Chapter 223 - 223: The Powerful Effects of the Demon Eye
Looking at Liang Houyun's goofy grin, Lin Ye rolled his eyes and turned to search for the next passage.
Unexpectedly, he soon found several passages in this cave, but all of them had an importance level of less than 10%, according to the information from the Demon Eye.
He couldn't help but shake his head.
It seems that there's a reason why no one has been able to conquer this Alternate Space over the years.
In a single unit space, finding a correct passage is already this difficult; trying to find the correct passage in the following units is just plain absurd...
If Lin Ye were to rely solely on the four-leaf clover's sacrificial attributes to increase his Luck Value to clear this maze without using the Demon Eye,
his entire set of attributes would probably be lost here in the maze.
"What's up? Didn't find a passage to your liking?" At that moment, Liang Houyun came over again, teasingly speaking.
Lin Ye didn't bother with his sarcastic remarks and continued to search for passages.
Then, he found three more passages in a row and finally came across one with an importance level of 30%.
[Food Supply (slightly toxic), Importance Level 30%]
After thinking for a while, Lin Ye decided to ignore this passage.
When it comes to food, his reserves in hand are enough to keep him well-fed for two to three months without any supplies.
So choosing a passage with less than 30% importance wasn't necessary.
"Damn, out of these dozen passages, not a single one suits your fancy?" Liang Houyun was shocked.
Last time he came, he wasn't so picky.
He just had one word in mind: reckless!
Wherever it led, he'd go!
But Lin Ye, with so many passages, couldn't find a single one he liked.
This dilly-dallying made Liang Houyun really uncomfortable.
He felt like a guy waiting for his girlfriend to finish her makeup before going out, in utter distress.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Be careful I don't lead you to a poisonous passage that'll kill you!" Lin Ye rolled his eyes and scolded.
"You're full of crap!" Liang Houyun couldn't hold back, laughing and cursing, "If you have that skill, I might just want to try it out!"
At the next moment...
Lin Ye was dumbfounded.
[Noxious Poisonous Gas (lose 3% Life Value per second), Importance Level 100%]
"What? What's behind this passage?" Liang Houyun mocked again.
He didn't believe Lin Ye could see through what was behind it.
Because during one of the Church Court and Alliance's joint efforts, they attempted to conquer this maze once.
The Alliance had even deployed a powerhouse with SSS-class True Sight at the time...
Unfortunately, the attempt failed.
Even with the SSS-class True Sight, that powerhouse couldn't completely figure out which passage to take, and after many trials and years, they decided to give up.
Thus, this maze earned its reputation as unsolvable.
Even an 80-level powerhouse with SSS-class True Sight couldn't do it; could Lin Ye, a 30-level Priest, accomplish it?
Even though Lin Ye has indeed performed many miracles before...
This situation, however, Liang Houyun found hard to believe.
"Hey, this is the gas chamber, want to go in and see together if you don't believe me?" Lin Ye pointed at the passage in front of him and said.
Finding so many passages and only one had a 100% importance level.
With such a ratio, choosing the right one every time is essentially impossible.
And the only completely correct option was a gas chamber!
Absolutely inhumane!
Not to mention those relying purely on luck, even knowing what's behind the passage, Lin Ye found it a bit of a stretch.
It's safe to say that every unsolved Alternate Space always has its frustrating aspects.
This maze, where even the demons inside are possibly weaker than secret realm ones...
But the environment alone can make someone suffer a lot.
"Poisonous gas?"
Seeing Lin Ye so confident, Liang Houyun also looked at the passage.
"Let's go!"
Lin Ye stepped in first. Since this grid had 100% importance, there was no need to look at other passages.
Initially, he had planned to find a passage with the highest importance among the grids.
Now, having this 100%, there's no reason to check other passages.
As for the gas, it didn't affect him much.
At worst, he could heal himself.
This environment is actually forcing the entrants to quickly make a choice on the passage.
Losing 3% Life Value per second means it could empty a Professional's life value in about thirty-odd seconds, which is quite significant damage.
Under such circumstances, if a team selects this 100% importance grid, it's hard to say if it's lucky or unlucky.
After all, not every team has ample healing resources.
Luckily, Lin Ye is a Priest, and while Liang Houyun is a Holy Knight, he does know the basic Healing Technique.
The healing amount might be concerning, but it should suffice in a pinch.
Seeing Lin Ye so confident, Liang Houyun immediately followed.
Passing through the Teleportation Gate, a foul stench immediately hit them, causing Liang Houyun's pupils to dilate in shock!
"Damn, it's poisonous! That kid actually got it right!"
He immediately held his breath; the smell was honestly quite invigorating.
"You're toxic, kid! I was just teasing you a bit, and you had to bring me to such a noxious place!" Liang Houyun grumbled.
But he accidentally inhaled a bit of the foul gas, causing him to lean against the wall and vomit.
It truly gave him a hard time.
"Liang God, seriously? You can't handle this?" Lin Ye, wearing a gas mask, mocked Liang Houyun.
Such a mask doesn't really mitigate the damage from the gas.
The Life Value you're supposed to lose will still be lost, but it effectively blocks out the stench.
"Quickly, give me a mask, damn it, ugh..."
Liang Houyun hastily begged Lin Ye for a mask, but unfortunately inhaled another breath, forcing him to retch against the wall again.
"Here you go! Take it!"
Lin Ye handed over a mask; he had just prepared about ten while procuring supplies, never expecting it would come in handy now.
Liang Houyun hurriedly took the gas mask, put it on at the fastest speed, and finally sighed in relief.
"How is it? Impressed now, Liang God?" Lin Ye laughed again.
"Impressed, very impressed!"
Liang Houyun nodded quickly, fawningly saying, "Forest God, next time we enter a passage, please give me a heads-up, haha..."
"Will do, will do!"
Lin Ye turned and walked away with his hands behind his back.
And Liang Houyun immediately followed, cautiously looking around.
Although he was dizzy from vomiting just now, he hadn't forgotten his duty this time around.
To protect Lin Ye's safety!
Chapter 224 - 224: Possibility of Conquering the Maze
Lin Ye being able to see through the situation behind the passages made Liang Houyun quite curious, to be honest.
This wasn't his first time in the labyrinth.
Last time, when he came alone, he also tried to find the patterns of these passages, but after many attempts, he determined it was an impossible task.
Just looking at the surface, all these passages are completely identical.
Whether you receive rewards or face punishment after entering, you can't discern any clues just from the Teleportation Gate; only by stepping in can you know what's waiting behind it.
But this is normal, because if the patterns of the teleportation gates in the labyrinth were easy to find, it wouldn't have remained unsolved till now.
And if Lin Ye can see through the information behind the teleportation gate, then maybe there's real hope for solving this labyrinth.
As for how Lin Ye does it, although Liang Houyun is curious, he doesn't ask.
Though he seems carefree and unreliable, he understands every Professional has their own secrets.
Especially the more powerful the Professional, the more secrets they have.
It's fine to be curious about some things, but asking directly is impolite. If you lack this discretion, Liang Houyun's decades would have been for nothing.
"Tsk tsk... This labyrinth indeed isn't something ordinary people can unravel."
Liang Houyun closely followed Lin Ye, exclaiming with curiosity.
Even with the protection of a gas mask preventing the stench, the gases were pervasive. Despite the gas mask, Liang Houyun's Life Value was still dropping at 3% per second.
Normally, if someone without healing abilities came in, they'd panic immediately in such conditions, scrambling to find a passage to exit.
But for the two of them, it obviously didn't have much impact.
Lin Ye was still searching passage by passage, and this time Liang Houyun was quietly following, no longer chattering behind.
Finally, after some searching, Lin Ye found another passage with 100% importance among a series of them.
[Three Level 80 Ancient Cave-dwellers, importance 100%]
"Three small monsters?"
Lin Ye murmured to himself, thinking honestly, if he were alone and encountered three Level 80 small monsters at once, it would indeed be quite stressful.
No matter how many strategies Lin Ye has, he is only Level 30.
Although he can kill targets far above his level, the margin for error is very small, and a single mistake could lead to instant death.
That's why Lin Ye brought along Liang Houyun.
With this guy around, safety is pretty much guaranteed.
Moreover, Liang Houyun is someone who can be trusted 100%, no one is more suitable to be his bodyguard.
"This passage?"
Liang Houyun saw Lin Ye stop before this passage and couldn't help but ask.
Lin Ye had previously glanced at the other passages and left, stopping only at this one, indicating this passage was most likely the correct one.
Lin Ye nodded and said, "This is it, but once inside, there are three Level 80 Ancient Cave-dwellers. I'll need your help." Lin Ye said.
"Three Level 80 Ancient Cave-dwellers?"
Liang Houyun repeated Lin Ye's words, secretly surprised.
He hadn't expected Lin Ye to accurately identify the type and number of monsters behind the passage!
"Then you follow me!" Liang Houyun promptly said.
Among monsters, Cave-dwellers are among the weakest in the same level group, though they are Level 80, their stats might only be slightly more than half of other monsters.
Three wouldn't be a problem, even twenty to thirty wouldn't faze Liang Houyun.
The monsters in this labyrinth are generally weak like this.
But this is normal because the real difficulty lies not in the monsters but in the labyrinth...
These monsters are mostly there to keep the Professionals occupied.
Liang Houyun walked directly into the passage, followed closely by Lin Ye.
Their surroundings immediately changed.
From a damp, dark, gas-filled underground hole to a dry cave with a peculiar stench, and inside the cave, flickering firelight was present.
It was a campfire within the cave, casting its glow.
And three Cave-dwellers were around it, sharing a meal of some beast.
Lin Ye and Liang Houyun's appearance immediately caught the attention of the three Cave-dwellers.
"Smelly!"
"Ugh..."
They all gagged.
Lin Ye and Liang Houyun exchanged a glance...
Coming from the stinky toxic chamber, their odor was an unbearable assault on the Cave-dwellers.
"Ruined, ruined, home ruined..."
"Run! Run!"
The Cave-dwellers seemed to believe their cave was destroyed by the stench and didn't bother fighting, running away immediately.
