Translator: CinderTL
Just like the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm, the Ancient Taiduo civilization exists only in history.
And the Black Tide disaster, which bears a striking resemblance to the Dream World, along with the legendary Abyss Evil God.
Chen Feng stood outside the tent, his eyes flickering with uncertainty, feeling as if he might have touched upon some truth.
There must be some connection between Earth and the Dream World!
The Serpent Spirit Secret Realm, the Dead Crow Secret Realm, and others are the same!!
Thoughts flashed through his mind, while Xie Xiao and Zhou Wuren beside him showed mixed expressions, with the latter coming to his senses, his face turning somewhat unpleasant.
"Miss Meng, when you invited me, you didn't mention such circumstances."
He was having second thoughts.
Those Black Tide creatures, individually, didn't seem strong, but if one were to be surrounded by them, even a Martial Arts Grandmaster would meet their end.
"Grandmaster Zhou, if you wish to leave now, I won't stop you."
Meng Anran spoke calmly, without any anger.
She could understand their concerns, and Old Gu beside her promptly added, "Grandmaster Zhou, although the Black Tide is dangerous, there are patterns to it."
"It erupts every forty-eight hours. As long as we exit the ruins before the eruption, the risk will be much lower."
Hearing this, Zhou Wuren's expression shifted.
Since this was a transaction, there had to be a price. If he gave up now, he would have to repay the Black Crystal Group manifold in other ways.
In the end, he gritted his teeth and didn't say the word "leave."
"Grandmaster Xie, what about you?"
Meng Anran, worried they might resist, asked.
"I'm already a dying man, it doesn't matter where I'm buried."
"I just hope Miss Meng will fulfill her promise and take care of my Lion Heart Sect afterward."
Xie Xiao, standing nearby, didn't hesitate much and even chuckled as he spoke.
As he spoke, the middle-aged disciple behind him looked somber, filled with guilt.
Cao Tong and another disciple beside him empathized, and Meng Anran nodded, promising to keep her word.
Finally, all eyes turned to Chen Feng.
His earlier surprise had been noticed by many, but most thought it was due to the Black Tide scene just now, so they didn't pay much attention.
"Let's proceed as planned."
Suppressing all his speculations, Chen Feng forced himself to calm down and stated his stance.
Regardless of the connection between this place and the Dream World, he could only explore to find the answers.
As for asking Meng Anran and the others, he could only approach it indirectly, and he suspected they might not know more about the Black Calamity than he did.
"Good, since there are no issues, let's begin."
Meng Anran nodded, signaling to the other factions.
Many tents were filled with biological cyborgs preparing their equipment, gradually stepping out.
"The next black tide is in forty-eight hours. Now is the best time."
"The three of you?"
"Alright."
Chen Feng had completely calmed down and decisively nodded.
Soon, someone from the Black Crystal Group stepped forward to equip him.
Zhou Wuren hesitated for a moment but followed suit, while the gray-haired Xie Xiao began asking about the equipment.
"Grandmaster Xie, this is a biological detector. Unlike ordinary electronic VR glasses, it operates using our own biological energy, is immune to magnetic interference, and has minimal consumption."
"These are Titanium-forged weapons, heavy and sharp, and there are also specialized firearms."
"This is a specially made biological armor, with defensive capabilities comparable to Titanium. Although you're not biological cyborgs and can't activate biological functions, it still offers some protection."
Meng Anran was generous, providing equipment made from rare resources on the market.
"Haha, this equipment is really good. It's a pity I'm too old, otherwise I'd really like to learn more."
Xie Xiao chuckled and was soon fitted with a black biological armor that clung tightly to his body, while choosing a metal war blade as his weapon.
Zhou Wuren was similar, but he opted for a longsword.
Having more equipment provided more confidence. Although Chen Feng felt these were somewhat unnecessary, he didn't want to stand out too much.
Soon, as he donned the armor, his muscles tightened.
Chen Feng could clearly feel the biological armor automatically adjusting to his body shape, subtly expanding and contracting.
In the blink of an eye, his tall and burly figure perfectly matched the black armor, and a specialized firearm was strapped to him, along with a helmet-style black detector worn on his head.
As he moved his gaze, a series of numerical parameters appeared on the dark lenses, which also had some communication functions.
"The communication function will be interfered with by the magnetic field inside. The biological detector is more for night vision and data recording, as well as a shared positioning system for emergencies."
