The three finally understood what this guy had in mind by insisting on dragging them all the way up here.
They were on the verge of fainting.
Li Yongqin stammered, barely able to speak: –Pre… ah, Brother Hong. Maybe since you just got here, you don’t really know what that thing means. Anyway, the three of us are a bit afraid we can’t handle this, this… formidable task.-
–You can.-
Hong Haocheng placed his hand on Li Yongqin’s shoulder and encouraged him: –As the saying goes, nothing in the world is difficult for a man who sets his mind to it.-
Cui Rong shuddered as he looked at Hong Haocheng.
–President, how about we practice for a year or two first, or maybe five or six, and come back when our skills are decent? It wouldn’t be too late…-
Hong Haocheng took a step forward, came to his side, and comforted him:
–As another saying goes, three mediocre generals can match one Zhuge Liang. And we’ve got four people here, just one measly little demon.-
Cui Rong was almost in tears.
Zhang Miao looked over and had just opened his mouth when Hong Haocheng’s gaze swept across him:
–Miao, you’ve been with me the longest and know me best. As the saying also goes, when people are united, Mount Tai can be moved. You know that, right? Don’t worry, I already have a detailed plan.-
–A detailed plan?- Zhang Miao looked at him suspiciously.
Since there was a detailed plan, the three who had already reached the island’s center exchanged glances, each lost in thought.
After a few seconds, Li Yongqin steeled himself and said:
–Brother Hong, since you managed to lead us deep into the island, I’ll trust you for now. Tell us your detailed plan—let’s hash it out and refine it together. If we really pick up one or two more Void Zero weapons, we’ll be rock-solid in this world!-
Hearing this, Zhang and Cui were still terrified inside, but realizing that if it actually worked, it would be their chance to turn things around in this world.
Everyone’s Moxel abilities were total garbage—these weapons would be a godsend.
–Well, fortune favors the bold…- Zhang Miao hesitated, glancing at the flickering looks of the other two.
He remembered how Hong Haocheng, as if by magic, had led them deep into the core like a hiker blazing a wild trail. It was a feat that even the so-called experts in the city had struggled to accomplish for over a year.
If this young man truly had a perfect plan, today might be the turning point of their fates.
Zhang Miao forced himself to calm down. –Alright, Brother Hong, let’s hear your plan.-
Cui Rong looked over with barely concealed hope.
A flicker of expectation gleamed in Li Yongqin’s eyes.
Hong Haocheng cleared his throat and stared at the three people crouching in the grass.
–My plan is this—I’ll chuck rocks at it. When it chases me, you guys hurry up and ransack its nest. There are definitely more treasure weapons near where it’s holed up.-
The three of them stayed frozen, like statues.
Hong Haocheng picked up a dusty gray piece of brick and gripped it tightly.
–No objections, right? If none, I’m going in.-
–What? Wait, you’re going just like that?-
Seeing Hong Haocheng dash out in a half-crouch like a rabbit, the three of them scrambled over frantically and grabbed him.
–What kind of crap plan is that!-
–President, calm down—this is a matter of life and death.-
–Absolutely not. We can try again, but if we die, that’s it!-
–You don’t trust me?- Hong Haocheng, held back, sighed helplessly. –As the old saying goes, a good man has three…-
–Shut up.- Li Yongqin clamped a hand over his mouth.
–Why won’t you guys just…-
The three of them locked onto his arms and dragged him back into the grass.
–Let go of the brick.-
Zhang Miao struggled to pry the half-brick out of his hand.
But as they moved, the earthbound spirit in the distance, with threads of light flickering around its body, turned its energy head in confusion, gazing toward the sound of rustling.
It hesitated, stepped forward slowly, then froze.
–Ah-roooar~~-
A thunderous roar crashed through the night sky.
The earthbound spirit, now able to vocalize, recognized that familiar figure and charged forward with heavy, bounding steps.
–We’ve been spotted!-
–Quick—you guys circle around, I’ll lure him away!- Hong Haocheng wrestled free from their grip.
Zhang Miao and the others wore expressions of regret mixed with resolve.
–No time to argue—go now! Right now!-
A faint ring of light flickered in Hong Haocheng’s eyes, and he picked up a stone and frantically ran to the side.
The earth-bound spirit still remembered Hong Haocheng harassing it a few days ago, and now chased after the young man. As the roar spread, heavy and chaotic footsteps sounded from all directions in the silent twilight from the ruined city.
–Let’s run,- Cui Rong said tearfully.
Seeing the extremely terrifying figure known among the top teams really chasing after Hong Haocheng, Li Yongqin gritted his teeth and said,
–Haocheng risked his life to create an opportunity for us. If it means risking my life, I’ll go all out!-
He ignored the other two and madly ran from the other side toward a spot several hundred meters away.
At this moment, the man’s heart was pounding, and the skin on his head felt like it would tear from the surging blood.
Zhang Miao crushed the acceleration ability ball without a word and followed.
Cui Rong looked at the two grilled fish at his feet, gritted his teeth, and stamped his foot, then also rushed forward.
–Wait for me!-
–Wait my ass! Hurry up!-
The three of them were like they were on adrenaline. As the footsteps grew closer, they felt like their souls were about to be driven out of their bodies.
Suddenly, countless shattered bones and corpses came into view ahead.
The monster makes its nest from bones! Countless broken weapons lay scattered around.
–Ah!- Li Yongqin let out a low growl.
His shaking legs straightened again with strength, and he charged into it.
Using the evening glow, the man’s gaze quickly searched through this horrifying scene.