This scene left the two rather amused.
Admittedly it was smelly, but this reaction was over the top, right?
With no need to fight, Liang Houyun happily took the chance to be lazy, looking to Lin Ye for guidance.
Lin Ye gestured to indicate there was no need to chase.
Thus, the three Cave-dwellers ran in different directions, disappearing completely.
"Looks like it's a three-choice among these passages."
Liang Houyun wisely picked up on the clue.
Lin Ye nodded slightly because he had already seen the passages the Cave-dwellers chose.
[Abyss, instant drop of a thousand meters, importance 30%]
[Underground lava, importance 5%]
[Furious Rock Armor Earth Dragon, leading to Little White Flower Cave, importance 100%]
These three Cave-dwellers were clearly heading toward different fates.
One likely fell to their death, one probably ended up in lava, leaving nothing but bones, and another likely became food for the Earth Dragon.
It seems this labyrinth isn't entirely without clues.
At least the three-choice probability is much better than picking one among many.
"Let's go this way, be ready, there's a Rock Armor Earth Dragon inside!"
Lin Ye moved towards the passage leading to Little White Flower Cave.
He was unsure what the Little White Flower was...
In his previous life visiting this labyrinth, he never encountered any Little White Flower.
But it seems now, the Little White Flower might be the key to solving this labyrinth.
With this thought, Lin Ye stepped forward toward the passage chosen by the third Cave-dweller.
Chapter 225 - 225: The Role of the Little White Flower
"Rock Armor Earth Dragon?"
Liang Houyun raised his eyebrows slightly; this was already considered a Boss Level creature.
Unexpectedly, there still seemed to be such a level of demon in this maze, which was indeed beyond his expectations.
But, since Lin Ye said so, then there must be such an Earth Dragon here.
Without any hesitation, Liang Houyun chose to follow along.
As usual, Liang Houyun entered the passage first, with Lin Ye operating behind him.
After passing through the Teleportation Gate, the two were transported into a spacious and wide cavern.
The surrounding unknown crystals emitted a faint glow, gathering into a considerable visual environment in this cavern.
However, the air was filled with an unsettling bloody smell and a chilling chewing sound.
Lin Ye looked up, seeing an Earth Dragon about five or six meters long, tearing at a piece of flesh on the ground, undoubtedly the Cave-dweller who had been avoiding the stench.
The arrival of Lin Ye and Liang Houyun immediately caught the Earth Dragon's attention.
Its slender tongue quickly flicked through the air, as if identifying a trace of strange scent, and soon locked onto Lin Ye and Liang Houyun.
Then, it excitedly charged towards them.
Liang Houyun directly positioned himself in front of Lin Ye, saying, "You go find the passage, leave this Earth Dragon to me."
"Alright!"
Lin Ye nodded, having no psychological burden at all by allowing Liang Houyun to face this Earth Dragon alone.
Bringing Liang Houyun was precisely for him to handle this task.
Otherwise, even if Lin Ye came alone, he could still navigate through this maze; it would just be much more troublesome, with a very low margin for error.
In this current scenario that required quick navigation, Lin Ye couldn't afford to slowly progress through.
He needed to conquer the maze at the fastest speed.
Thus, such rough work as fighting creatures could only be left to Liang Houyun.
The Rock Armor Earth Dragon is a typical physical-type creature, unable to cause spell damage. To be safe, Lin Ye directly transformed into the Holy Shadow Form, immune to physical damage, and bypassed the Earth Dragon to find the next passage.
Finally, Lin Ye halted at one passage.
Because at the entrance to this passage, he saw a few scattered petals, evidently as a hint.
These were tiny white petals, about the size of an adult's pinky nail, moistened due to the damp cavern environment.
The thin petals, in their damp state, were even somewhat transparent.
If not intentionally searched for, who could notice such subtle details?
Lin Ye looked at the passage ahead, and the displayed information confirmed his thoughts.
[Can lead to Little White Flower Cave, importance 100%]
Indeed, just like these small traces, this maze isn't entirely devoid of pattern.
Yet reaching here really depends on luck.
Firstly, you must choose the gas chamber in the first grid, then select the Cave-dweller's cavern amid the urgency of the gas chamber...
From the three passages given by the Cave-dweller, select the cavern where Lin Ye was currently.
Then you have the qualification to search for the passage with a few transparent little petals on the ground in the Rock Armor Earth Dragon's cavern.
In the preceding series, traces might be noticed to decide which passage should be chosen.
But if all those traces were as tiny and transparent as these petals, it would indeed be difficult.
Especially in those dark and toxic environments up front.
To say it's top-level torment wouldn't be incorrect.
Moreover, since the positions of these passages constantly change, the hint content might differ next time.
This is why no one has been able to sort out even a tenth of the maze's strategy.
Because it's truly too complex and variable.
Lin Ye found the passage but did not rush in; instead, he waited for Liang Houyun.
The wait wasn't long; soon Liang Houyun dealt with the Earth Dragon and came over.
"Long time no battle with demons; feeling a bit rusty."
Liang Houyun came over with a smug look on his face.
Single-handedly taking down a Boss Level Earth Dragon indeed warranted some bragging.
"Let's go! Ahead, here!"
Lin Ye merely turned around and headed towards the passage.
Not giving any surprise reaction to Liang Houyun...
He had even slain Demon Monarch level existences.
Mere Level 80 little Earth Dragons, if not for Lin Ye's disdain for hassle, wouldn't need Liang Houyun's intervention at all.
Being directly ignored by Lin Ye, Liang Houyun just showed his teeth to Lin Ye's back and then followed into the next passage.
The next moment, they both smelt a gentle floral fragrance.
This immediately made them feel as if they were purified; despite leaving the gas chamber, they couldn't shake the feeling of stench lingering on them.
The Earth Dragon acting as if in heat upon seeing them, clearly was that pesky odor's doing.
"This place is great!"
Liang Houyun inhaled deeply, feeling refreshed.
While Lin Ye wasn't in a hurry to find the next passage, instead he wandered around the cavern.
This cavern had on one side a pool of water pure to the point of near absolute purity.
The other side, surprisingly, grew some delicate Little White Flowers, emitting a faint fragrance.
At this point, a burly man already approached the Little White Flowers and plucked one.
"Wait, no..."
Lin Ye seemed to realize something, immediately shouted!
But it was clearly too late; he saw the plucked Little White Flower in Liang Houyun's hand quickly withering, its petals falling to the ground, utterly losing vitality.
"Eh..."
Liang Houyun clearly realized something too; he didn't reach for another flower.
"Are these flowers untouchable?" He asked Lin Ye.
"You brute, trying to pick flowers like people? Watch me!"
Lin Ye gave Liang Houyun a dismissive glance and turned to the pool.
Lin Ye submerged his body in the pool, feeling the water icy cold.
However, just as Lin Ye expected, he saw a prompt.
[The stench and poison on you have been purified!]
"It worked!"
Seeing this message, Lin Ye stepped out of the pool, igniting a white flame that dried his body entirely.
"What are you doing?"
Liang Houyun was puzzled, unable to comprehend Lin Ye's actions.
Lin Ye didn't explain and went directly to pluck a Little White Flower, placing it to his nose, savoring its fragrance!
[Quest item acquired, quest initiated!]
Simultaneously, he saw a fulfilling announcement!
Chapter 226 - 226: Liang Houyun Senses the Disparities of the World
[Task: Adventurer who has survived poison and cleansed both body and mind with pure water, please offer a Little White Flower at the Nameless Tomb in the maze, and you will receive your deserved reward.]
Looking at this task prompt, Lin Ye couldn't help but feel a bit silent.
The entire sequence before this has to be a hundred percent accurate to reach this point and trigger the task.
If you haven't experienced the poisonous gas or cleansed with the pond water before picking the flower, even if you have the Little White Flower, the task cannot be triggered.
What Lin Ye went through before was basically akin to the prerequisite tasks needed to trigger this flower-offering task.
Only by completing all of them can this task be successfully triggered.
Moreover, the passageways of this maze change every time, with a different path waiting for you each time you enter.
In such a case, triggering this task without special means is as difficult as climbing to heaven!
The probability, well, only those who try will know.
Otherwise, no one would have been able to conquer this maze for so many years.
"Damn… a task! You've actually triggered the task!"
Next to him, Liang Houyun clearly saw the task information appear and couldn't help widening his eyes, extremely surprised!
Even though he was willing to follow Lin Ye inside, somewhat believing that Lin Ye might actually have a way to conquer the maze,
he was still a bit shocked now that he actually saw Lin Ye trigger the task.
On this journey, no one understood what they went through better than Lin Ye, except for Liang Houyun.
He could only say that if it weren't for following Lin Ye, he might have tried until his death without managing to trigger the task.
Yet Lin Ye succeeded in one go!
This truly made Liang Houyun feel the disparity in this world.
"I'll go wash too!"
Liang Houyun was a bit excited and also wanted to learn from Lin Ye by washing away the poison gas on his body before picking the flower.
However, Lin Ye stopped him.
"Don't! Keep this poison gas, what if it's useful later?"
Even if it wasn't useful, having the stinky smell might draw the monsters' aggression... Lin Ye thought.
Upon hearing this, Liang Houyun immediately stopped, nodding in full agreement: "Makes sense, let's do it your way!"
Liang Houyun actually had no bad intentions; in short, he was just a brawny guy with a somewhat simple mind...
As for Lin Ye, he looked at the Little White Flower in his hand and said, "Moreover, this flower is very precious…"
[Little White Flower: A fragile little flower that cannot be stored in a Spatial Bag, only a pure person can keep it, and while holding this flower, no large movements should be made]
At this time, having another person by his side was advantageous.
If it were just Lin Ye, taking on this task would indeed be difficult.
After all, there would still be combat scenarios coming up.
Clearly, holding this Little White Flower, one cannot freely engage in battles; otherwise, the flower would wither in an instant.
This kind of task is somewhat torturing.
In dangerous situations, temporarily laying down the flower is probably not allowed either.
After all, the flower can only be kept by someone 'pure'.
