Translator: CinderTL
"Gasp..."
The lingering sound of struggle echoed as the corpse was casually discarded onto the ground.
A peak fourth-tier biological cyborg had been instantly killed with a single move, leaving everyone wide-eyed.
The man wielding the sniper cannon had bloodshot eyes, and even Zhou Wuren, who had been about to rush to assist, paused mid-action.
"Ahhh!!"
"Die!! You all must die!!"
The cyborg with the sniper cannon was in a state of madness, a mix of shock, anger, and fear, his aura erupting.
Zhou Wuren was deeply alarmed and quickly assumed a defensive stance, fearing a hit from the sniper cannon.
But in the next second.
The cyborg's bio-armor rapidly transformed, turning him into a humanoid gecko.
Buzz!
In the next instant, the figure vanished, choosing to go invisible and flee the scene.
"!!"
Zhou Wuren was momentarily stunned, but Chen Feng had already sensed everything.
Invisibility was not the same as disappearance.
With the world slowing down under his perception, his body moved like a blur, leaping forward like a tiger.
As the crimson force erupted, a tiger's roar shook the passageway.
Roar!!
The invisible figure reappeared, his head gripped by a thick hand and slammed violently into the stone wall.
Bang!
Blood splattered, crimson energy swirling, evaporating everything.
All the biological cyborgs from Skyway Shipping were completely dead, leaving Zhou Wuren, Du Shan, and others in a state of shock.
"Is he really a Grandmaster, not at the Pinnacle Realm?"
"Or has he already opened the Gate of Spirit, fully unlocking the mysteries of the Tyrant Bone?"
As a fellow member of the Martial Arts World, Zhou Wuren felt the deepest impact. He had never seen such a ferocious Martial Arts Grandmaster.
Even Sect Master Liu, when he was a Grandmaster, probably couldn't have done this.
Du Shan and Zhao Meng beside him were equally unsettled. As fellow cyborgs, they were well aware of Xu Qiang's strength.
He was comparable to some of the Golden Generals of the Red Guard, akin to an advanced special alloy cyborg.
But still...
"Truly an eye-opener."
Du Shan sighed, his expression complex. After coughing a few times to steady himself, he was drawn to the countdown timer.
Not daring to delay further, they quickly began destroying the biological instruments' recorded data and scavenging the technological blueprints from Xu Qiang's corpse.
In that moment, unnoticed by anyone, the metal scimitar quietly shattered into fragments.
[Steel Bones LV4: 18/100]
[Azure Armor LV5: 21/100]
[Heart of Glory LV3: 46/100]
Chen Feng withdrew his gaze from the panel, shaking his head slightly.
These people were still only at the fourth tier, offering limited nourishment.
However...
"It seems the Ancient Taiduo civilization world I just encountered might have been a dream?"
Chen Feng speculated internally.
Because he hadn't gained any fear or glory from the battle to escort the Seed of Civilization.
This was very similar to his experience in the Dream World of Qinggang City.
Combined with Du Shan and others' experiences, he could sense that their encounters were vastly different.
"But, this biological essence..."
Chen Feng thought of the glass vial he had brought back, quickly falling into deep thought.
Without an answer, he eventually returned to the present as Du Shan and the others' actions caught his attention.
The countdown was getting shorter; they had to leave immediately.
"Let's go!"
Suppressing his stray thoughts, everyone nodded and began moving.
Since they were retracing their steps, the path was familiar.
Even though it was an upward staircase, their speed was much faster.
Eleventh floor, tenth floor, ninth floor, eighth floor...
Everyone moved in silence, alert as they made their way back.
Boom!!
Suddenly, the passageway shook, and everyone paused.
"What's going on?" Du Shan asked, alarmed, clearly seeing dust and debris falling from the cracks in the ceiling rocks.
The entire underground labyrinth seemed to be experiencing an earthquake, shaking continuously.
"Could it be that the Black Tide has arrived early?" Zhao Meng asked, her face pale from blood loss.
At these words, everyone's expressions changed, except for Chen Feng, who continued to charge forward.
"Let's leave first!"
He shouted a reminder, not stopping as he continued to rush forward.
Whatever the situation, leaving this place was the safest option.
Hearing this, the three of them snapped out of it, not daring to delay further, and hurried to follow.
For a moment, the passageway shook, and the labyrinth trembled.
Outside, the various corporate groups and military forces stationed nearby began to notice the anomaly.
"What's going on!"
A high-ranking military officer stationed there asked with a grave expression.
"There's a high-energy reaction coming from the depths of the labyrinth!"
"It seems like some powerful super-ancient creature has awakened, or perhaps some ultra-high-level energy has erupted!"
"Are there any other possibilities?"
"Yes! It could be that the Black Tide has arrived early, or the danger level has escalated!"
Similar speculations emerged continuously, as the outside world experienced a massive earthquake-like disturbance.
