90: Chapter 91, Main Stele No. 7

The moment the No. 7 Main Stele fully revealed its appearance, the grey soil in front of the stele collapsed with a roar—there was no deep pit as expected, only a hidden door entwined with black and red ancient patterns. It was as if iron chains that had been buried underground for a thousand years were suddenly dragged, and with every inch they moved, a low roar that rattled one's bones echoed from the fog layer.

The Main Stele's guardian swarm had awakened.

The three defensive lines Wen Zhao had just spiked down trembled instantly. He looked down at the fire line box, and the needle tips of the six Line-Marking Nails had actually been bent by the aura of the Main Stele. His tone was urgent: "The terrain in front of the stele is changing! The blood path we cleared is still passable, but ten zhang ahead, it's all under the Main Stele's control. Whoever steps in first will be attacked by the guardian swarm!"

Qiao Ye had just leaned against his shield to catch his breath, but hearing this, he immediately straightened up: "So we have to fight after all?"

The Cold Mirror Sovereign Crow behind Ning Yanqiu's shoulder suddenly chirped lowly. She raised her eyes to look at the high altitude of the Main Stele, her tone cold and sharp: "The high altitude is sealed off too. After the dark red fire ring pressed down, everything within thirty zhang of the stele top is filled with counter-winds. Birds can enter, but humans can't see the road conditions at all."

Lu Jin stood at the front of the team, his gaze locked tightly onto the Main Stele—this black and red giant stele, many times larger than the Outer Fire Well, looked like a section of a scorched city wall. The stele body was covered in ancient Royal Court fire patterns and Military Court repair marks. The two lines of patterns interlocked, and dark red firelight was hidden within the cracks. With every "breath" it took, the main core piece in his Divine Domain trembled in unison.

"The Main Stele is still alive; it is verifying its position." Grey Pupil's voice came from the Priest Court. His staff pressed against the ground, and the grey fire in his pupils burned intensely. "Verifying who can hold the front field."

Wu Fu held the egg tray, her tone rarely grave: "It is also smelling for the nest line. Lu Jin, if this stele recognizes you, your Second Branch Nest can move forward; if it doesn't recognize you, those guardian swarms will follow the nest scent and chase us to bite!"

The Vanguard Command in Lu Jin's palm was shockingly hot. The main core piece, authority fragments, Second Branch Nest, and Outer Fire Well—all the power he had managed on the front line was now being pulled by the aura of the Main Stele. This stele could twist his combat strength into a complete battle map, or it could instantly tear it to pieces.

Just then, Instructor Han Tiecheng's voice exploded from the iron fire order: "Vanguard Group, report status!"

"We can enter." Lu Jin's tone was firm, without a shred of hesitation.

Instructor Gu Pingchuan's voice followed immediately, carrying unquestionable seriousness: "Report the Divine Domain situation first!"

"The main core piece is stable, authority fragments are on standby in the outer ring, and the Priest Court can initiate the second Sacrificial Fire. The Second Branch Nest can supply two waves of low lines, with the third wave on standby. The Outer Fire Well can last for another half-quarter." Lu Jin spoke very quickly, each sentence precise and crisp.

"The Main Stele's front field has three stele base anchors: West, South, and Top. You are on the West line; take the West Anchor first!" Instructor Han Tiecheng's command was crisp and direct. "Remember, the West Anchor is the foothold for the subsequent echelons; if you can't hold it, retreat immediately!"

Wen Zhao looked up. At the bottom of the west side of the Main Stele, a black and red stone pillar half the height of a person slowly emerged. The fire lines on the stone pillar were connected to the Main Stele. In the fog layer, over a dozen pairs of dark red beast eyes lit up instantly, revealing murderous intent.

"The Top Anchor is blocked by fog; I can't see it clearly." Ning Yanqiu added, her gaze falling on Lu Jin. "You suppress the ground, I'll suppress the air. I'll control the counter-winds."

"Qiao Ye, push forward to seven zhang in front of the anchor and hold the front. Wen Zhao, deploy defense in three lines; don't let the second echelon step into the stele base fire zone." Lu Jin raised his hand, and black fire poured from his palm. "Enter the Main Stele's front field!"