The so-called 'pure person' is evidently someone who has washed in that pond water.
In short, if Lin Ye hadn't brought Liang Houyun with him, conquering this maze would indeed be quite difficult.
"Let's go!"
Lin Ye, holding the Little White Flower, proceeded forward.
Liang Houyun followed closely behind without any slacking.
...
Time flew by, and about two days had passed since Lin Ye and Liang Houyun entered the maze.
Meanwhile, the Alliance Army's stronghold had repelled the Abyssal Demons' attack for the third time.
But the military had paid a heavy price, with many warriors sacrificing their lives in this battle.
As for the injured, they were countless.
It seemed that the Abyss Demon God was aware of the importance of this area to humans, so the attacks were particularly fierce.
Yet the military had long prepared for a long-term defense here.
Such intense attacks couldn't last forever, at most three months.
Thus, as long as they endured this period, the stronghold would be secure.
Most crucially, given the selfish and short-sighted nature of the Abyss Demon Gods, once they saw the Alliance's forces holding the stronghold at all costs, they might give up the attack in less than a month.
After all, deploying any power in the human world would deplete their origin power.
For the Demon Gods, origin power is extremely important.
They wouldn't waste it lightly and would conserve as much as possible.
Instead of spending their origin power on an unending war, it'd be better to save it.
Of course, short-term human perseverance wouldn't be enough to show their determination to the Demon Gods.
At least a month of arduous fighting would be needed to shake the demons' resolve.
However...
Humans had another hope.
Within the stronghold, medical staff worked tirelessly, around the clock, treating the wounded.
This scene was distressing for many commanders.
Each soldier carried the ambition of driving out demons and reclaiming lost ground when they came, but under brutal battles, a large part might face retirement.
They could not only be unable to return to the battlefield but might even struggle to continue as Professionals in human society.
"If only Lin Ye were here now..."
A young officer sighed.
Even without using the Holy Healing Technique, Lin Ye's mere use of the Holy Light Feather would quickly restore the soldiers.
This would greatly reduce the medical team's pressure and massively boost troop morale!
No doubt, Lin Ye's arrival two days ago had boosted morale, surprising the returning demons.
But as two days passed, morale waned with the continuation of battle.
"I don't want to hear such words again. Lin Ye is just fighting on another battlefield. If he succeeds, future casualties will be greatly reduced!"
Yan Xun interjected.
The young officer lowered his head, feeling ashamed.
Indeed, his earlier words were short-sighted and narrow-minded.
If Lin Ye could conquer that maze, it would be undoubted that the Abyss Demon Gods would immediately cease attacking this stronghold.
We wouldn't even need to look far, just a few days ahead.
However, two days have passed without any news…
It is truly worrisome.
Chapter 227 - 227: The Missing Alliance Maze Strategy Squad
"But how long do we have to wait? The current casualties are truly heartbreaking..."
A military officer expressed some concern.
Once inside the Alternate Space, they would lose all contact with the outside world, leaving Lin Ye and Liang Houyun's conditions unknown.
Just like the Alliance's vanguard squad that set out before Lin Liang, they are still missing with their fate uncertain.
In such a situation, it's really difficult to determine the progress Lin Ye is making.
If they fail, the battle must still be fought.
But losing Lin Ye, such a beacon of hope for the Human Race, would be too great a cost.
Upon hearing this, Yan Xun merely squinted his eyes slightly.
"Don't worry, if Lin Ye hasn't appeared in three days, the Strongest will definitely step in..." he said in a low voice.
Those around him were taken aback at his words.
The Strongest!
Only Professionals with a Level over Hundred have the qualifications to be called the Strongest, beings who can rival Demon Gods, describing them as gods walking the Human World is no exaggeration.
If the Strongest gets involved, perhaps Lin Ye can indeed be rescued.
But what would be the cost?
Everyone was well aware...
If the Strongest takes action, the Demon God will definitely not let it rest, one might say it is exactly what the Demon God desires.
As for the consequences, those present could not control it.
It was beyond the reach of these soldiers at their level.
It was a clash between the Strongest and the Demon God!
For most people, this was an absolute taboo, something fatal to touch!
"In hindsight, I shouldn't have let him go..." the middle-aged officer felt a bit bitter for not stopping Lin Ye back then.
Yet Yan Xun sneered and said, "Do you think you could have stopped Lin Ye? Moreover... if he's always sheltered, how can he stand alone in the future?"
The others fell into silence.
Indeed, as Yan Xun said, Lin Ye's decisions were not something they could control.
Of course, such risky actions were certainly not something an ordinary person could undertake.
If Lin Ye succeeds, then this base, and the new settlement to be built here afterward, would inevitably be a great legacy Lin Ye leaves for humanity.
"Report! The Church Court's base has been breached, the third regiment of the Holy Temple Knight Order suffered heavy casualties, and currently, numerous Demons are advancing towards us from the east side!" At this moment, a soldier rushed over in a hurry.
"What? The Church Court's base has been breached?"
"How did those losers manage that? We clearly bore most of the pressure for them!"
"Damn, aren't we going to be attacked from both sides now?"
The faces of several commanders drastically changed.
No one expected the Church Court to fail at such a crucial moment.
"It's fine, this situation was anticipated by higher-ups, and reinforcements are already on the way," Yan Xun said.
In fact, the Church Court's base was a ticking time bomb.
The ornamental Holy Temple Knight Order from the Church Court was wholly incapable of handling such intense battles, relying solely on the pampered soldiers of the Church Court would never succeed.
These guys likely took to the battlefield with the mindset of bolstering their achievements.
Faced with such a grim outcome, they collapsed directly...
It's likely that the Church Court had to rely on the reinforcements from guilds to hold on for these few days.
Yet, it's a strategic taboo for a formal military organization to invite some guild forces in the Alliance's view.
While some top guild forces do not lack strong individuals,
a large-scale war cannot be handled by just a few strong individuals.
Especially when those few strong individuals are insufficient to establish an overwhelming advantage.
So in the view of Yan Xun and some Advanced Alliance officials, it was only a matter of time before the Church Court's third regiment base fell.
As for why it wasn't mentioned before, that was also understandable.
Such news would only lower morale.
In any case, reinforcements are on their way, there was no need to let this news spread uncontrollably.
It's just that clearly, the upcoming battle would be even more fierce.
"I hope Lin Ye can succeed, then we can end the battle sooner..."
Yan Xun lowered his head, actually, even if Lin Ye failed, the battle could still probably end sooner.
Because by then, if the Strongest intervenes to rescue Lin Ye, it would lead to a clash with the Demon God.
Regardless of the outcome, all these common people would no longer have to shed blood on this battlefield.
Whether Lin Ye succeeds or not, his journey through the labyrinth could at least save thousands of soldiers' lives.
But there were things Yan Xun couldn't outright say.
Because, as long as everything was still unclear, he still had to lead the soldiers to fight to the death without retreat!
...
"We haven't reached the end yet..."
Liang Houyun complained a bit.
Originally, he thought with Lin Ye around, the labyrinth could be easily cleared.
However, it's been nearly three days since they entered this labyrinth, and they still haven't completed the mission...
This was really frustrating.
And at this time, their team had three more people added.
"I'm sorry... it's all because of me,"
One of the women said with a tinge of apology.
The other two also wore expressions of guilt, embarrassed to speak.
"Ah, I'm not blaming you..." Liang Houyun scratched his head, just feeling a bit anxious...
If it were in normal times, no matter how Lin Ye entertained himself in the maze, he would be willing to accompany him.
But now, many soldiers were hanging between life and death outside...
All waiting for them to clear the maze and end the battle early.
You could say, every second delayed in the maze could concern the lives of one or even several soldiers.
In such circumstances, Liang Houyun's mindset had inevitably turned anxious.
"No worries, since we've met, it shows we're fated... so don't worry!" Lin Ye said nonchalantly.
The event occurred about half a day ago.
At that time, Lin Ye and Liang Houyun, escorting Little White Flower, reached a point where Lin Ye discovered that a nearby passage could lead them to find the missing Alliance strike team.
However, the importance of that passage was only 10%.
This left both somewhat hesitant...
Ultimately, after flipping a coin, both followed the result and decisively embarked on the passage in search of that strike team.
And these three people joined their exploration party at that time.
However, the result of this was that Lin Ye had to spend even more time later to find the correct path again.
Chapter 228 - 228: Survivors and the Luck Talent
At that time, the only way to find this strategy team was to enter the passage with 10% importance.
And the result was that Lin Ye had to find passages with relatively high importance in every subsequent step, gradually working towards finding the passage with 100% importance.
Now, Lin Ye has already found passages with over 90% importance.
Because in this maze, there's no going back, so even one wrong step would require more steps to retrieve the correct path.
This could be said to be the biggest difficulty of this maze.
"I'm really sorry..."
Faced with Lin Ye's patience, the members of this strategy team couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed.
"It's just a pity we haven't found Brother Guo and Brother Li. I wonder how they are doing now..."
Among the three, a young man wiped the corner of his eyes.
Actually, their team was supposed to consist of five people, including two Level 80 powerhouses as combat support for this maze strategy.
And the three people found by Lin Ye were all around Level 30-40. Although their levels were low, their talents were carefully selected.
Among the three, one had the True Sight Talent, another had the talent to dispel illusions, and as for the girl, she had a rare talent... luck.
But the huge gap between personal level and environment level seemed to have rendered her talent a bit ineffectual.
Because after they stepped into the second grid of the maze, they directly encountered a path leading to the Little White Flower Cave Rock Armor Earth Dragon Cave.
The two Level 80 combat support clearly didn't expect to encounter a small Boss Level demon like a Rock Armor Earth Dragon in this maze, which was supposed to have only low-power monsters.
The result was, as they fought and retreated, the group crashed into a poison gas chamber.
In an environment filled with poison gas and complete darkness, they got lost here...
As for these three new recruits, they luckily chose a grid without demons or traps, and then they didn't dare to continue moving.
And the girl was injured by the Rock Armor Earth Dragon.
After arriving here, she eventually died due to excessive blood loss...