Cracks spread across the ground at the labyrinth's entrance, and the surrounding aircraft were startled, continuously rising in altitude.
The precision instruments of various forces were all disrupted, with parameters and statistical data suddenly spiking to their limits.
Everyone was shocked by this turn of events. In the Black Crystal Group's stationed area, Meng Anran walked out of her tent with a grave expression.
"Which floor are they on?"
"Boss, the positioning signal is very unstable; we can't determine."
Someone answered, as the signal on the projected screen had already been lost.
Meng Anran's expression darkened, somewhat worried.
Whether it was the Black Tide arriving early or some other anomaly, the sheer scale of this disturbance indicated significant danger.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Soon, seven or eight figures rushed out of the passageway entrance, drawing everyone's attention.
"It's the military!"
"And Jadeite Biotech!"
Amidst the exclamations, Meng Anran frowned slightly, not seeing Chen Feng and the others.
Whoosh!!
Several more figures rushed out, all clad in sturdy exoskeleton metal armor, with a shield emblem on them.
"It's Sky Shield Heavy Industries!"
"And over there, two from the Superhuman Group."
More exclamations arose as the labyrinth's tremors grew stronger.
Even though she was usually calm, Meng Anran felt a hint of anxiety.
At that moment, a woman in red from the neighboring area crossed her arms, pretending to be calm as she glanced over.
"Meng Anran, it seems your people aren't up to the task."
"Perhaps they've met their end inside."
Her tone was mocking, as if she had nothing to fear.
With three Martial Arts Grandmasters as dead weight, she believed her people could teach them a good lesson.
"Did you tamper with something?"
Meng Anran, quick-witted, immediately sensed something was wrong, her expression turning icy.
Zhong Yan didn't answer, just smirked coldly as she looked towards the labyrinth passageway.
Boom!!
The ground collapsed, the passageway erupted with fissures, and the tremors were earth-shattering.
But even so, several figures could be seen rushing out from the highest level of the passageway, level with the ground, heading outward.
"Hmph, it seems I guessed—"
Whoosh!!!
A burly young man rushed out of the passageway, standing under the sunlight.
He leaped, stepping on a patch of intact ground mid-air, using it to propel himself further, leaping continuously.
In the blink of an eye, four figures emerged from the underground labyrinth, their black bio-armor tattered, the black crystal emblem on their left arms particularly conspicuous.
Zhong Yan's expression froze, her unfinished words completely stuck in her throat.
"It seems the ones who aren't up to the task are someone else."
Meng Anran responded with a cold smile, then ordered her subordinates to go receive Chen Feng and the others.
"Grandmaster Chen!"
"Captain Du!"
The Black Crystal Group's security team quickly arrived in aircraft to receive Chen Feng and the others.
The ground fissures grew more severe, the surrounding forest shaking and collapsing, the destruction spreading.
Not daring to delay, Chen Feng and the four of them hurriedly boarded the aircraft, eager to get away.
But soon.
Boom!!!
A deafening roar erupted as the underground labyrinth's exit suddenly lifted off the ground, as if preparing to ascend.
A hurricane swept through, and the aircraft quickly activated force field shields to withstand the gale.
Chen Feng and the others ignored these details, all looking out the window.
The massive stone passageway continued to rise, the ground collapsing for several kilometers behind it, the forest trees all shattering.
Dust and smoke billowed into the sky.
But this didn't last long, as within the several-kilometer-wide collapsed pit, a massive brown object, integrated with the stone passageway, continued to ascend.
The military in the distance had already mobilized their warships, energy cannons at the ready, on high alert.
The various corporate groups were equally shocked and awed.
Finally, the ground fissures weakened, no longer spreading.
Everyone looked up to see, amidst the swirling dust and smoke, a massive structure floating in the air—an inverted pyramid!
"This!!"
Du Shan and the others inside the aircraft widened their eyes, now above the stationed area.
The massive inverted pyramid was particularly striking. Upon closer inspection, the stone passageway they had been in was merely a small opening at the top.
Their expressions froze; in that moment, everyone was utterly shocked.
"So the so-called underground labyrinth is actually a pyramid?"
Chen Feng's gaze flickered, completely unexpected.
The Ancient Taiduo civilization's ruins were too unique, far beyond many people's understanding.
Buzz!!
As they marveled, the aircraft slowly descended, landing in the Black Crystal Group's stationed area.
Outside, the crowd's exclamations and discussions continued. The hatch opened, and everyone stepped onto the ground.
"Boss."
Du Shan and Zhao Meng suppressed their amazement, quickly stepping forward to report.
Meng Anran withdrew her gaze, seeing Xie Xiao's corpse.
Cao Tong and the others waiting there had complex expressions, their awe at the inverted pyramid largely fading.
"Master..."
The middle-aged man who had accompanied Xie Xiao was grief-stricken, nearly kneeling to the ground.
Cao Tong supported him, sighing with pity.
"Was it Skyway Shipping?"
