Chapter 63

At the border between the Great Zhou Empire and the Delos Empire, dozens of city ruins intertwine, forming a vast expanse of desolation. The area is dilapidated and bleak, with some places swallowed by chaotic trees, others flattened by war, some becoming habitats for certain demonic beasts, and others riddled with dense cracks.

Years of continuous military campaigns have turned this once prosperous region into a forgotten and chaotic land, a paradise for certain exiles.

This desolate city cemetery is usually devoid of life, a scene of desolation and decay. No one would come here unless under special circumstances. However, it is now bustling with noise and clamor. Various mercenary groups crisscross the area, and occasionally, Martial Kings can be seen walking in the air. Even massive flying demonic beasts soar overhead, carrying powerful figures with imposing auras.

Where there are many people, there will always be conflicts. In a place without constraints, filled with mercenaries, such conflicts are resolved in the most direct way—by fighting!

Whether in daylight or darkness, the clamor is always accompanied by piercing screams and furious roars. Crowds occasionally erupt into intense battles. Perhaps the bloodshed stimulates their consciousness, or the chaotic environment affects their minds. Many mercenaries with old grudges meet here and refuse to back down, leading to clashes and fights.

As night falls, the boundless desolate city cemetery does not quiet down. The noise and fighting continue, making it no longer a desolate city but a chaotic and sinful land.

In a certain part of the ruins, two figures glide like ghosts, stopping before a collapsed ruin. They coughed three times heavily and then knocked on a fallen beam in a specific rhythm.

After a moment of oppressive silence, a wooden board covered with thick dust cracked open, and a figure crouched out, looking around cautiously. Once they confirmed it was safe, they led the two into the underground.

The crack closed immediately, and a night breeze blew, scattering the dust and covering all traces.

Underground, there was a spacious stone cave. Dozens of night pearls dotted the surroundings, casting a soft glow. In the center was a stone table, and a red-haired, muscular man sat there with a large sword.

"Do you have what I want?" The red-haired man looked at the two black-robed figures with a cold gaze.

"I want to confirm first if the item is still in your 'Red God's' hands." The black-robed figure on the left raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the dozen or so people present, finally settling on the far end of the cave.

"Show them." The red-haired man gestured.

Rustle! The black cloth at the far end of the cave was pulled away, revealing seven fierce beast statues. Under the light of the night pearls, the stone statues looked terrifying and emitted a cold, deadly aura. Each statue was covered in powerful runes, as if imprisoning something.

The two black-robed figures' eyes suddenly became intense, staring at the seven statues, their breathing quickening.

"Have you seen enough? Where is what I want?" The red-haired man grunted heavily.

The black-robed figure casually threw a simple dragon-carved ring: "This contains the materials needed to lift the seal. The process will be complicated, so I hope you don't make any mistakes."

The red-haired man played with the ring, a strange smile curling at the corner of his mouth: "Can I know your identities? I heard that these seven statues were collected with great difficulty by 'Earth Huang,' but he never found a way to lift the seal. How do you have it? How can you guarantee it will work?"

"You don't need to know our identities. As for the effect, it will definitely work. The materials were collected long ago, and the most important ingredient is the purification of the blood of eighty-eight third-rank Martial Masters, all young people about to receive baptism. Such blood is the purest."

"Oh? I heard... a strange incident happened in the Northern Wasteland, where nearly a hundred young people about to receive baptism were kidnapped. It was you, wasn't it!"

The black-robed figure ignored the muscular man's question and continued: "After the seal is lifted, the ten thousand warriors in the desolate city cemetery will become sacrifices, being completely drained. You must allow all their actions without any interference until they stabilize. According to the agreement, two of the seven beasts will belong to you, and the other five will belong to us."

"We fled for months with them. Why should we only get two? You just give some suggestions and materials and get five?!"

The black-robed man coldly scanned the room: "To possess them, you need to be at the Venerable level. Below that, touching them will result in immediate backlash, turning you into a dried corpse. Do you have a third Venerable among you?"

Another black-robed man said solemnly: "After this, your Red God will be wanted throughout the continent. Even with the beasts, it will be hard to ensure your safety. Therefore... we are willing to provide you with three years of protection and guarantee not to covet what you have during this period."

The red-haired man exchanged glances with his subordinates, remaining silent for a while, reluctantly accepting these unfair conditions.

...

Tang Yan, Du Yang, and Ailinda, carefully disguised, slipped out of the Giant Elephant City under the cover of night, riding unicorns straight to the border desolate city cemetery. Tang Yan and Du Yang wore rough hemp clothes and pasted beards all over their faces, turning into two skinny men. Ailinda wrapped some cotton around her chest, changed into tattered clothes, and did some work on her face, transforming into an ordinary village girl.