It was Lin Ye who, after finding them, used the Holy Healing Technique to save her.
Fortunately, this was inside the Alternate Space, otherwise, if outside, this girl probably would have already decomposed.
Moreover, Lin Ye inadvertently acquired an S-Class luck talent.
Although, that didn't seem to be very necessary for him.
The luck provided by this talent wasn't even comparable to Lin Ye's Four-leaf Clover.
But the advantage of this luck talent was that it didn't require sacrificing attribute points, and it was permanently effective.
See, even though this girl was dead, she could still wait for Lin Ye to come and save her life.
It's evident that this talent, as long as it can be successfully triggered, its effect is quite strong.
"Stop whining, their situation should be much safer than yours was earlier."
Lin Ye said rather coldly.
Those two Level 80 combat forces might not compare to a top-level existence like Liang Houyun, but among professionals, they were absolutely top-tier.
A Level 80 Third Transformation professional, even if not at the pinnacle of the professional group, is absolutely in the upper tier!
As long as they don't have awful luck, they should still be alive, since the vast majority of monsters in this maze aren't powerful.
As long as Lin Ye navigates the maze, they will be forced out with no issues at all!
If it weren't for Lin Ye needing to save that girl, he wouldn't have bothered finding these three guys.
"Almost there, we should be able to find the correct path soon."
Lin Ye looked towards a passage ahead.
The importance of this passage has already reached 95%, and according to the pattern, entering it is very likely to lead to a passage with 100% importance.
After wandering in the maze for so long, Lin Ye also understood what this importance level means.
It actually indicates the probability of encountering a passage of higher importance level in the next grid after passing through this passage.
So once you choose a grid with 0% importance...
It basically announces that you will be trapped in this maze your entire life.
Because it means you've entered a vicious cycle where no passage will have an importance level above 0%, and under normal circumstances, you can no longer escape the maze.
Fortunately, the appearance probability of a passage with 0% importance is extremely low.
Lin Ye has only encountered it three times for as long as he's been here, and if one really steps into a 0% importance passage, one can only blame their bad luck.
But even without entering a 0% passage, it's highly possible to circle around in other passages until all your resources are exhausted and you starve to death in the maze.
Throughout the journey, Lin Ye and the others have come across quite a few skeletons of professionals.
"Let's go!"
Lin Ye stepped into the 95% passage ahead.
The others, seeing this, immediately followed.
Having followed Lin Ye for so long, everyone has already established some rapport.
For instance, in such passages where Lin Ye himself steps in first, they are generally safe to enter without worry.
If it's a dangerous passage, Lin Ye will inform Liang Houyun about what's behind the passage and let Liang Houyun go first.
What shocked the three members of the alliance strategy team the most was Lin Ye's predictive ability, which was ridiculously godlike!
Detailed to the extent that the type, number, and level of monsters behind a passage were all accurately predicted.
Having witnessed this ability of Lin Ye's, they were 100% convinced that Lin Ye could definitely guide them out of this maze.
As for navigating the maze, it's definitely not an impossible mission.
Entering the passage, several people appeared in a stone chamber. The space here wasn't large, about thirty square meters, with each of the four corners having a passage.
A four-choice grid is generally much easier than those grids with a dozen or even forty to fifty choices.
Then Lin Ye glanced around and immediately locked onto one of the passages.
"This is it!"
Lin Ye couldn't help but breathe a long sigh of relief, finally finding a passage leading back to 100% importance!
However, entering this passage might require giving up some things.
"You three shouldn't wander around. Stay here, there's danger ahead," Lin Ye paused, then continued indifferently, "I won't resurrect those who don't heed warnings..."
Upon hearing this, the three were all stunned, then quickly nodded like chickens pecking rice.
Staying here, they still had a chance at survival.
But the prerequisite was that Lin Ye must successfully navigate the maze, or else this stone chamber would become their tomb.
Chapter 229 - 229: The Key to the Final Destination?
This is also the only time Lin Ye has prohibited them from following him since they started following him.
"So, what's ahead?"
Liang Houyun was excited, looking eager to take on the challenge.
Lin Ye didn't allow the three of them to follow, undoubtedly because there was danger ahead, and not the kind of danger they could easily handle as before.
The three of them were also a bit curious at this moment.
"Behind this passage is an insect nest, filled with countless insects, densely packed..." Lin Ye shrugged.
He didn't mind, as long as he transformed into Holy Shadow Form, he could avoid the damage from these insects.
As for the Little White Flower in his hand, Lin Ye naturally had a way to protect it completely.
"Tsk..."
Upon hearing this, Liang Houyun was somewhat disappointed. He thought it would be an opportunity to show off, but it turned out to be just some bugs.
The other three looked at each other in dismay at this moment.
If that were the case, it would indeed not be a place they could venture casually.
Although they had been in this maze for a long time, they couldn't deny, this was a Level 80 Alternate Space.
The insects Lin Ye spoke of, even if not that formidable, were still demons within a Level 80 Alternate Space...
For someone like Liang Houyun, a Level 80 power, they might just be 'bugs'.
But for them, they were genuine Level 80 creatures.
Just one bite from a small bug would surely cause them to drop dead on the spot, which is why Lin Ye had them stay here, truly considering their safety.
If they died from not heeding the warning, they couldn't blame Lin Ye for not resurrecting them.
After all, self-inflicted misfortunes cannot be lived down.
Someone had told them to stay in a safe place, yet they insisted on seeking death. Who could they blame?
They even forgot the fact that Lin Ye's level seemed to be lower than theirs.
No way around it, Lin Ye's demonstrated strength and demeanor were far beyond those of a Level 30 Professional.
They felt a majesty from Lin Ye that far exceeded that of their superior.
Advancing would mean certain death, staying would offer a glimmer of hope, so they could only stay put.
"Let's go!"
Lin Ye had already transformed into Holy Shadow Form and stepped into the passage.
"Why the rush! Wait for me!"
Liang Houyun, startled, immediately followed, fearing Lin Ye would encounter danger.
Watching the two disappear into the passage, the three remaining prayed in their hearts, hoping that Lin Ye would succeed quickly.
Actually, by joining the strategy team, they were already mentally prepared to die within this maze.
However, Lin Ye's appearance gave them hope for conquering the maze, most importantly, they could walk out of this maze alive!
This gave them a sense of surviving a catastrophe.
...
On the other side, Lin Ye turned into a Holy Shadow, surrounded by an innumerable swarm of insects, frantically flying and attacking Lin Ye from all angles.
However, their attacks were destined to be futile.
Because these insects could only pass through Lin Ye's body without ever touching him.
Such pure physical attacks had no effect on Lin Ye.
As for the Little White Flower in Lin Ye's hand, it was wrapped in a layer of white flame at this moment, and the insects couldn't touch it before being directly burned to ashes.
Lin Ye's Undying Holy Fire, besides being used for attacks and movement, could also attach to objects, causing damage to surrounding demons.
Under the Holy Flame, these small insects were indeed no different from ordinary mosquitoes and flies.
"Holy Shock!"
The next moment, Liang Houyun stepped into the passage, and with a shout, intense Holy Light burst from him, rapidly expanding outward.
Along the way, countless insects were crushed to pieces!
As the Holy Light flashed, the surrounding insects were almost completely wiped out!
"How about that? Cool, right?" Liang Houyun clapped his hands, looking smugly at Lin Ye, seeking credit.
But Lin Ye just ignored it.
Before Liang Houyun could say anything else, a loud buzz sounded again.
"Damn? There are more?" Liang Houyun was dumbfounded.
He thought Lin Ye didn't want to bring those deadweights along, but little did he know, this place was truly bizarre.
No one knew where these insects were coming from.
No wonder Lin Ye didn't allow those three followers to enter; with their level, following in would really mean death.
As for Lin Ye...
Such a defying existence couldn't be viewed from the lens of a normal person.
One could say Lin Ye was even more composed than Liang Houyun.
The insects seemed to be attracted by the stench on Liang Houyun and swarmed towards him maniacally.
This left Liang Houyun feeling a bit numb.
Literally numb...
"Damn... Poisonous! These insects are poisonous, my whole body is numbing, oh dear Lin Ye! Quickly find the passage! Help!" Liang Houyun exclaimed in alarm.
At this rate, won't he die?
No matter how great his body technique was or how strong his combat skills were, in the face of these overwhelming insects, he was only left to be bitten passively!
Lin Ye didn't bother with Liang Houyun; with his health bar, being killed by these small insects would be a joke!
After a brief search, Lin Ye finally found a passage.
"Over here!"
Lin Ye called out.
Upon hearing, Liang Houyun immediately rushed over with large strides, in a fluster.
Meanwhile, Lin Ye took the lead and stepped into the passage.
The scenery brightened before him, and Lin Ye found himself in a crystalline cave. A beam of light fell from a small hole at the top of the cave, reflecting off the crystals and illuminating the entire space.
"Phew, almost got bitten to death here..."
Liang Houyun followed closely, entering the cavern as well, while muttering curses.
"Is this the end?"
He looked up, but there were no signs of any passages here...
This situation was truly a first for them.
The previous rooms at least had two or three passages to choose from.
But here, not even one.
"No, it's not the end yet, you need to find the key here to pass." Lin Ye shook his head.
He saw it in the info in the passage.
This space's information was 'find the key, use the most important crystal to open the Nameless Tomb'.
As for what the key was, it was difficult to understand.
Lin Ye looked at the crystals growing on the open ground of the cave in front of him, and suddenly seemed to realize something.
"Brother Liang, don't you think this is the map of the maze we're in?"
Lin Ye asked aloud.
Liang Houyun looked at Lin Ye like he was a lunatic, saying, "Aren't the passages in this maze random? Where did you get a map from?"
Hearing this, Lin Ye didn't respond, just gazing at the crystals in front of him, lost in thought.
Chapter 230 - 230: The Solution to the Puzzle
Every block in this maze is actually a fixed-position room.
It's just that the doors within this room appear randomly; a door might have appeared on one wall last time, but not this time. Or perhaps the door in the same position leads to a completely different room.
