A different corner of the miasma forest.
Blood stained the ground, emitting a pungent, coppery smell. Bodies littered the area, a grim testament to a fierce battle.
Not far away, a group of six to seven hundred soldiers were eating compressed biscuits and resting. These were the main forces of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group. Jielson led them, resting and waiting for scattered members to rejoin.
His face was extremely grim. He had believed their numbers would allow them to dominate here, but upon entering, he realized he had been naive. No modern weapons could be used; only close-quarters combat was permitted, which was precisely the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group's weakest point. Before even leaving the miasma forest, they had lost over a hundred brothers. This was only what he had seen; he dared not imagine the total.
"Legion Commander, I've finally found you."
At some point, a voice called out, and then Tore, scrambling and tumbling, arrived before Jielson.
"Tore, my good brother, you're alive! Come, quickly tell me, how many brothers have you gathered?"
Seeing Tore, covered in blood and wounds, Jielson rushed forward, asking.
Tore lowered his head in shame upon hearing this. "Legion Commander, your subordinate is incompetent. Only I have returned. All the brothers who rendezvoused have fallen. It's all that accursed envoy from the Temple of Light..."
Tore had already devised a plan, shifting all blame onto the divine envoy from the Temple of Light. He claimed that as he prepared to annihilate the Lightning Mercenary Group's squad, a divine envoy from the Temple of Light specifically lured a pack of leopards, causing them heavy losses. The envoy had also revealed the Temple of Light's intention to monopolize the ruins...
Temple of Light!
Upon hearing this, Jielson's eyes instantly blazed with cold light. The Tamu Mercenary Group, supported by the Temple of Light, had always been arrogant and oppressive towards the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group. Now, suffering heavy losses in the ruins due to their schemes, he could no longer tolerate it.
"Give the order: anyone from the Temple of Light or the Tamu Mercenary Group encountered is to be killed without mercy!" Jielson said coldly.
The Wild Wolf Mercenary Group had always valued loyalty, which contributed to their popularity. Since the other side had struck first, he had to retaliate to maintain morale. Furthermore, the enemy's numbers were not large this time. He wanted to see what the Temple of Light could do to monopolize the entire ruins.
...
The edge of the miasma forest.
Ye Cangtian finally arrived here after traversing the entire miasma forest. Along the way, apart from some wild beasts and tree demons, he found no trace of other forces, nor did he encounter anyone from the Dragon Group or the Grim Reaper squad. He felt somewhat isolated.
However, upon arriving here, he spotted two familiar figures, who were eating dry rations in the woods.
"Huang Wu, have you seen your Master Xuan Qi before entering?" asked Xuan Jiu, his plump figure contrasting with his words.
"No, Master Xuan Qi is like a divine dragon, rarely seen. Usually, Master Xuan Qi contacts us first. But this time, Lord Zi Long has personally given orders, so Master Xuan Qi will definitely come," Huang Wu replied respectfully. It was unavoidable; although the other person was not his direct superior, he was a Xuan-level deacon, and Huang Wu had to show sufficient reverence.
"Who!"
"Master Xuan Qi!"
Huang Wu, who had just answered, suddenly became alert, his gaze sweeping behind him. He saw a familiar figure.
Ye Cangtian waved his hand, signaling them to continue resting, then smiled, "Brother Xuan Jiu, long time no see. How have you been?"
"Haha, not bad, been living quite comfortably lately," Xuan Jiu laughed heartily. "Seeing you haven't lost any limbs puts my mind at ease. How was your journey? Was it smooth?"
"It was okay, with some frights but no real danger," Ye Cangtian said lightly. "Just on the way here, a low-level ninja from Dongying ambushed me, and I dealt with him."
"The ninja clans of Dongying are so brazen, they must be tired of living!" Huang Wu muttered indignantly. Xuan Jiu, however, looked at Ye Cangtian with a playful smile in his eyes. After all, they were both old foxes; who didn't understand whom? A low-level ninja was at most at the Yellow level of strength. And you, wearing a silver mask of Xuan level, how many low-level ninjas would dare to ambush you? Really, if you want to stir up trouble, at least make it believable!
...
After resting for a while with Xuan Jiu and Huang Wu on the outskirts of the miasma forest, Ye Cangtian also took the opportunity to gather information.
"Brother Xuan Jiu, what's the current situation? How many of us have arrived?"
Xuan Jiu glanced at Ye Cangtian and then replied, "Both Lords Zi Long and Qing Dao have arrived!"
"Xuan San, Xuan Shi Yi, and others have also come, along with some Yellow-level deacons. Besides that, I also heard that Lord Lan Yue might come..." On the island, Xuan Jiu had only met two Earth-level deacons. As for Lan Yue, he had only heard rumors and hadn't seen him.
Where there's smoke, there's fire. Ye Cangtian's gaze turned serious. The Dark Association mobilizing three Earth-level deacons at once indicated their strong desire for the ruins! They were undoubtedly the most formidable opponents for the Dragon Group and the Hidden Group.
"Oh, right, there's another piece of news you need to be careful about."
"The young master of Tianwang is still alive. He has regrouped and also come here this time." Xuan Jiu seemed to recall something and warned Ye Cangtian.
Ye Cangtian nodded in understanding. The young master of Tianwang had always been a hater of evil. Having saved Gu Yue, he would certainly hold a grudge and would definitely make a move if they met.
With that thought, Ye Cangtian said, "We've rested enough. Let's continue. We should aim to rendezvous with the Lords as soon as possible."
After a brief chat, Ye Cangtian, Xuan Jiu, and Huang Wu set off together. They left the miasma forest. The visibility remained extremely low, with mist swirling everywhere, making it impossible to see clearly. However, having come this far, they had to persevere, no matter how eerie it was. Their pace was slow. Due to the limited visibility and the constant, sudden dangers, they had to remain vigilant at all times.
Suddenly, the three of them stopped. In the mist ahead, several blurry figures appeared, tall and irregularly shaped. The three exchanged glances and slowly walked towards the hazy silhouettes.
After a moment, the three breathed a sigh of relief. The blurry figures were just large, weathered stones with hollows, appearing to have been there for countless years. As they relaxed, Ye Cangtian said, "Be careful. So many large stones must not be simple."
Saying this, Ye Cangtian led the way inside, with Xuan Jiu and Huang Wu following closely. The three moved in a triangular formation, slowly venturing deeper. Not long after, Ye Cangtian's expression turned grim. He looked back; Xuan Jiu and Huang Wu, who had been following him, had vanished. In their place were rows of indistinct large stones. Moreover, these stones were not in their original positions; they had moved silently. Could this entire stone forest be a formation? Everything before him, Ye Cangtian could only attribute to a formation.
A month after leaving the Saudi ruins, besides traveling back and forth to Kyoto, he had spent his free time absorbing energy crystals and researching the Zhenxin Tablet. It had to be said that the Zhenxin Tablet was indeed a valuable item, somewhat like a formation simulator! Through continuous research, he had achieved initial success and could now set up some simple formations.
With this in mind, Ye Cangtian navigated through the stone forest formation according to his understanding.
Clang clang clang...
After an unknown period, sounds of fighting echoed from the mist. Ye Cangtian was drawn by the commotion and quietly crept forward to investigate.