A single word ignited the dormant battle intent.

Wei Banmeng's eyes no longer hesitated, and he immediately sat cross-legged to adjust his breath.

Chu Kuanglan and Lu Jiuyuan, as if injected with a stimulant, raced against time to recover their state.

Fang Qingyu leaned against the cold stone pillar, staring at that Dark Source Material and the unusually conspicuous red titles around...

Three directions, twelve people.

Both Martial Artists and Divine Cultists were present, suggesting they weren't from the same faction.

Moreover, there weren't any Martial Arts Grandmasters or Divine Chosen among them.

This didn't put any pressure on him and Jiang Wei; naturally, they couldn't abandon this Dark Source Material.

Moreover, although he had only verbally expressed his gratitude to Yan Shouzheng back in the courtyard, the man did save his life, and that debt needed to be repaid...

But as they waited.

At the edge of the night vision, new red titles emerged like ghost fires quietly lighting up in the dark, appearing one after another.

Three sharp auras rapidly approached from the left rear cave entrance!

Two figures silently emerged from the passage hidden by the giant stalagmite on the right rear!

Even deeper within the stalagmite forest where they were hiding, an extremely faint aura, almost blending with the environment, was detected!

In mere moments, the area had eerily gathered at least four more groups!

Including themselves and the original three groups, there were seven factions in total, like a swarm of sharks smelling blood, subtly surrounding the center of the cave.

"Damn it..."

Chu Kuanglan also sensed it, opening his eyes abruptly, his voice deep and confused, "Why does it feel... like they're all arriving precisely at the right time, as if they got the call to come here? Only we stumbled upon this place by sheer luck, like a blind cat bumping into a dead mouse?!"

Lu Jiuyuan's gaze was as sharp as a knife: "It's too coincidental. The Eternal Silence Abyss is vast and boundless; without precise coordinates or special sensing methods, it's impossible to gather here by coincidence!"

Wei Banmeng also furrowed his brows, his cold face shrouded in doubts.

Fang Qingyu's eyes narrowed slightly, flickering with a cold light.

"It's indeed suspicious. But... it doesn't matter now."

Fang Qingyu's gaze swept over those newly appeared figures, either restless in the dark or silently lurking, his lips slowly curling into a cold and violent arc.

As long as no Tier Two emerges...

He's determined to seize today's Dark Source Material!

Even Jesus couldn't stop him!

"Banmeng." Fang Qingyu turned to Wei Banmeng, whose aura had calmed considerably, his voice low and clear, "How exactly do you collect the Source Material?"

Wei Banmeng snapped back to attention, speaking rapidly: "The Profound Qilin Blade just needs to come into contact with the Source Core! But the moment of contact, the Source Material will be devoured by the dual blades, and the Sword Spirit will immediately enter a metamorphosis and advancement state! During this process, staying in place is necessary, with no movement possible, and no usage allowed! It could be as short as a few breaths or as long as a quarter-hour! If subjected to strong interference or attack during this time, not only will previous efforts be wasted, but there's also a risk of weapon damage!"

"So," her gaze was as icy as it was serious, "seizing the Source Material is just the beginning! Guarding that area, protecting the metamorphosing Profound Qilin until the process is complete, is the true challenge!"

Fang Qingyu listened, his expression unchanged, nodding calmly.

"Understood."

Two core points.

Seize it! Protect it!

The difficulty increased sharply, but the battle intent in Fang Qingyu's eyes burned even fiercer!

At this moment, the spinning dark vortex at the cave's center suddenly paused!

At the collapsed core, a point of purest blackness, capable of seemingly absorbing souls, like a cosmic singularity, fully formed!

Vast and pure "Dark" Origin erupted violently, sweeping across the entire space.

All the lurkers' breaths instantly became heavy!

The killing intent collided in the dark like substantive ice spikes, clashing wildly!

"Now's the time!" Fang Qingyu shouted lowly, swiftly retrieving a few charred face wraps from his tactical bag used yesterday in the Thunderstorm Cloud Sea.

"Put them on!"

The three with Wei Banmeng didn't hesitate, taking the face wraps and quickly covering their mouths and noses, leaving only their sharp eyes exposed.

Jiang Wei also silently tied a small handkerchief.

Just as Fang Qingyu was about to issue the command.

"Hehehe..."

A laugh, carrying a touch of sinister seductiveness, sounded abruptly in the dead-silent cave like a slippery poisonous snake, clearly piercing into everyone's ears.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this 'Tear of Eternal Night' is already ripe. Hiding it now is rather petty. Why not come out for a breath of fresh air? A good thing should see the light... though there's not much light here."

With the sinister laughter, several figures leisurely strolled out from behind the giant stalagmite on the left.

The leading figure was tall and slender, dressed in a long gown of pitch black brocade that seemed to absorb light. His face was pale, with features so handsome they were almost otherworldly, with a smirk hovering on his lips.

His attire resembled that of a gentleman from ancient times.

"Profound Yin Association, 'Mr. Mo' Mo Chen." Wei Banmeng's voice carried unprecedented gravity and wariness as he whispered rapidly into Fang Qingyu's ear, "An ancient underground organization entrenched in the eastern coastal regions of the Federation for centuries, their actions are mysteriously unpredictable, with sinister and ruthless methods. It's said they worship certain gods related to the 'Abyss.' They specialize in the study of chill and corrosive dark powers and are extremely eager for the Dark Origin! This Mo Chen is one of the leaders in 'Abyss' operations for the Profound Yin Association, extremely dangerous."

"Mr. Mo is indeed in a hurry."

From the sunken cave at the right front, a voice as hoarse as sandpaper, with a rich metallic texture, sounded.

Three figures emerged, led by an exceptionally burly and robust individual over two meters tall, clad in simple heavy armor crudely pieced together from heavy, coarse dark alloy plates and an unknown Life Ghost leather.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.