199: Chapter 199 Entering the Ruins
"Are there any more?" Li Yu asked.
Liu Zhanxing said, "The second one, Qingyun Yi, is a well-known powerhouse of the new generation of the Saint Vault Wing Clan. He is arrogant and has declared that he will cut off your head in the Blood Refining Ruins to obtain the Legacy."
"Holy crap! What a big mouth!" Feng Hou exclaimed.
"The Saint Vault Wing Clan is a notoriously arrogant race. They all walk around with their noses in the air, thinking they are the 'best in the world' and looking down on everyone," Wei Long said.
"That name... I feel like I've heard it somewhere before..."
Chu Xiaolian frowned, lost in thought. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she said:
"Last year, during the open competition at the Thunder Dragon Mountain Secret Realm, in the pairs battle tournament, a team captain from Great Xia and a member of the Wing Clan were teammates."
"During the battle, he covered for that Wing Clan member multiple times, creating opportunities for them to defeat their opponents. Who would have thought that after winning, the Wing Clan member would suddenly turn their blade and ambush the captain? The captain was severely injured on the spot and eventually died after failed rescue attempts."
"We later found out that it was because our soldier captain's speed was faster than that Wing Clan member, who prided themselves on being a 'Spirit of the Sky.' This caused dissatisfaction, so they killed him."
"That Wing Clan member... I think they were called by that name?"
Everyone was shocked upon hearing this. Since it was Li Yu's first time hearing about this, he couldn't help but turn his inquisitive gaze toward Liu Zhanxing.
"That's right, it's him," Liu Zhanxing said. "However, I hope you will temporarily forget about these things. Your primary mission is to help Li Yu navigate the Blood Refining Ruins. It would be best if you can enter the core and obtain the rewards, but if you can't, at least make it out alive."
Everyone nodded in succession.
"Are there only these two?" Li Yu asked again.
"There are also the Canglan Fishmen and the Gongqin Clan."
Liu Zhanxing said, "In the Canglan Fishman team, there is one called 'Flying Dragon.' Last year, it reached Silver Grade 9 and has been suppressing its Breakthrough ever since. Its Physique and Water Element are trained to the absolute limit for its rank. It is said that it once used a single droplet of water to severely injure a Gold Grade 1 shark. Its strength is quite fierce."
"The leader of the Gongqin Clan is called Qin Shouyue. They are a Genius of the Gongqin Clan and possess the Elemental Stacking talent. They are a rare Genius among the younger generation and also a rare warmonger of the Gongqin Clan. I heard that when the captain of the ruins appeared, they were ready to spar, waiting to have a fight with Li Yu."
Hearing this, Li Yu's face darkened.
Damn it!
What kind of situation is this?
Of the four that need special attention, one is a mortal enemy of Great Xia, one is a bird-person who backstabbed their teammate, and one is a fishman who ambushes others.
The one that finally appeared to be somewhat normal is a battle maniac.
Before even entering the Blood Refining Ruins, several strong opponents have already been lined up. Very well, very well... It's as if they are afraid I won't die fast enough.
Liu Zhanxing patted Li Yu on the shoulder and comforted him, "With great power comes great responsibility."
"May I ask, what power do I have?" Li Yu asked.
"Uh... Breeder." Liu Zhanxing said it habitually, only realizing it was wrong a moment later.
Li Yu's face darkened even more. With a 'boom,' a dense aura of resentment and weariness emanated from him.
Liu Zhanxing took one look.
It's over.
The comfort backfired...
...
Over an hour passed quickly.
There were about ten minutes left until the teleportation began.
Liu Zhanxing took Li Yu aside to a separate area, opened a silver box, and began to introduce it:
"Your current Physique is not strong enough, and you can't carry much. These are carefully selected. When necessary, throw a few and shout 'Boom, damn it,' and it might save your life."
The silver box wasn't big, about the size of a suitcase. The items inside were not complex; they were just colorful objects that looked like soda cans, each with a pull tab.
Seeing this familiar shape, Li Yu's breath hitched.
It wasn't cola; it wasn't a beverage.
It was...
"The latest model of micro-element grenades, just shipped from the Imperial Capital today. They are sufficient to deal with Silver Grade threats," Liu Zhanxing smiled.
Li Yu's eyes lit up, and he asked, "How do I use them?"
"Pull the tab, and it explodes in 5 seconds. The explosion radius is 10 meters. The red ones are Fire, the purple ones are Lightning..." Liu Zhanxing introduced them one by one.
There were 20 in total: 4 Fire, 4 Lightning, 4 Ice, 4 Wind Blade, and 4 cyan ones—Life attribute grenades for healing.
Although the Blood Refining Ruins did not allow Beast Tamers with Nature or Life attributes to enter, it didn't say one couldn't bring healing grenades.
"There are 3 boxes in total. Don't be stingy once you're inside. If something doesn't feel right, use a grenade to scout the path. In short... staying alive is more important than anything else."
Liu Zhanxing said with a serious face.
The ruins chose Li Yu, and no one could object. After all, Ningyang City was not a major city, and they couldn't get their hands on high-powered weapons to help him; they could only scramble for some new technology from the Imperial Capital.
Li Yu closed the box and said in a deep voice, "Thank you."
"Time is almost up. Let's go."
"Mm."
The two arrived at the gate of the ruins, where the team members were already waiting.
Hum—
Suddenly, strong winds rose, and blood Qi permeated the air. The vortex in the sky rotated rapidly. Everyone looked up to see the blood-red gate slowly opening with a rumbling sound.
【Please select team members.】
A voice rang out in Li Yu's mind. It wasn't the System; it was the ruins.
Li Yu took a deep breath, steadied himself, and silently chanted, "Team members Chen Qing, Chu Xiaolian, Feng Hou, Wei Long."
【...Team member Feng Hou binding failed. Person not found within a 3-kilometer radius.】
Li Yu was slightly stunned.
Damn it, this Thief Hou—not only was his identity fake, but even his name was fake.
He didn't change his expression and silently chanted, "Then select the fatty next to me."
【Binding successful.】
At this moment, the gate opened completely.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
A surge of blood-red light poured out from the gate, instantly shrouding the sky over the entire valley. The stench of blood was so intense that it made Li Yu and the others dizzy.
When they regained their senses, they were terrified.
"Such dense energy. This... even a real blood pool wouldn't be this concentrated..." Wei Long exclaimed.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Chu Xiaolian got goosebumps all over.
Feng Hou swallowed hard, beginning to wonder if this mission would be the last one of his life.
Li Yu was not a professional Beast Tamer, and his weak Physique almost caused him to faint from the blood Qi. At the critical moment, Chen Qing squeezed his palm, pulling his consciousness back.
His entire back was soaked. He looked up at the sky, still shaken.
The energy released was already this terrifying; once inside the ruins, wouldn't he instantly pass out?
Li Yu couldn't help but wonder.
The next second, a powerful suction force emanated from within, and Li Yu and the others began to rise upward bit by bit.
Wei Long and Chu Xiaolian took deep breaths, nervous, their hands already prepared to summon. As soon as they landed, they would summon immediately.
Feng Hou's hand was in his pocket, gripping a short blade, secretly on guard.
Chen Qing rested her hand on her sword hilt, her attention fixed on Li Yu.
Watching them gradually approach the portal, the surrounding soldiers saluted one after another. Liu Zhanxing also looked up, his expression calm, his eyes filled with worry.
Letting a Breeder be the captain.
What exactly does this Blood Refining Ruins want to do?