Actually, Ailinda's recent mood had been very complicated. She always wanted to return to the academy but felt a strange reluctance. After finally making up her mind to go back, she was tricked out of the city by Tang Yan's sweet talk. She constantly reminded herself not to hang out with this rascal anymore, but subconsciously, she always followed him, which made her very uncomfortable and helpless.

The once pure and innocent 'Ice Flower' of the academy seemed to have turned into a 'wild child,' always following the rogue Tang Yan. Riding through the ancient forest paths, Ailinda even doubted how she agreed to this and how they left the Giant Elephant City.

Compared to Ailinda's anxiety and hesitation, Tang Yan and Du Yang were very excited. Unless they encountered certain mercenary groups or noble families on the road, they pretended to be foolish, otherwise, they were very active.

Seven days later, the three finally arrived at the desolate city cemetery. Looking far, the scene was full of decay and chaos. A strong wind blew, raising a cloud of dust. In some parts of the desolate city cemetery, there was almost no trace of a city, just a field of rubble. In other places, the original appearance was still preserved, but it was dilapidated, as if a slight tremor could destroy it.

Just as they had expected, this place was filled with slaughter and madness. Even before they approached the cemetery, they could hear the noisy shouts and fighting, feeling the killing aura, and the air was mixed with dust and the smell of blood.

"Be careful. We are here to 'clean up the trash,' not to cause trouble. Avoid unnecessary conflicts if possible." Tang Yan made a gesture to the two, entering the desolate city from a relatively secluded area. Some passing mercenaries noticed them but, upon seeing Ailinda's swollen and ugly appearance, showed disgust. As for Tang Yan and Du Yang, the two old men, they were simply ignored.

Inside the desolate city, the noise and sharp screams filled the air, along with intense clashes. The three wandered around casually, carefully searching and soon found a battle scene where two mercenary groups were fighting.

Perhaps they were already used to such scenes, no one paid attention, and some even quickly fled to avoid getting involved.

The three hid in a corner, patiently waiting for the battle to end. These warriors were not very strong, with only two or three Martial Ancestors and the rest being Martial Spirits. However, for Tang Yan, they were still valuable.

Soon, the unbalanced battle ended, with one side completely killed and the survivors of the other side quickly leaving after looting the bodies.

"Keep watch. Alert us if anything happens." Tang Yan darted out, approaching the bloody corpses, sitting cross-legged, and quickly forming five green fireballs. He first aimed at an old man, who, from his observation, was a Martial Ancestor. Following that, he formed more fireballs, choosing three high-rank Martial Spirits' corpses, temporarily ignoring the rest.

Given his limited strength, he couldn't endlessly summon the Ghostly Green Fire, so he had to choose a few.

The Ghostly Green Fire enveloped the four corpses, quickly burning and refining them. In just a few minutes, the flames dissipated, revealing four concentrated Spirit Source Liquids. However...

"Hmm?" Tang Yan picked them up one by one, carefully sensing them, but couldn't help frowning.

Du Yang and Ailinda gathered around: "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"This is from a Martial Ancestor, and these three are from third-rank Martial Spirits. Haven't you noticed that the Spirit Source Liquids are much smaller than normal?" Tang Yan was well aware of how much Spirit Source Liquid could be refined from different beasts and warriors, but the four in front of him were half the size of normal ones.

Ailinda said, "Could it be... because they are corpses?"

Du Yang raised an eyebrow: "Is your Green Fire picky? Does it only work on living things?"

Tang Yan thought for a moment: "It's possible. Usually, I use the Green Fire to kill beasts, not to refine corpses. But this is too exaggerated, half the size?"

Du Yang was more relaxed: "Don't be greedy. It's still a good deal."

"You're right. Four is still a lot. Let's keep going." Tang Yan consumed one Spirit Source Liquid to replenish his spirit energy, put the other three in a jade bottle, and playfully tapped the little black dog staring at the bottle.

The little black dog protested with a whimper, reluctantly retracting its gaze.

Fights were common in the desolate city, and deaths were frequent. Tang Yan and the others carefully roamed around, hiding when they found suitable battlefields, waiting for the fighting to end, and then rushing in to refine the corpses. It was like entering a self-service store, taking what they wanted.

They encountered mercenaries returning or passing by a few times. If they could avoid them, they did so without any entanglement. If they couldn't avoid them, they used all their skills to eliminate them. If they encountered particularly strong targets, they would rather give up and flee.

Tang Yan's Eyes of Annihilation, the two types of seals, Du Yang's petrification martial skill, and Ailinda, a second-rank Martial Ancestor, made them a natural team. Tang Yan and Du Yang used tricks, while Ailinda took the lead in attacks, ensuring their self-protection.

With Spirit Source Liquids to replenish their spirit energy, they didn't have to worry too much about consumption. They could fully exert their martial skills, treating it as a form of training.

The three quickly adapted to the environment of the desolate city cemetery, constantly moving between battlefields, refining and fighting, safely 'cleaning up the bodies' with no major incidents.