The Vanguard Group advanced steadily. Just as they crossed the end of the blood path, the grey soil under their feet wrapped around their ankles like a living thing. The first batch of the guardian swarm crawled out from the fog—twelve Bone-Armor Furnace Guards, draped in broken stele fragments, with black and red stone pieces embedded in their limbs. The small fire eyes on their chests flickered alternately. They pressed forward with uniform steps; there were no roars, only the heavy sound of stone armor colliding, full of oppressive pressure.

"These things actually follow rules?" Qiao Ye grinned, his shield sinking as he took the first guard's charge head-on.

"The rules are what's most deadly. Every step they take is on the stele base fire line. If they walk any further, the West Anchor will be fully activated!" As soon as Wen Zhao finished speaking, Lu Jin commanded: "Low line, disrupt their steps!"

The Red-Eyed Rat Tide instantly surged from under the grey soil. They didn't pounce on the beasts' bodies but specifically bit the fire lines under the guards' feet. The first guard's step immediately faltered by half a beat. Qiao Ye seized the opportunity, pushing his shield diagonally to knock it off balance, exposing a narrow gap between the two rows of guards.

Wen Zhao's Line-Marking Nails flew out instantly, the three spikes landing precisely: "Lock feet, lock retreat, lock fire edge!" The fire lines lit up, and the gap was widened into a passage for people to pass through. Lu Jin immediately sent the Bone-Armor Furnace Guards to push in, shields splayed open, completely tearing apart the guards' formation.

The fire eyes on the chests of the stele-armored guards lit up in unison, and black and red fire spewed out from the gaps in their stone armor. Ning Yanqiu immediately raised her hand, and the Cold Mirror Sovereign Crow flapped its wings and dived. Cold white mirror lines shone toward the fire eyes. As the fire eyes dimmed, the Furnace Guards took the opportunity to advance another half-step. Qiao Ye followed closely, charging fiercely with his shield, forcibly suppressing the guards' counterattack.

Just then, the West Anchor stone pillar suddenly lit up. Dozens of fire lines pierced outward like vines. The Red-Eyed Rat Tide was swept, and instantly a patch of the rat swarm rolled backward, covered in sparks.

"It's burning the rats' eyes! This stele is too dirty!" Wu Fu shouted anxiously in the Divine Domain. Lu Jin immediately commanded: "Priest Court, open fire and control the low line!"

Grey Pupil raised his staff, and the grey fire atop the Priest Court descended into ancient ritual patterns: "Main Fire above, low line return to the nest!" The grey fire suppressed the West Anchor's fire vines, and the Red-Eyed Rat Tide took the opportunity to counterattack. Wu Fu also immediately filled the gap, and new rats surged from the Second Branch Nest, firmly holding the breach.

The dark red fire patterns in Lu Jin's eyes surged, and the black fire in his palm spread forward, his Divine Vision fully unfolding—the three-layered framework of the Main Stele's front field was clearly visible: the lower layer's West Anchor fire vines, the middle layer's guard formation, and the upper layer's counter-wind air seal. He curled his five fingers: "Control Zone Battle Map, establish!"

In an instant, the Grey Stele Post, Outer Fire Well, Second Branch Nest, and Priest Court all lit up simultaneously. Night Wing controlled the air, the rat tide guarded the ground, the Furnace Guards supported the center, and the Master Crow suppressed the wind. All forces were twisted into a complete battle map, firmly suppressing the control of the Main Stele's front field.

The Main Stele seemed to be enraged. A dull cracking sound came from deep within the stele body, and the fire eyes of the twelve guards instantly extinguished. In the fog, more slender black shadows emerged—Stele Shadow Beasts, without armor or scales, their figures like paper, dragging broken stele patterns, capable of moving freely along shadows.

"They are moving along the shadow lines!" Wen Zhao's expression changed drastically. Qiao Ye looked down and saw a black and red claw reaching out from under his shield. He backhanded his shield down, and the claw dissipated instantly, but another one had already darted out from his heel.

"I'll cut the middle shadow lines, you control the field!" The Cold Mirror light in Ning Yanqiu's palm surged. As the mirror lines swept across, the shadows were forcibly severed wherever they passed, and the movements of the Stele Shadow Beasts instantly slowed down.