Meng Anran got the answer from Du Shan and Zhao Meng, her eyes turning cold as she looked towards Skyway Shipping's area.
As if sensing her gaze, Zhong Yan snorted coldly, knowing her people must have failed, and turned back into her tent.
Chen Feng took all of this in, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Having encountered Skyway Shipping's ambush in the labyrinth, he didn't believe it was without her approval.
"I will fulfill my promise to Grandmaster Xie."
"From now on, the Black Crystal Group will be the Lion Heart Sect's strongest backer."
Meng Anran withdrew her gaze, promising to seek justice for them.
The middle-aged man from the Lion Heart Sect suppressed his grief, nodding repeatedly in gratitude.
Amidst the hurried actions, Xie Xiao's corpse was temporarily taken away, Zhao Meng, remembering the life-saving favor, helped with the arrangements.
"What do you plan to do?" Chen Feng stood beside Meng Anran, watching Zhong Yan disappear into her tent.
He sensed her killing intent and didn't mind teaming up with her once.
Not just for Grandmaster Xie, but for himself as well.
"We need to wait for the right moment."
Seeing Chen Feng's subtle expression, Meng Anran didn't hide it, stating directly, "That bitch is still part of Skyway Shipping, and the military's surveillance here is strict."
She understood Chen Feng's meaning, whispering a reminder, "Moreover, that bitch is also a cyborg."
Hearing this, Chen Feng realized he had overlooked this point.
A cyborg meant her consciousness was likely uploaded, and even if killed, there was a high chance she could be rebooted and revived.
He didn't speak further, some ideas forming in his mind.
Since Meng Anran also had killing intent, this issue wouldn't be a major obstacle.
"Du Shan mentioned you also obtained a vial of biological essence."
The two of them tacitly dropped the subject, Meng Anran changing the topic, asking seriously.
Chen Feng nodded, then took out the serum vial he had brought back.
Instantly, Meng Anran's eyes lit up, immediately asking, "How do you want to trade?"
"Special Titanium, Radiant Grade preferred, Advanced is fine too."
"Or some essence supplements, medicinal liquids." Chen Feng made a bold demand.
"Deal."
Surprisingly, Meng Anran agreed.
"I can give you a high-grade life supplement, comparable to some of the Martial Arts Sects' secret medicines."
"As for the Special Titanium, I'll need to have it analyzed first. Some biological essences have been stored for too long, and their essence might have degraded, reducing their effectiveness."
She had some experience, and at the same time, military personnel appeared to discuss the sharing of this expedition's gains with the Black Crystal Group.
This was a rule previously established, the reason why major corporate groups were allowed to explore.
Chen Feng didn't push further.
He knew his own situation well; he was aware that the essence had already been absorbed by him.
Getting a high-grade life supplement wasn't a bad deal.
However, he added one more condition.
"Other ancient civilization exploration records and murals?"
"Yes, I'm curious about this history, and I hope to get expert explanations for my experiences in the labyrinth."
Chen Feng nodded, actually wanting to learn more about Ancient Taiduo's past and verify his own thoughts.
Unaware of his intentions, Meng Anran, though suspicious, agreed, ordering her subordinates to take the serum vial.
Meanwhile, military aircraft continuously arrived, and even new warships appeared, expanding the perimeter of the security cordon.
As time passed, more military personnel arrived to communicate and negotiate with the Black Crystal Group.
"It seems we won't be able to explore this place again anytime soon."
She sighed, looking again at the floating inverted pyramid.
Earlier, a high-ranking military officer had arrived, ordering the area to be temporarily sealed off.
Chen Feng didn't respond, just recalling his previous experiences.
The Ancient Taiduo civilization, invasion, and escape.
He couldn't help but wonder if this place was the ruins left behind by Gressa and the others when they arrived here.
Left specifically for their descendants?
As this thought flashed through his mind, seeing the military's actions to seal off the area.
He couldn't help but think of the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm.
Was the Ancient Taiduo Empire there a coincidence of the same name?
If not, could he return there to explore history and gain more useful information?
"Let's go."
Meng Anran's voice interrupted his thoughts.
The military had new demands, requiring these civilian forces to leave temporarily, preparing to clear and seal off the area, as if planning a major operation.
Without delay, the group quickly packed up, preparing to board the aircraft.
Chen Feng glanced at Skyway Shipping, where Zhong Yan was also preparing to leave with her subordinates.
His expression calm, his emotions gradually settled.
No matter the past, the present was the only reality.
Whether it was Ancient Taiduo or the Black Tide, everything was built on strength, and only the victors could write the final history.
With that, he prepared to leave.
But.
"Hmm?"
His senses tingled, and Chen Feng glanced into the distance.
The hatch of Jadeite Biotech's aircraft opened, and the young man he had seen earlier seemed to withdraw his gaze and enter, also leaving.
But why do you harbor a faint malice towards me?
(End of the Chapter)
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