Speak of the devil, and he appears! The Knights of the Night make their dazzling debut!

"Ryan, it's truly a miracle that you survived." Ayla walked up to Ryan, patted his shoulder, her tone tinged with a hint of comfort.

She then turned her gaze toward Lin Yuan, her beautiful eyes filled with sincere gratitude.

"So you are friends from the East. Thank you for saving Ryan and helping us wipe out so many of the Divine Court's scum! On behalf of the Holy Knights Order, I express our sincerest gratitude!"

Ayla performed a standard knight's salute to Lin Yuan, her attitude warm and friendly.

The knights behind her also lowered their weapons one after another, the hostility on their faces turning into goodwill and curiosity.

However, the expression on Barton's face nearby seemed somewhat strange.

As he looked at Lin Yuan, the smile on his lips appeared exceptionally stiff and forced.

"Ye... yes, thank you... thank you to our friends from Longxia for your righteous aid."

He echoed dryly, but his eyes flickered, not daring to meet Lin Yuan's gaze.

"Since we are all here to oppose the Divine Court, we are on the same side! This is no place to talk; why not... invite you all to our base to rest, so we can fulfill our duties as hosts."

Barton extended the invitation enthusiastically.

Lin Yuan took in every subtle change in Barton's expression, a cold sneer forming in his heart.

Act. Keep acting.

As a Transmigration traveler familiar with the original plot, he knew better than anyone.

The Captain Barton before him, who appeared heroic and upright, was the very traitor who leaked the Third Squad's movements to the Divine Court, leading to the annihilation of Ryan's entire team!

The reason he appeared here was not a coincidence at all, but because he had received notification from the Divine Court to confirm whether the plan to destroy Black Stone Valley had succeeded.

Unexpectedly, however, he saw the Divine Court members completely wiped out, and Ryan, who should have been dead, standing alive before him.

One can imagine the shock and panic in his heart at this moment.

His reason for inviting his group to the Knight Order's base was likely ill-intentioned; he wanted to stabilize them and then find an opportunity to tip off the Divine Court.

However, Lin Yuan did not expose him on the spot.

For one, he did not have concrete evidence yet; rashly accusing a Knight Order captain of being a traitor would only cause unnecessary conflict.

Secondly... playing along and luring the snake out of its hole was sometimes much more interesting than simply swatting a fly.

Thinking of this, a lazy smile appeared on Lin Yuan's face, and he nodded.

"Very well. Since we have just arrived, we do need a place to stay."

"That's great!" Hearing this, Ayla's face broke into a happy smile. "Our base is not far from here, please come with us!"

Seeing Lin Yuan agree, Barton secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and the smile on his face became slightly more natural.

"Please!" With a wave of his hand, he led the knight squad to clear the way ahead.

Lin Yuan followed behind with Su Li and the Longxia Warriors.

Su Li walked to Lin Yuan's side and whispered, "This Barton seems a bit off."

With her keen perception, she naturally detected the abnormality in Barton just a moment ago.

Lin Yuan smiled noncommittally. "Wait and see."

Led by Barton and Ayla, the group left the bloody Black Stone Valley and headed in another direction across the desert.

Along the way, the enthusiastic and cheerful Ayla kept introducing the customs of the Oulu Continent and some basic information about the Holy Knights Order to Lin Yuan and Su Li, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

"Many people think that we, the Holy Knights Order, are still a bunch of old fossils wearing heavy armor, riding horses, and fighting with cold weapons."

Ayla said with a smile while riding her majestic unicorn warhorse, her long golden hair fluttering in the wind, looking quite beautiful.

"But in reality, we have long kept pace with the times."

"Although we have preserved the traditions, honor, and faith of knights, we have long integrated modern technology into our equipment and tactics. After all, when facing those increasingly powerful exotic beasts and eerie enemies like the Divine Court, relying solely on courage and longswords is far from enough."

Su Li nodded upon hearing this. This was very similar to the Tianshu Base in Dragon Xia Kingdom. It was also based on preserving traditional martial arts while actively integrating modern technology to cope with increasingly severe challenges.

"Then your base must be very modern too, right?" Su Li asked curiously.

"Of course!" A look of pride appeared on Ayla's face. "Our Fortress of Glory is one of the most advanced military bases in the Oulu Alliance! It is equipped with top-tier energy weapon Systems, holographic communication equipment, genetic medical pods, and virtual training rooms that can simulate various combat environments! We guarantee you won't be disappointed!"

Listening to Ayla's introduction, the Longxia Warriors all displayed expressions of curiosity and anticipation.