"Wu Fu, close the nest shadow; Grey Pupil, use Sacrificial Fire to reinforce the edges!" Lu Jin issued commands in rapid succession. Wu Fu gritted her teeth and scattered eggshell ash, making the shadows of the rat swarm fade, so the Stele Shadow Beasts could no longer traverse them. Grey fire flowed out from the Priest Court, surrounding the control zone with a grey border, dividing the Stele Shadow Beasts into three segments.

Qiao Ye used his shield to suppress the front segment, Ning Yanqiu cut the aerial shadow lines, the rat tide counter-bit the lower segment, and Wen Zhao took the opportunity to place more spikes for defense. In just a few seconds, the Stele Shadow Beast swarm completely collapsed. The first round of the guardian swarm had been forcibly devoured by the Vanguard Group!

But the Main Stele did not give up. The West Anchor stone pillar suddenly ejected a black and red fire wheel. As it rotated, the entire west side of the stele base slowly raised, and the Control Zone Battle Map under Lu Jin's feet was fiercely pushed outward, as if a great force wanted to uproot his fire lines.

"The West Anchor is trying to flip the field; if you can't suppress it, retreat!" Instructor Han Tiecheng's voice carried urgency.

Lu Jin's eyes were firm; instead of retreating, he advanced: "Ning Yanqiu, borrow the headwind, shine on the back of the West Anchor!"

The headwind was the most dangerous counter-wind, but there was no retreat now. Ning Yanqiu immediately commanded: "Master Crow, take the headwind!" The Cold Mirror Sovereign Crow flapped its wings and ascended, with auxiliary crows protecting its sides, forcibly charging into the counter-wind. Borrowing the wind gap torn open by the Night Wing, it shone the mirror lines toward the back of the West Anchor—there was a Military Court repair mark hole plastered over with fire mud.

"Wen Zhao, mark the hole!" As soon as Lu Jin finished speaking, the Line-Marking Nail flew out along the ground, landing precisely beside the repair mark hole. Lu Jin's palm-black fire followed and drilled into the hole. The Main Stele shook violently, and the West Anchor's fire wheel stopped instantly.

Qiao Ye took the opportunity to push forward, the Furnace Guards held up shields, the rat tide bit through the fire vines, and the grey fire suppressed the outer ring. Lu Jin pressed the Vanguard Command fiercely into the ground, and the Military Court fire patterns on the black iron token rushed into the West Anchor: "West Anchor, account settled!"

The fire patterns of the West Anchor instantly submitted, and the control zone stabilized completely. On the Military Court battle map, the West Anchor position lit up with red light—this was the first stele base control right of the No. 7 Main Stele, firmly grasped in the hands of Lu Jin's Vanguard Group!

Just then, at the location where the West Anchor was recorded, the black and red fire mud on the front of the stele base split to the sides, revealing a narrow ladder only seven levels high, and beneath the ladder was a bottomless dark red fog layer.

"It is the Ruin Gate of the Main Stele's west lower layer." Grey Pupil's voice carried a hint of gravity.

Lu Jin crouched down, and a black and red stone slab flipped out from the bottom of the stele base. With a wipe of the black fire in his palm, the ancient characters on it slowly emerged—[No. 7 Rift Zone Main Stele West Lower Layer Entry Record]. The list included the old Royal Court craftsman seal, the Military Court repair team number, and the disposal status.

His gaze swept over quickly. The name of the Third Survey Team was clearly listed: Qi Heng, Shen Li... but only Observer Lu Chenyuan was missing. The three columns of Killed in Action, Missing, and Sealed—he searched through them all, but there was not a trace of him.

At the very bottom of the stone slab, a line of annotations, mostly scraped off, was vaguely visible. Ning Yanqiu shone the Cold Mirror light on it, and two cold characters emerged: "Upward Collection."

Lu Jin's fingertips gripped the stone slab tightly, and the stone shards were crushed to powder. The dark red fire patterns in his eyes pulsed violently—his father, Observer Lu Chenyuan, had no record of being killed in action, nor was he sealed. In the west lower layer of the Main Stele, not even his death had been recorded.