This gives the illusion that the maze has no fixed map.
Although in completely unknown passages, whether there is a map or not doesn't make a difference, since you have no idea where you are headed.
"So, are you saying that this maze actually has a fixed map?"
After Lin Ye's explanation, Liang Houyun still found it somewhat unbelievable and quite absurd.
"That's right," Lin Ye nodded.
Liang Houyun was speechless at this point and simply said, "Then, what's the point? It's still random, isn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Ye just smiled.
If you only know this, it indeed seems meaningless. Since the positions where passages appear are completely random, what difference does it make if these rooms' positions are fixed?
But what if now I say that to solve the maze, you must know the positions of these rooms?
Lin Ye looked at the crystals on the ground, and points began to appear in his mind.
These are the grids he had walked through.
From the first grid into the maze, Lin Ye would secretly place a mechanical little animal in each one.
In fact, he did this simply out of habit acquired over the past six months.
No matter where he went, he would put the little animal down first, regardless of its usefulness, as these little animals were not valuable anyway.
Put them down, just in case they're useful someday?
And now Lin Ye's casually placed little animals finally came into play.
Their locations in Lin Ye's mind formed a position map coinciding perfectly with the locations of the crystals.
In other words, the position of these crystals actually corresponds to the location of every grid within the maze!
Lin Ye squinted, pondering...
How to use this information to unlock the 'Nameless Tomb'?
"These crystals are making my eyes almost dazzle," Liang Houyun complained.
The grotto was indeed too bright.
Compared to those previously dark grids, stepping in suddenly was indeed a bit dazzling, no wonder Liang Houyun complained.
But this sentence made Lin Ye think of something. He looked up at a hole at the top of the grotto.
This was the only light source in the grotto!
And the beam from this small hole fell precisely on the crystal representing the first grid.
This small beam of light, reflected through so many crystals in the grotto, lit up the whole grotto as bright as daylight.
"I found the key!"
Lin Ye immediately raised his eyebrows, a bit pleasantly surprised.
"What? Where's the key?" Liang Houyun immediately leaned over, a bit excitedly asked.
If Lin Ye really found the key, he would be the witness!
The maze, said to be unsolvable since the Abyss descended, was about to be cracked, and he was the only witness besides Lin Ye, the solver.
Such an honor was enough to get his name in the history books.
"Light, it's the light!" Lin Ye said.
Liang Houyun immediately rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, yeah! We're all users of Holy Light, alright?"
"Not that, never mind, it can't be explained. Next, I need you to do it." Lin Ye said.
Liang Houyun stopped bantering with Lin Ye and quietly waited for Lin Ye's instructions.
"I will mark the crystals with Holy Fire, and you smash all the crystals I don't mark!" Lin Ye said.
"That's it?" Liang Houyun looked at the crystals again, puzzled.
To be honest, he didn't know what the point of this was.
But since Lin Ye requested, he would just do it.
And Lin Ye began to move.
Fortunately, the actual area of this maze wasn't large, and those little animals were still under Lin Ye's control, allowing Lin Ye to check their locations.
Lin Ye followed his memory to find all the 100% important locations.
Then, he started marking.
He threw the Undying Holy Fire one by one.
Landing under the crystals that needed marking.
Over ten minutes passed, and Lin Ye finally completed the marking. He shook his hand and said to Liang Houyun, "You can start now, but remember not to damage the crystals with Holy Fire marks."
"Got it!"
Liang Houyun stepped forward and began smashing the crystals.
"Bang!"
With Liang Houyun's movements, the sound of crystal shattering occasionally echoed in the grotto.
And as the crystals decreased, the brightness in the grotto gradually dimmed.
Lin Ye quietly waited.
...
At this time, the base where City Lord Yan was located welcomed a group of special guests.
"You're saying you're here to support us?"
City Lord Yan looked at Qin Doufeng in front of him, somewhat surprised.
This Steward from the Church Court left some impression on City Lord Yan; he was the grandson of the Southern Church Court's Red-robed Cardinal Qin Lu.
Though not from the direct family line, within the Church Court, Qin Doufeng's status was certainly among the top elite.
Now he appeared here with a group of priests, saying they were here to support the Alliance Army. This truly surprised City Lord Yan.
"City Lord Yan, I just don't want to see too many casualties... Our base over there already has suffered significant losses, and I don't want the same for the Alliance Army."
Qin Doufeng's eyes reddened, clenching his fists.
Although the applications of the other priests seemed a bit dull, upon hearing Qin Doufeng's words, quite a few couldn't help but wipe their eyes.
City Lord Yan was silent for a while.
Finally, he nodded heavily, extended his hand to Qin Doufeng, and said, "In any case, Steward Qin, I'll remember this favor!"
Qin Doufeng didn't speak but shook hands with Yan Xun.
He had been ordered by his grandfather to support the Templar Knights' base, but those weak knights and negligent Guild Warriors weren't much focused on defending the base.
In the end, with each party having its own motives, that base was inevitably breached and crushed by Abyssal Demons.
Under massive invasions of Abyssal Demons, he was fortunate enough to escape with a group of priests.
But looking at the breached base, Qin Doufeng knew clearly that with this base lost, those demons would undoubtedly advance toward the Alliance Army's base.
After much hesitation, he resolutely brought his men to the base where City Lord Yan was located.
As he said, he was indeed here to provide support.
And this was neither the intention of the Bishops nor what his grandfather wanted to see.
But he had no choice.
Chapter 231 - 231: At the Nameless Grave, Honoring Unsung Heroes
In the maze, with Liang Houyun's relentless attacks, the crystals within the cave were nearly depleted.
The brightness within the cave grew increasingly dim.
Yet, after this effort, a few light beams became exceptionally bright.
Liang Houyun noticed this change and exerted himself even more.
Evidently, these light beams were the key to finding the Nameless Tomb and completing the flower delivery quest!
Lin Ye, watching from the side, stood quietly with his arms crossed.
In his hand, he still held that Little White Flower. As long as he placed this flower before the tomb, his quest would be complete.
Once this step was done, the Anomalous Spatial Rift outside the maze would disappear with it.
This maze, which spanned the entire history of human Professionals, was finally nearing its conquest.
As Liang Houyun shattered the last crystal, the cave nearly plunged into pitch darkness, with a bright beam descending from a small hole at the cave's top, hitting a crystal pillar and then reflecting onto another crystal...
After several reflections, it ultimately pointed to a stone wall within the cave.
At this moment, the stone wall rippled like water, and a Teleportation Gate finally appeared.
"We did it! Lin Ye, you're a genius!"
Liang Houyun was incredibly excited at the sight.
He racked his brains but couldn't have imagined that the final passage had to be opened this way.
Even now, he wasn't quite sure how Lin Ye found the pattern to determine which crystals to preserve and which to shatter.
The remaining crystals just happened to continually refract the light beams, revealing the passage location.
This left him in utter amazement.
But it no longer mattered because this maze would soon be conquered.
"Let's go!"
Lin Ye said, striding forward.
But Liang Houyun remained where he stood, not moving a step.
"You go ahead! This maze is your conquest. If it were just me, I might never solve these puzzles in a lifetime." Liang Houyun said.
He felt his duty ended here.
To go any further would be impolite.
He knew his boundaries.
Upon hearing this, Lin Ye merely nodded, understanding Liang Houyun's nature well. At this point, forcing him to move forward was pointless.
He would never listen to you.
As long as Lin Ye conquered the maze, transforming it into a personal Secret Realm, everyone within would be expelled.
So whether or not Liang Houyun accompanied Lin Ye didn't matter much.
Lin Ye advanced alone toward the passage.
[Nameless Tomb, Destination]
A message appeared on the Teleportation Gate, and Lin Ye glanced at it before stepping forward.
The next moment, he arrived in a cavern dappled with motes of sunlight.
An opening at the top, covered by vegetation, allowed rays of light to stream through the gaps.
In the central spot stood a nameless stone monument.
Lin Ye approached, bowed slightly, and said, "Greetings, esteemed predecessors; Lin Ye has come late."
Over the years, countless Professionals entered the maze hoping to reclaim lost territory, never to return.
Since this monument was nameless, let it serve as a memorial to those predecessors who perished in the maze!
After bowing, Lin Ye placed the Little White Flower in front of the nameless monument.
At this moment, the Little White Flower disintegrated into countless twinkling specks, drifting towards and settling on the monument.
Names appeared carved into the stone.
Lin Ye silently watched the names emerge, undoubtedly those of the adventurers who died in the maze.
Their names might not remain in history, but they were preserved here.
At this moment, Lin Ye also received the quest completion notification.
[You have completed the conquest quest. Do you wish to transform the current Alternate Space into a personal Secret Realm?]
"Transform!"
Without hesitation, Lin Ye took over the maze.
This maze had neither a necessity to become a Secret Realm, nor did it offer rewards or experience. If Lin Ye didn't transform it, letting it become a Secret Realm might result in more people getting trapped in the maze.
Under Lin Ye's control, it might be useful in other ways.
At the very least, it cannot be left to harm others.
...
[The current space has been conquered by Professional 'Lin Ye', and you will be forcibly expelled in ten minutes!]
The maze's survivors saw this notification.
Liang Houyun saw this, raised an eyebrow, and whistled comfortably.
"Tsk... I put in some effort too!"
He laughed, talking to himself.
In the stone chamber, the members of the three Alliance conquest teams roared with joy.
"We did it! We did it!"
"Quest completed!"
They were extremely excited, not just because they could leave alive, but because the maze had finally been conquered!
This meant the battle outside could end sooner.
Warriors, like themselves, no longer needed to shed blood with Abyssal Demons on human land!
Reclaiming lost territory was now a certainty.
If not for Lin Ye, none of this would have been possible!
...
[Professional 'Lin Ye' successfully conquered the Alternate Space 'Painful Maze·Lv80'!]
[The rift created by this Alternate Space will disappear completely in ten minutes!]
When this world announcement appeared before everyone, the entire Human World was momentarily silent.
Then, after the brief silence, it erupted into complete madness!
"Lin Ye? Is it that Lin Ye or another Lin Ye?"