[I found a Chronos weapon.]
He took a few steps toward a dark long sword that already had several nicks. The moment he touched it, he received a reading.
–60 years? What a pity, it’s not a Void Zero Chronos weapon.-
[I found a Chronos weapon.]
Li Yongqin lifted the sword.
[I found another Chronos weapon.]
[It seems there is another Chronos weapon ahead.]
–Damn, so many.-
Rumble rumble, the dense sound of footsteps drew nearer.
The two behind him rushed to his side. Suddenly, a large tree in the distance exploded with a bang, snapped by an earth-bound spirit. A figure charged at them with terrifying wind pressure!
–How can there be so many Chronos weapons?-
Cui Rong tried to pull out a weapon that was firmly embedded in a corpse, but couldn’t budge it. He immediately gave up and rushed deeper.
–Damn, that weapon is sixty-five years old. Fuck, it’s worth at least ten to twenty thousand Chronos.-
Li Yongqin glanced at the figure charging from dozens of meters away. –Quick, find the Void Zero Chronos weapon!-
The three figures, like ants on a hot pan, frantically groped among the weapons and piles of bone fragments.
Li Yongqin, nearly frantic with anxiety, looked up again into the distance. Several figures had already appeared.
Zhang Miao looked up coldly: –I’ve got three acceleration spheres left. I’ll lure them away—you guys keep going!-
As he spoke, he picked up a fragment of bone and hurled it at the monster more than ten meters away.
These things were completely harmless to the bound spirits, but they could easily provoke the dim-witted creatures. The massive, thick-blue body immediately pounded its chest in a frenzy and charged straight at Zhang Miao.
–Nice one! He did it too. Let’s move!-
–These two… damn, they’re insane!-
Cui Rong also mustered some courage, forcing his legs—which wanted nothing more than to run—to dig in deeper among the bones.
Several monsters that had been loping along the edge of the area now turned and ran toward the source of the constant roars, paying no attention to the two people there.
This bought Li Yongqin and Cui Rong, whose hearts were in their throats, a little more time.
Suddenly, a huge running figure on the other side stopped and looked over.
–Ah, we’ve been spotted!-
–Quick, quick, find it—two hundred meters away. It’ll take some time to get here!-
Li Yongqin frantically bent down and fumbled with his hands over the safe parts of the weapons in the pile.
The monster drew closer, its swinging arms like the fluttering wings of death, sending a whistling sound through the air.
–Run!- Cui Rong leaped up.
He nervously dashed through the bones. After skirting a small mound, he suddenly caught sight of a faint gleam.
On the other side of this mound, twenty meters away, a crumbling building had long lost its recognizable shape, but the door stood stubbornly upright.
A dim, chaotic glow seeped from the dark doorway.
The ground nearby was strangely clean.
–This is… that door.-
Cui Rong stared at it in a daze.
Countless silver-white zigzags rippled across his chest, appearing and vanishing like waves.
{Who’s inside?}
{Someone in the center of the island?!}
{Which team!}
–The door.- Cui Rong gazed blankly at it.
Behind it lay countless legendary treasures. So many had tried to cross through it, seeking the deeper power of this world on the other side, only to return in defeat or even lose their lives.
And now, at this very moment, it stood right before him.
–Found it!-
Cui Rong snapped back to his senses. Li Yongqin raised a long sword high in excitement—it emitted fine gray-black ripples of energy!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The ground trembled as if pounded by hooves. The colossal figure charged, flanked by several tall bound spirits glowing with blue light.
–Move!-
Crushing his acceleration orb, Li Yongqin grabbed Cui Rong and yanked him sideways. As they passed a weapon stuck in the ground, Cui Rong pulled it out without thinking and ran, dragging it behind him.
{Who the hell is inside?}
{Is it one of our living people? Answer!}
–Roooar—- The cry of the special bound spirit in the distance rang out again, shaking the entire island.
The earthbound spirits that had nearly reached the two hesitated for a moment, then sharply stopped, pivoted, and were summoned away.
The two, who had been running until their heads felt ready to burst, only felt a strange sensation of cool numbness and tingling jostling inside their skulls—-We’re free.-
–Saved…-
……
Waves of mental pressure radiated outward.
Roars echoed across the island one after another.
Inside the large tent by the shore, several team leaders who had been discussing which direction to tackle tomorrow looked up. As they felt the spreading mental pressure, their expressions shifted.
–There are actually people deep inside the island?-
Cheng Yunze strode out of the tent, gazing into the island’s depths under the sunset’s afterglow.
Another roar erupted from deep within. A group of dozens buzzed with chatter around the tent.
–How strange.-
–Who’s so reckless? Someone died just a few days ago, and now they dare to go in again.-
Chen Yunze listened for a few remarks, his face subtly changing.
Jiang Junyi and the others came out. Chen Yunze turned and asked, –They said something similar happened before—is that true?-
–Yeah, there was a similar incident a few days ago. Something seemed to disturb the earthbound spirit guarding the gate, and all the monsters on the island rushed there.-
Someone guessed, –Maybe it’s not humans—could be an internal territory dispute among them?-
–Impossible. With that monster there, no second one will come out of the gate. It’s the uncrowned king of this island. No other earthbound spirit dares to challenge it.-
Cheng Yunze’s face darkened, and he gave a heavy snort. –Idiots! Do you think that place is a market where anyone can just waltz in?-
He quickly returned to the tent.
The expressions of those around him shifted. Indeed, even if someone wanted to go in and die, how could two different people have penetrated deep into the core in such a short time?
It was the same person who did it!
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