merged into the terrain, minimizing breathe and energy fluctuations.

In the sky, several camouflaged miniature reconnaissance puppets hovered like vultures, monitoring the overall movement.

A web of death was woven in the silent mountains, awaiting the weary prey to walk right into the trap.

After approximately another half-day of trekking, stronger air currents were felt ahead, and even faint whistling of winds could be heard.

The passage began to incline upwards, traces of artificial restoration appeared again, with rough stone steps and walls adorned with blurred ancient moonlight runes.

"Almost at the exit!" Grey Leaf’s tired voice carried a hint of excitement.

Instructor Moran, however, was more cautious, signaling everyone to slow down and lower their voices: "Be careful, the vicinity of the exit may not be safe, I’ll scout ahead."

He advanced alone, his form merging into the shadow of the corner ahead.

A moment later, he returned, a slight relief on his face but his gaze remained cautious: "It’s the exit, a concealed cave. Outside is night,...

you can see the starry sky, the terrain is mountainous.

No apparent threats detected for now, but we can’t stay long, we must leave this area immediately, find a safer hiding place or connect with any possibly surviving clans."

The light of hope flickered in everyone’s eyes. Finally, they left the suffocating underground world.

The team sequentially passed through the last narrow passage, reaching the interior of Grey Beak Cave.

The cave was not large, about half the size of a basketball court; its entrance was hidden by dangling vines and protruding rocks.

The cool night breeze, carrying the scents of grass and freedom, flowed in, refreshing their spirits.

Through the gaps in the vines, the deep night sky and twinkling stars could be seen; it was a familiar sky dotted with unfamiliar constellations, and they had already distanced themselves from the Moon Mark Clan’s region.

Lyrandra took a deep breath, tears glistening in her eyes as she gazed at the starry sky outside, whispering softly: "Mother... High Priest..."

"Miss, it is not yet the time for sorrow." A high-ranking guardian reminded softly, but in a gentle tone.