Lin Yuan, however, remained as calm as ever, seemingly not very interested in any of this.

After traveling for about half an hour, a massive fortress filled with a sense of futuristic technology appeared on the desert horizon.

The fortress was crafted entirely from a special silver-white alloy, reflecting a cold metallic luster under the dim yellow sunlight.

The outer walls of the fortress were covered with dense energy cannon ports and defensive matrices, and the towering watchtowers flashed with warning red lights.

Around the fortress was a massive energy shield, resembling an overturned transparent bowl, shrouding the entire base and emitting powerful energy fluctuations.

The moment they saw this fortress, even the knowledgeable Longxia Warriors could not help but exclaim in wonder.

"Wow! Is... is this the Knight Order's base? It's too sci-fi!"

"This scale, it feels even larger than our Tianshu Base!"

"With this defense System, I'm afraid even Martial God-level powerhouses would find it hard to break through easily."

A trace of solemnity appeared on Su Li's face. Judging solely from the scale and defense level of this base, the strength of the Holy Knights Order was indeed not to be underestimated.

It was no wonder that the Oulu Alliance could stand on equal footing with Dragon Xia Kingdom.

"Welcome to the Fortress of Glory!" Ayla introduced proudly to everyone.

Barton led the team to the main gate of the base, and after a series of complex identity verifications, the thick alloy gate slowly opened.

Entering the base, it was another scene entirely. On the spacious streets, knights wearing various types of armor were coming and going.

On both sides of the road were various buildings full of technological aesthetics, and small hovering patrol boats were constantly shuttling through the air.

Classical knight culture and cutting-edge future technology merged perfectly here, forming a unique style.

Barton brought Lin Yuan and his group to a dormitory building specially used for receiving distinguished guests.

"You have come from afar, and the journey must have been tiring." Barton squeezed out a smile and said, "I have already arranged accommodation for you all; please rest well here first. Food and hot water will be sent over later."

"I need to report the matter of Black Stone Valley to the Commander immediately, so I won't keep you company any longer."

After speaking, he hurriedly saluted Lin Yuan and Su Li, then turned around and left quickly with a few confidants.

His retreating figure appeared somewhat hurried and flustered.

Ayla stayed behind and enthusiastically assigned rooms to everyone.

"Lord Lin, Instructor Su, your rooms are on the top floor, with the best view. If you need anything, feel free to find me." Ayla blinked her beautiful azure eyes at Lin Yuan, her tone carrying a hint of something else.

Lin Yuan just nodded casually.

After everyone was settled, Lin Yuan called Su Li and a few squad leaders to his room.

"From now on, everyone must stay alert and take turns standing guard. Do not leave this dormitory building easily, and above all, do not eat any food or water they provide."

Although Lin Yuan's tone remained flat, the content made Su Li and the others' hearts tighten.

"Consultant Lin, are you suspecting... that Barton has a problem?" A squad leader couldn't help but ask.

Lin Yuan did not answer directly, only saying faintly, "One must always be on guard against others."

"I understand!" Su Li nodded immediately. She knew that Lin Yuan must have his reasons for saying so.

"I will arrange it immediately to ensure everyone maintains the highest level of vigilance!"

"Hm." Lin Yuan waved his hand, signaling they could leave.

After everyone left, Lin Yuan walked alone to the window, looking at the high-tech Knight base outside, a faint, almost imperceptible curve tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Barton... I hope you can bring me some surprises." He muttered to himself.

Night, deep as ink. Inside the Fortress of Glory, most areas had fallen into silence, with only the footsteps of patrol teams occasionally echoing in the alloy corridors.

In Lin Yuan's room, the lights were off. He sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes slightly closed, breathing steadily, as if he had entered a deep sleep.

However, his consciousness was incredibly clear. Just then, a cold and familiar mechanical notification sound rang out in his mind without warning.

【Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully thwarting the Divine Court's conspiracy to destroy the Dao in Black Stone Valley, clearing a major obstacle to creating a stable environment for lying flat!】

【Distributing mission rewards...】

【Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the special Physique reward: Lingxiao Sword Bone!】

【The Lingxiao Sword Bone is a supreme Dao body that ancient Sword Immortals dreamed of. This reward will temper all 206 bones in your body, transforming them into an indestructible Heaven-Piercing Sword Bone!】

【Physical Body strength greatly increased! With the Sword Bone protecting the body, all laws are warded off; your Physique will be tougher than the hardest Sharp Weapon!】

【Bones fuse with Sword Intent, flesh and blood resonate with Sword Qi, truly achieving the supreme Realm of "I am the sword, the sword is me"!】