"No way? Isn't Lin Ye only just reached Level 30 and had a Second Transformation? How did he conquer an Alternate Space at Level 80?"
"What the... what's going on? The Level Suppression doesn't apply to him anymore?"
"Level 80? No, really?"
This news was incredibly shocking.
A Level 30 Professional conquering an entire Level 80 Anomalous Spatial Rift seemed utterly absurd.
It's like saying a toddler just learning to walk defeated a fit adult man bare-handed.
But the world announcement does not lie.
This seemingly impossible event truly happened!
...
On the battlefield, Qin Doufeng cast a Holy Light, fully restoring a soldier's Life Value.
Shortly after his arrival to assist, a large group of demons attacked.
He immediately led the Priests into battle!
However, at that moment, most demons present turned into mist and vanished.
Simultaneously, the announcement that Lin Ye conquered the maze appeared before everyone.
Chapter 232 - 232: Protective Talisman 'Little White Flower
On the battlefield, the demons that could only descend to the Human World relying on the Level 80 'Painful Maze' had completely vanished.
These Demon Gods expended considerable effort and consumed their original energy to summon these demons, only for them to return to dust at this moment, dissipated into smoke.
The allied Warriors, after a brief moment of shock, suddenly became completely invigorated.
"Saint Lin succeeded!"
"Charge! Kill all these remaining beasts!"
"Charge, avenge our fallen comrades!"
After a long battle, the Warriors who were initially exhausted to their limits now seemed to be entirely adrenaline-fueled.
Lin Ye's success wasn't merely conquering another Otherworld; it represented hope for a new settlement for humanity.
At this moment, these Warriors realized their sacrifices were worth it.
As for Qin Doufeng, who fought alongside the team, he watched the scene before him, unable to help but gape.
Lin Ye actually conquered a Level 80 Alternate Space?
This was a full fifty-level disparity; under the Rule of Level Suppression, how much risk did Lin Ye have to take to successfully accomplish this?
Ordinarily, even in a five-level difference, the Low Level side is almost defenseless, only to be slaughtered by the Advanced side.
But such an ironclad rule seemed to have no effect on Lin Ye.
Though Qin Doufeng also knew there were details he wasn't aware of, even so, this was something not just anyone could achieve.
Take Qin Doufeng himself as an example, he was already Level 58 and estimated to reach Level 60 in a few years, then undergo a Third Transformation.
Logically speaking, in terms of level and combat power, he should be able to suppress Lin Ye.
But to ask him to conquer a Level 80 Alternate Space, that was utterly fantastical, an impossible feat.
The disparity was overwhelming, to the point of despair.
Yet Lin Ye truly accomplished such a heroic deed.
...
"Brother Guo! Brother Li!"
"It's great, you're all okay!"
At the original entrance of the maze, a group of people was transported out.
Altogether six people, including the Alliance's assault team and Liang Houyun.
The five members of the Alliance's assault team were somewhat excited.
"It's great, all three of you are still alive!" Two of the middle-aged men seemed to heave a sigh of relief.
"We two have been looking for you separately for a long time, luckily everyone is safe and sound." The Mage-clad middle-aged man said gratefully.
"Actually, the situation was really dangerous; if I hadn't met Brother Liang and Saint Lin, I might truly not have made it out." The girl rescued by Lin Ye said in slight relief.
If Lin Ye hadn't come to save her, the others leaving the maze alive would have been no issue, but she would never have made it out.
After all, away from the Alternate Space and Secret Realm environment, the Holy Healing Technique couldn't resurrect the dead, only rebuild the body, but not revive the deceased.
Moreover, she gained quite a benefit as well.
Lin Ye's Holy Healing Technique granted her a 'Holy Light Body'; such a fortune is undoubtedly a major blessing for a Professional, especially a soldier.
Especially since her original Talent 'Fortune' had no combat support, acting only as a mascot within the team.
While 'Holy Light Body' is still largely auxiliary, it's more than enough for her.
At least, she was now fit for the battlefield, no longer just a logistical mascot.
"Indeed, I saw it too. I didn't expect Saint Lin to conquer this maze." The middle-aged officer named Guo said with some emotion.
If it weren't for Lin Ye, his outcome wouldn't have been too favorable either.
If luck was on his side, he might find a way out before exhausting all resources.
But the most likely outcome would still be being completely trapped within the maze...
After all, throughout history, fewer than ten people have likely escaped this maze; most people lost their way inside, turning into nameless bones.
If not for Lin Ye, their fate would probably be the same.
So, saying that Lin Ye saved their lives is not an exaggeration.
"Who is this..." Another Level 80 strong man looked at Liang Houyun.
"This is Brother Liang, Liang Houyun! The Holy Knight who protects Saint Lin!" a young man explained.
"Liang... Liang Houyun?" The two Level 80 strong men exchanged glances, seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes.
Clearly, they were both aware of Liang Houyun's reputation.
It's surprising indeed that the former Knight Commander of the Holy See Temple Knight Order would come to be Lin Ye's bodyguard.
"Let's go; Lin Ye will find his own way back."
Liang Houyun, after standing for a while, began walking forward without looking back.
With the maze conquered, nothing nearby could threaten Lin Ye anymore.
As for how Lin Ye would return?
Liang Houyun knew very well that without them getting in the way, Lin Ye might have a quicker and safer way to leave.
Though he wasn't aware of the method Lin Ye would use to leave.
...
At this moment, Lin Ye was inside the maze.
[You have obtained the Possession Talisman 'Little White Flower']
[Little White Flower (Gold, Levelless): When you take damage enough to deplete your Life Value, Little White Flower will take the damage for you once and fully restore your Life Value, remaining uses 5]
Lin Ye looked at the reward, somewhat surprised.
This reward was actually quite impressive.
Five chances to make a comeback can definitely be considered a Supreme Treasure.
The five petals on the Little White Flower correspond to five substitute-death opportunities; when all five petals are consumed, the Little White Flower loses its effect.
"Let's return for now."
Lin Ye took the Little White Flower and exited the maze directly.
The next moment, he found himself near the spot before entering the maze.
Liang Houyun and the others were nowhere in sight; clearly, they had already left.
"Looks like Brother Liang and the others have already left."
Lin Ye surveyed the surroundings; with the Anomalous Spatial Rift gone, there were no demons present.
Therefore, Liang Houyun felt safe enough to leave.
"Let's go support the battlefield now!"
Lin Ye was a bit excited.
With the Level 80 maze conquered, most of what remained were Level 50 or lower Spatial Rifts.
In other words, the present battlefield had shifted from Level 80 down to Level 50.
And this change directly tipped the battlefield's outcome to another extreme.
Chapter 233 - 233: Qin Doufeng's Emergency Order
Observing the human world, there are not many high-level Professionals, one could say that such individuals are the pinnacle of the pyramid.
The higher you wish to ascend, the more you need Talent as support, but those with outstanding Talent are always the minority.
Although these high-level Professionals, compared to Demons of the same Level, indeed have overwhelming combat strength.
However, they are too few in number, and even if individual combat strength is superior, the Demons of the same level can balance the total combat power through sheer numbers, both sides countering each other.
Hence, the Level 80 battlefield is not too friendly to humans.
Because the number of Level 80 combat forces humans can deploy is completely outmatched by the incessantly emerging Level 80 Abyssal Demons.
Thus, what remains is to rely on somewhat lower-level combat forces to compensate.
That's also why the casualties in the Alliance Army have remained high.
Although the opponents of those slightly lower-Level Warriors are also lower-Level Demons, and they do not face Demons much higher in Level than themselves.
Yet, the battles between Level 80 Professionals and Demons, even the slightest aftermath, is something these people cannot withstand.
So it's not hard to imagine the number of casualties under such battles.
And now, because Lin Ye conquered the Painful Maze, he directly reduced the battlefield Level from 80 to 50!
The Demons over Level 50 on the battlefield were almost reduced to ashes in an instant...
Although limited by the Rule, human forces over Level 50 had to cease their attacks.
But at the Level 50 tier, the number disadvantage of human Professionals no longer exists, and in terms of individual strength, human Professionals still retain quite an advantage.
In such a relatively low-level battlefield, humans are basically unafraid of Abyssal Demons.
And this is what allows Lin Ye to calmly harvest Attributes.
Utilizing this almost one-sided battle, to gain some benefits for himself, Lin Ye bears no psychological burden.
Moreover, he is making contributions in the process.
After all, his Healing abilities are quite top-notch.
...
At this moment, on the battlefield, following the withdrawal of forces above Level 50, the human side has greatly boosted in momentum!
They immediately began a full-scale counterattack against the Demons.
In such circumstances, although the perceived Level of battle has decreased, the intensity has actually increased instead, with both human Warriors and Abyssal Demons fighting with crimson eyes.
And this has brought considerable pressure to the Healers at the rear.
Qin Doufeng was somewhat anxious because the Rule prevents him from making a move.
While some of the Priests he brought could help, the Healing power was still inadequate, and the Healers remained overwhelmed.
Only this time, the Priests were rarely so actively engaged in the battle.
Normally, they would at most guide some prayers in the Church Court, rarely having such opportunities for real combat.
And now, it truly allowed them to find an opportunity to genuinely display their abilities.
This left Qin Doufeng somewhat unsure of how to evaluate.
"Isn't this more meaningful than praying in the church every day?"
At some point, Yan Xun had walked up beside Qin Doufeng.
Upon hearing this, Qin Doufeng remained silent.
Indeed, without the addition of these Priests, those Warriors might not have dared to fight so aggressively.
Doesn't this surpass serving those Bishops in the Church Court?
Of course, Yan Xun did not say this out loud, but the meaning was pretty much the same.
Indeed, the existence of the Church Court has restricted many Healers who should have shone on the battlefield.
Qin Doufeng, being from the Jiang Family and the Steward of the Church Court, felt he should counter Yan Xun's blasphemous words a bit.
After all, without the power of Holy Light, how could humans have continued to this day?
So how could devotion to Holy Light be a bad thing?
But as the words reached his lips, he couldn't speak them.