"These specialized firearms can shatter ordinary Titanium, but the ammunition capacity is limited, so use it sparingly."
"This is a lightweight portable backpack with spare equipment, medical supplies..."
One of the biological cyborgs accompanying them, Du Shan, emphasized a few points.
Another cyborg, Zhao Meng, also demonstrated the use of most of the equipment. Chen Feng and the others nodded, each carrying a backpack.
Finally, everything was ready, and the five of them exchanged glances.
"Boss?" Du Shan asked.
"Go ahead."
Meng Anran looked serious, rarely this solemn as she glanced around, finally locking eyes with Chen Feng for a moment.
"I'll be waiting for your safe return."
"Alright!"
Everyone nodded, then boarded an off-road vehicle, heading straight for the labyrinth entrance several kilometers away.
The sound of tires rubbing against the ground grew louder as their figures grew distant.
Cao Tong watched this scene with complex emotions, while the members of the Black Crystal Group also showed fluctuating expressions.
Martial Arts Grandmasters couldn't replicate consciousness.
Although biological cyborgs had methods similar to mechanical cyborgs for rebooting, the genes of super-ancient creatures were extremely precious and hard to clone.
Thus, everyone knew that their lives were essentially singular.
"I hope everything goes smoothly."
Meng Anran murmured, finally turning back to the tent.
Whoosh!
The wind blew against their faces as the open-top off-road vehicle sped toward the labyrinth entrance.
The atmosphere was heavy, perhaps because they felt their time was limited, and their affairs were already in order.
The oldest among them, Xie Xiao, glanced around, feeling at ease, and chuckled, "There are quite a few factions entering the ruins."
"Isn't the military restricting this?"
Such ruins, with unknown entities, should typically be sealed off by the authorities for safety.
But now.
Jade Biotech, Aegis Heavy Industries, Skyway Shipping, Superhuman Group...
Biological cyborgs from other factions were also heading there in off-road vehicles or flying cars, and even the biological cyborgs from Skyway Shipping deliberately glared at them.
"There are too many factions eyeing this area, each with significant connections."
"Moreover, the military and the Red Guard suffered considerable losses during their earlier exploration, so they hope we can help share the burden and uncover the truth of this place."
Du Shan, sitting in the back, explained a couple of points, and Chen Feng learned that they would be inspected upon leaving the ruins.
If there were any gains from this exploration, the Black Crystal Group would have to share them with the military.
"Does the Black Tide appear in other ancient civilization ruins as well?"
Chen Feng asked casually, though he was very concerned about the answer.
"Yes, but only in very few."
Du Shan shook his head, answering truthfully.
Hearing this, Chen Feng felt relieved.
If the Black Tide here was truly like the one in the Dream World, erupting everywhere, it would mean the Abyss had truly arrived.
The high-wall alliance civilization in the Dream World was the best example, likely invaded and destroyed by such forces.
"What does the military say about this? If such creatures spread everywhere, wouldn't Yun Port be in danger?"
Chen Feng exaggerated deliberately, both out of curiosity and as a subtle warning.
But Du Shan's response revealed that the authorities weren't entirely clueless.
"The military has deciphered some of the Ancient Taiduo civilization's writings and learned that the appearance of these creatures is related to the Evil God."
"That's why the Evil God Cult has been outlawed in our Red Nation, becoming taboo."
Chen Feng's eyes narrowed as he realized he had overlooked this point.
Besides.
He looked back, as if seeing through layers of space to the massive Star Ring that resembled a spatial portal.
Such a situation hadn't yet appeared on Earth.
This meant things weren't as dire as imagined.
Moreover, looking at the distant hovering warship and recalling the earlier display of the energy cannon's might, it was clear that the high-wall alliance in the Dream World was far behind Earth in technology, focusing more on individual power.
This might also be a different kind of lifeline.
Having settled his thoughts, and worried about being noticed, Chen Feng didn't inquire further.
The off-road vehicle sped along and finally arrived at the entrance to the underground palace.
Built from massive stone blocks, it was square, measuring over ten meters in size.
The surface seemed to have a faint brown glow, and the passage inside was dark, with glimpses of similar stone blocks forming what appeared to be steps leading downward.
The earlier cluster of energy cannon attacks had been immensely powerful, yet this entrance remained unscathed.
Chen Feng even subconsciously probed for a moment, but found that his Steel Bones still didn't react, as if isolated by the layer of brown glow.