Because this devotion resulting in more casualties seemingly contradicts the vision of the Holy Light's appearance, doesn't it?
Just then, sacred feathers began to drift across the battlefield.
Qin Doufeng instinctively reached out and caught a feather.
"Is this a Holy Light Feather?" He was somewhat surprised.
Among the Priests he brought, none should know this Skill.
After all, this was an Inheritance Skill that even he, as a Steward, was not qualified to learn.
Those Junior Priests would naturally be even less qualified.
As for others...
A name popped into Qin Doufeng's mind.
"Lin Ye is back!" Yan Xun said the name Qin Doufeng was thinking of.
"Over there! It's Lin Ye!"
"It really is him!"
"Just finished conquering the Otherworld and immediately came back to support us… makes me want to cry…"
In the sky over the battlefield, a radiant figure appeared.
It was a Holy Shadow.
In this world, who else but Lin Ye could both transform into a Holy Shadow and wield Holy Light Feather?
You don't even need to guess; as long as you're not a newly awakened vegetative patient, you would definitely know his identity.
Under the healing radiance of the Holy Light Feather, the Warriors erupted with even more intense fighting spirit!
Lin Ye's appearance brought the army's morale to a peak!
The Abyssal Demons, already retreating under the Alliance Soldiers' attack, were now completely routed under this soaring offensive.
This scene left the Priests, led by Qin Doufeng, utterly dumbfounded.
They never imagined that Lin Ye's appearance could bring about such an effect.
And even less did they imagine that these Warriors, already seemingly at the peak of battle zeal in their eyes, could unleash even higher morale!
Compared to these Warriors, the Holy Temple Knight Order of the Church Court seemed utterly lacking in battle will!
As for those high-paid guild strongmen, they turned into cowards fleeing at the first sign of trouble.
Even the so-called first guild, Mad God, was no different, merely here to fish in troubled waters.
At this moment on the battlefield, any soldier picked out would show much more valor than these people!
Facing such a scenario, Qin Doufeng began to question everything he had accepted before.
Just then, Qin Doufeng suddenly felt a tremor.
A golden light came from the horizon, entering straight into his mind.
Yan Xun beside him squinted his eyes, watching Qin Doufeng.
He knew this was an emergency messaging method of the Church Court, capable of precisely transmitting messages to each Church Court personnel.
And after receiving the message, Qin Doufeng actually showed an angry expression.
"Steward Qin, is there an urgent matter?" Yan Xun asked.
Chapter 234 - 234: If You Can't Have It, Destroy It?
Under Yan Xun's inquiry, Qin Doufeng fell silent, looking as if he had words stuck in his throat.
Seeing this, Yan Xun did not press further, but instead gave Qin Doufeng a meaningful glance and fell silent as well.
At this moment, empowered by Lin Ye, the Warriors' fighting spirit soared like never before, reaping through the Abyssal Demons on the brink of collapse as if mowing down grass.
As for the Healers and Priests who were under immense pressure before, they now found that their burden had significantly lightened.
Despite the fiercer battle conditions, they hardly needed to intervene at all.
Lin Ye alone provided healing effects that far surpassed the combined efforts of everyone else.
"Truly worthy of being Saint Lin..."
"Lucky there's only one Saint Lin, otherwise we'd fear for our jobs."
"How could that be? With him here, our Warriors can continuously reclaim lost ground, leading to more land and resources for us to grow and thrive, and the demand for Healers will surely increase!"
"What you say makes a hell of a lot of sense!"
"No kidding! A groundbreaking figure like this would never compete with us for jobs!"
"That's right, thinking otherwise means you're not seeing the bigger picture."
Several Healers were having this discussion.
Watching Lin Ye simply wave his hand and stabilize the Life Values of all Warriors on the battlefield, they could only look on in awe.
This level of skill isn't something achieved through effort alone.
Even with higher Talent, it's impossible to accomplish such feats.
After all, the highest Talent is SSS-Class, and although rare, no SSS-level Talent warrior in history has ever reached Lin Ye's level.
Therefore, this achievement goes beyond effort and Talent.
It requires immense fortune to reach Lin Ye's current height and success.
Under the empowerment of Lin Ye's Holy Light Feather, the Alliance Army's Warriors had become an invincible force!
The Abyssal Demons were utterly defeated, fleeing in all directions.
The once chaotic battlefield was now only filled with the battle cries of Alliance Soldiers.
At this stage, Lin Ye didn't need to intervene anymore.
He landed beside Yan Xun, shedding his Holy Shadow form, and said, "City Lord Yan, mission accomplished."
After speaking, Lin Ye looked toward Qin Doufeng, nodding and smiling at him.
The latter seemed a bit uncomfortable but still managed to nod in acknowledgment.
Lin Ye was indeed surprised by Qin Doufeng's arrival, but it wasn't unacceptable...
After all, within the Church Court, quite a few people didn't truly endorse their practices.
For instance, Liang Houyun and Liu Qingshan clearly disapproved of some of the Church Court's ways, to the point where Liang Houyun left because of it.
As for someone like Qin Doufeng, it was clear he was starting to think critically.
There have always been such people who, unfortunately, are destined to be buried under the Church Court's environment.
Qin Doufeng coming to support the Alliance Army was virtually considered a betrayal within the Church Court.
Outwardly, they might not act against Qin Doufeng, but once the limelight faded, troubles for Qin Doufeng could be expected.
"Lin Ye, we're truly grateful to you this time..."
Yan Xun was visibly excited to see Lin Ye.
Indeed, without Lin Ye, the battle might still be in a desperate situation, a situation that could persist for some time.
The resources and manpower required during this period would have been immense!
Lin Ye's conquest of the Painful Maze effectively ended it all in advance, liberating the Alliance Army from the quagmire of war.
It also prevented this battlefield from turning into a slaughterhouse.
One could truly say that Lin Ye had accomplished great deeds this time.
"Just doing what's needed," Lin Ye replied with a cheerful smile.
If possible, Lin Ye wished to expel all the Abyssal Demons immediately.
However, that's not realistic, and achieving such a goal would require much more effort.
For now, he was merely contributing towards this goal.
"Seeing Steward Qin here was truly unexpected," Lin Ye looked at Qin Doufeng with curiosity, "Did the Church Court send you?"
Of course, Lin Ye knew that was impossible!
Given the Church Court's style, if the Alliance sought cooperation, they would certainly ask for exorbitant returns.
Lin Ye believed that knowing he had already gone to conquer the maze, the Alliance would never agree to the Church Court's demands.
So, it naturally couldn't have been the Church Court proactively sending someone to aid the Alliance Army.
The only explanation is that Qin Doufeng took it upon himself to come aid the Alliance Army.
If Lin Ye couldn't figure that out, then his past experience would have been in vain...
After all, in his previous life, he had also reached the pinnacle most people could within the Church Court, and he was thoroughly familiar with their ways.
Describing them as vampires who rise early only for profit was an apt portrayal of the Church Court.
Sure enough, when faced with Lin Ye's inquiry, Qin Doufeng showed displeasure but remained silent.
"Alright, you just returned; I'll arrange a place for you to rest," Yan Xun said to diffuse the awkwardness, wanting Lin Ye to take a break.
However, Lin Ye shook his head and said, "As far as I know, there's another strategic holdpoint of the Alliance Army, isn't there? Teleport me there!"
Yan Xun paused briefly, then nodded heavily and said, "Alright! Since you're so willing, we'll inconvenience you to make another trip!"
The Alliance Army indeed had two holdpoints, though the Holy Temple Knight Order had seized the initiative and taken one initially.
While Yan Xun's holdpoint was stable, Marshal Gu's holdpoint's status was unknown.
And if Lin Ye was willing to go, he could certainly provide assistance.
Upon hearing Lin Ye's words, Qin Doufeng hesitated slightly, seeming to waver.
At last, he spoke, "I just received news that the Holy Temple Knight Order and Mad God Guild are attempting to reclaim the lost holdpoint, forcibly employing Level 80 combat strength, and now..."
Qin Doufeng spoke, but he dared not look at Lin Ye and Yan Xun anymore.
Lin Ye had barely managed to bring the battlefield down to a Level 50 standard.
Yet the Church Court, joining forces with the guild's mercenaries, had raised the battlefield level again.
Chapter 235 - 235: Taking Action to Kill!
"As expected..."
Yan Xun, upon hearing this, wasn't too surprised and merely sighed.
The Church Court's actions, to put it bluntly, were aimed at preventing the Alliance from monopolizing the benefits.
Even if it meant raising the level of combat, they wanted the Alliance to fail in holding this stronghold and acquiring control of this region.
If they succeeded, the Church Court would have no interest in this new settlement area in the future.
How could the Church Court allow such a situation to occur?
The Holy Temple Knight Order, which had previously retreated, immediately dispatched a team to regroup at their original stronghold.
By now, they were already on their way.
Earlier, Qin Doufeng had received instructions to immediately rush to that stronghold to assist the newly assembled forces in battle.
Qin Doufeng couldn't speak earlier, partly because the person who sent him the message was his grandfather, Qin Lu. He still had considerable fear of Qin Lu's authority.
Moreover, he felt a deep sense of shame...
The Alliance Army and Lin Ye's side were working so hard to stabilize the stronghold for the benefit of all mankind.
In the end, his Church Court was intent on causing trouble at this crucial moment...
This was something he found difficult to accept and even more difficult to express, which is why he had been so uncomfortable earlier.
It wasn't until he heard Lin Ye say he was going to support another stronghold of the Alliance Army that he couldn't help but speak out.
Because if the battlefield were to truly return to Level 80, Lin Ye would undoubtedly become the primary target of those Level 80 Demons and even the Demon God behind them!
He also understood the potential loss to humanity if something were to happen to Lin Ye on the battlefield.
Ultimately, he couldn't keep it to himself and revealed the matter.
"No worries, the headquarters has already prepared for this. Lin Ye, you shouldn't get involved in this matter anymore," Yan Xun said again.
"I'm sorry..." Qin Doufeng also said at this moment.
He never imagined his grandfather would be so ruthless, willing to drag a stronghold that could have been stabilized back into the quagmire of war for the sake of profit.
"Is the Alliance planning to take action against the Church Court and Mad God?" Lin Ye asked.
This matter had nothing to do with Qin Doufeng; his apology seemed meaningless to Lin Ye.
There was currently only one solution, namely to prevent the Church Court and Mad God's people from returning to the battlefield!
Only by stopping them from further meddling could anything be effectively resolved.
Otherwise, Lin Ye's efforts would be in vain.
Yan Xun shook his head and said, "Acting against the Church Court is far too risky... The Church Court has always hoped the Alliance would make a move against them, but we've held back. It's not the best solution for our current situation."
Lin Ye remained silent, fully aware of the Professional Alliance's concerns.
Over the years, the Church Court had amassed followers almost everywhere in the human community.
If they were to take action against the Church Court, it would undoubtedly lead to significant social upheaval.
Though those old immortals in the Holy Core couldn't leave the City of Light easily, if they were truly desperate, they could still make an appearance in the world.
This is what the Alliance most feared.
Even though those old immortals were like flickering candles in the wind, a strongest, even on their last legs, still had significant deterrence power.
If they were willing to risk their lives, they indeed posed a formidable threat.
Currently, the Alliance had only one strongest being.
It's a concern that could not be ignored.
"In that case, I'll just head back to Shenzhen first..." Lin Ye said, feeling a bit helpless.
He seemed overwhelmed by the situation.
"Don't worry! The Alliance won't let your efforts go to waste; as long as we're here, this stronghold can still be held," Yan Xun assured.
Though it may require significant sacrifices to stabilize the situation as it stands now.
But this place is worth such an investment.
Qin Doufeng remained thoroughly silent.
He didn't even notice when Lin Ye had already left.
He looked up to see soldiers clearing the battlefield, retrieving not only the bodies of their fallen comrades but also collecting some usable resources.
Originally, these warriors could have rested peacefully in their camp once this task was completed.
But due to the Church Court's selfishness, they had to remain stationed here and continue their defense.
This left Qin Doufeng unsure of what to say.
...
Lin Ye didn't truly return to Shenzhen.
He was now in the midst of a city's ruins.
Everywhere there were broken limbs, both human and those of unknown demons, permeating a pungent stench of blood.
The roaming demons were rummaging through and gnawing at the flesh...
The hellish scene was truly shocking.
"So many have died."
Lin Ye recognized that among the wreckage were members of both the Holy Temple Knight Order and the Mad God Guild.
Clearly, the collaboration between these two forces had not only failed but had cost them dearly.
In the end, they were forced to retreat in disarray, utterly wasting their lives.
They died without value, becoming mere fodder for demons.
After causing such pointless casualties, they didn't reflect on their actions; instead, they sought to wrongfully trap the Alliance Army by attempting to revert the conflict level to Level 80.
This was simply the behavior of beasts.
Calling them traitors to humanity would not be too much.
Even from a purely profit-driven standpoint, without considering morality or justice, Lin Ye couldn't stand to see them act so recklessly.
"Since the Alliance is unwilling to act, then I'll do it myself," Lin Ye thought.
A dark pearl appeared in his hand.
This was the Shadow Treasure Pearl, a Supreme Treasure he acquired in the Shadowless Forest from the Shadow Demon God, capable of temporarily detaching a person's shadow to assist in combat.
And now, Lin Ye intended to use it for killing.
...
A Mechanical Crow rose from the rubble of a building.
Its black eyes peered at the marching army below.
"What bad luck. If we had known that strange kid could conquer the Painful Maze, we wouldn't have retreated," one voice said.
"Putting that aside, do you think we'll survive this time?" another murmured.
Within the ranks, people whispered among themselves.
But no one dared to flee because they knew whether they would die immediately or possibly later, they had to choose wisely.
"Silence!"
A cold voice came forward.
The whispers in the ranks immediately fell into complete silence.
The speaker snorted disdainfully.
Unaware that they were already being watched.
Chapter 236 - 236: Knight Commander? Just a Tin Can
This time, many of the low-level members of the Mad God Guild actually already knew that this time they were going on a mission of certain death.
For those Level 80 elites, running away was only a matter of minutes.
They were merely the cannon fodder to provoke a new round of war.
However, despite knowing they were doomed to die, they dared not resist...
After all, having enjoyed the treatment from the guild in the past, they had to act according to the guild's demands, even if the guild wanted them to die, they could not resist.
If they were at the settlement, then perhaps they had a chance to resist.
Even as powerful as the Mad God, the world's number one guild, would not dare to publicly act against so many of them at the settlement, as it would be challenging the authority of the Alliance, something absolutely forbidden.
But now, they were in the wilderness.
No matter how strong the Alliance is, it can't control things in the wilderness, where it's essentially a place governed solely by the law of the jungle, a buffer zone between the human world and the Abyss.
This means that here, they were already far from the order that's supposed to exist in human society.
Thus, in the wilderness, the most dangerous thing is not encountering an Abyssal Demon, but encountering other Professionals.
At present, these people of the Mad God Guild, no matter how unwilling, could only be forced to move forward.
The atmosphere of the team was extremely oppressive.
And at this moment, someone noticed a bizarre silhouette appearing in the sky.
"A mysterious figure has appeared in the sky ahead!"
The scout at the front immediately sounded the alarm.
At this time, in this kind of place, what kind of thing appears is really uncertain.
It could be a powerful Abyssal Demon, or perhaps a powerful demon person, it's hard to say.
Many people looked up, each preparing themselves defensively.
At this moment, the three Level 80 elites at the front of the team all stopped and looked skyward with caution.
"Emergency precautions!"
Among them, a tall and robust middle-aged man quickly pulled out a longbow, aiming at the sky.
Of the two people surrounding him, one was wearing bright silver full armor, with golden emblems of the Church Court and the Holy Temple Knight Order engraved on the chest.
Evidently, this was a Knight Commander level powerhouse of the Templar Knights.
As for the other person, like the robust archer, was also a high-ranking member of the Mad God Guild, a voluptuous woman who first fetched her magic staff upon hearing the scout's warning.
The purple-red fireball of great power on the magic staff was ready to be unleashed at any time.
"You two, there's no need to be so impulsive?" the Knight Commander spoke.
But the two from the Mad God Guild completely ignored him.
The best measure to handle such unpredictable occurrences is to assume a defensive posture immediately.
This so-called Knight Commander had no idea what danger was.
That level was perhaps all cultivated from private domains.
With the Knight Commander just having this childish understanding, no wonder the performance of the Holy Temple Knight Order was so unsatisfactory in earlier battles.
If disregarding levels, the battlefield performance of the Holy Temple Knight Order couldn't even match the new recruits of the Mad God Guild this year!
"Two brutes! Let me handle it!"
The Knight Commander, seeing these two ignoring him, got a bit annoyed and stepped forward, saying, "Senior, I belong to the Holy See Temple Knight Order's..."
But as he spoke, the figure in the sky raised their hand towards them.
At that moment, the two from the Mad God Guild were ready to make a move, as before, they didn't dare to act without knowing the opponent's background and intent, merely assuming defensive positions.
But now that the opponent was unwilling to reveal their intent and chose to act directly, there was nothing more to say.
They simply retaliated.
However, just as they were about to act, they found themselves completely immobilized.
The robust man and the female mage's pupils contracted!
Both realized that they might have encountered an extraordinary figure this time...
The power of the one in the sky was absolutely crushing!
The black silhouette stretched out his hand and clenched fiercely!
"Boom!"
The Knight Commander of the Holy Temple Knight Order bore the brunt of it, and his incredibly hard armor was crushed completely in mid-air, turning that once exceedingly luxurious heavy armor into a lump of scrap metal.
At that moment, everyone felt a weight lift off their bodies, and the crushed 'Knight Commander' fell to the ground, dark red blood mixed with fragments spurting uncontrollably out...
The robust man and the female mage were thoroughly terrified, fearing they would immediately follow the Knight Commander's fate.
The one in the sky had the absolute power to crush all three of them, but he didn't do so.
So, it was evident there was still a chance to avoid casualties at the moment.
As for the guild warriors and the Knight Order members at the back, they were utterly stunned by the scene.
A Level 80 powerhouse had just been crushed like a soda can by the figure in the sky, right in front of them...
Such power, it's got to be Level 90... no, Level 100!
Only this way could it be possible to achieve such a level.
"Se...Senior, are you preventing us from moving forward?" the robust man already put down the longbow and stammered.
"Since you know, then go back!" the figure in the sky lifted his head.
Upon hearing this, the robust man and the female mage looked embarrassed.
It was clear their intentions had angered this unfathomably powerful figure.
After all, this matter was indeed rather unscrupulous.
"Go back, tell Qin Lu and your guild master, if you dare to provoke unnecessary conflicts and casualties again, I, Sikong Ming, will take their lives!"
The slightly aged voice echoed in the sky.
Upon hearing this, everyone present couldn't help but shiver all over.
Sikong Ming?
Why did that name sound so familiar?
It seemed they had heard it somewhere...
"Ac...Acknowledged!"
The robust man and the female mage didn't dare say another word, immediately lowering their heads in agreement.
"Hmph! Take care of yourselves!"
The silhouette in the sky snorted coldly, then stepped into a space-time crack, disappearing instantly.
Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
This sense of narrowly escaping death made them gasp heavily...
The pressure the opponent exerted earlier was so overwhelming; they instinctively forgot to breathe.
"This method is of a Space Mage..." the female mage gasped in shock.
Such a terrifying existence, where did it emerge from?
"Sikong Ming..." the robust man pondered the name, then recalled something, a chill running down his spine.
"Isn't that the Space System powerhouse who disappeared a hundred years ago, how could he suddenly appear!"
He exclaimed in surprise.
Even a hundred-level powerhouse, unable to break through to the strongest, has merely a hundred years of life.
Even the strongest only adds twenty or thirty years to their lifespan.
Yet Sikong Ming could still appear now and wield such power, doesn't that mean...
The robust man and the female mage exchanged glances and saw fear in each other's eyes!