"That's the kind of power that strongly interferes with magnetic fields and machinery."
Du Shan spoke up, pointing at the brown glow on the stone surface.
As they stepped out of the off-road vehicle and approached the passage, the biological detector's functions were increasingly affected, with the parameters on the dark lenses rapidly blurring and even disappearing.
"Du Shan, your Black Crystal Group is really something, even bringing deadweight along."
Members of other factions gradually arrived near the entrance, and the biological cyborgs from Skyway Shipping deliberately provoked.
A man in his thirties, holding a metal scimitar with a hooked nose, stood with five companions, all biological cyborgs.
Zhou Wuren had already been pointed at and whispered about earlier, and he was quite displeased.
Now, hearing this, his expression turned cold, wanting to take action, but Du Shan stopped him.
"The military has rules. If anyone is injured in a fight here, they'll be expelled."
He glanced around, and indeed, military aircraft were parked nearby, with energy cannons aimed at the area.
There were also several fully armed military biological cyborgs with red maple leaf markings, seemingly also planning to enter.
"Tch, not taking the bait."
"Let's go, brothers, no fun playing with these cowards."
Amidst mocking laughter, the biological cyborgs from Skyway Shipping entered the passage.
Other factions didn't pay much attention to this drama, all gradually entering.
"Let's go."
Chen Feng spoke expressionlessly, his perception already subtly expanded, capturing the location of the Skyway Shipping group.
Some things couldn't be resolved outside, but once inside, there would be opportunities.
"Alright!"
Zhou Wuren had similar thoughts, his gloomy eyes flickering as he quickly followed.
Seeing this, Du Shan and Zhao Meng, the two biological cyborgs, exchanged glances, both shaking their heads slightly.
Martial Arts Grandmasters were strong, but as fourth-tier beings, their methods were limited.
Their earlier intervention was not only to prevent the military from expelling them but also to avoid them getting injured.
Thus, the five of them entered together, stepping down the stone steps.
Tap! Tap!
Footsteps echoed in the darkness. Although the biological detector was partially interfered with, it still played a significant role.
With night vision, everything in the passage was clearly displayed on the dark lenses.
The brown stone steps continued downward, and the wide passage had massive stone walls on both sides, with some patterns etched on the surface, though no one could decipher them.
Additionally, there were remains of non-human creatures scattered about, with bones littering the ground and a bloody smell in the air.
"Since the mutation in this underground labyrinth, we've explored it more than ten times, suffering heavy losses."
"The terrain changes greatly, with some steps descending, creating isolated layers of space. We've only explored up to the thirteenth layer so far."
"Moreover, each layer has different passages. Our goal this time is to go as deep as possible, understand the environment, and search for any new relics."
"Be careful, there might be non-human creatures lurking inside."
Du Shan spoke softly as they walked, and Chen Feng and the others nodded, taking note.
Meanwhile, everyone activated a countdown in their biological detectors, marking the limit of their exploration time.
Then, they continued down the steps.
Members of other factions soon disappeared from sight, and Chen Feng suddenly realized his perception was being suppressed here, its range greatly reduced, and unable to penetrate the stone.
His heart sank as he secretly tested his Azure Armor and Steel Bones.
Fortunately, both were fine and could be activated normally.
Including the Holy Shield Colossus, which could be summoned at any time.
"That's a relief."
His fundamental abilities hadn't been affected.
A panel flashed before his eyes, showing the Heavenly Aura Overlord Body's gradual transformation into Mighty Arms.
The group descended, encountering sporadic Black Tide creatures lurking in the shadows, attempting ambushes, but they were quickly dealt with.
Thus, they passed through several stone passages, gradually clearing the first ten layers without incident.
When they reached the eleventh layer, a headless body lay on the ground, the wound clean, still clad in biological armor.
"That's a cyborg who died during a previous exploration. A trap was triggered, and he couldn't avoid it in time."
Chen Feng and the others glanced upward in the stone passage.
A massive dark golden axe hung there, about ten meters long, its sharp blade covered with a force that sent shivers down one's spine.
On the ground below the passage, there were several nearly transparent threads and other bodies, including non-human creatures.
"Don't touch the threads."
Du Shan warned, and everyone stepped over the area.
But.
Whoosh!!
An abnormal whistling sound came from the opposite end of the passage, and the transparent threads were instantly triggered.
Whoosh!!
In the next moment.
The giant axe swung down, the wind roaring!
(End of the Chapter)
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