129: Chapter 129 The Infiltration Plan, Ghost Face Reveals Its Power

Dusk at Purple Mountain; the blood-red setting sun shone upon the two opposing sides.

Lin Ye and Shi Potian were surrounded by over fifty elite players from the Primordial Royal Court, led by none other than the Blood Prince. His crimson pupils resembled burning charcoal in the twilight, and a cruel yet elegant smile hung on his lips as if everything were within his grasp.

"Lin Ye... Night Emperor..." The Blood Prince softly murmured the two names as if savoring something delicious. "The leader of the Heavenly Court, the person who made me lose face at the Ten Thousand Races Council, now trapped like two rats in a cage—what a... delightful scene."

The Archaic Race players behind him let out low, sinister laughs and growls, while the light from various weapons and Spells flickered in the twilight. Killing Intent and the scent of blood filled the air; battle was imminent.

Shi Potian forced himself to stand straight. Despite his heavy injuries, the pride of his Tyrant Body made him unwilling to show weakness before the enemy. The war saber in his hand trembled slightly, a sign that his stamina was nearing exhaustion.

Lin Ye, however, was exceptionally calm.

He looked at the Blood Prince while the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body operated quietly within him, sensing the aura, position, and even the emotional fluctuations of every enemy around him. A Rank 55 Blood Prince and over fifty Archaic Race elites between Ranks 45 and 53—this lineup was indeed powerful, but... not without flaws.

"Blood Prince," Lin Ye spoke slowly, his voice flat. "Do you think you've won?"

The Blood Prince raised an eyebrow. "Is it not so? You and your subordinate are at your wit's end, and I have over fifty elites here. Even if you truly possess the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, can you really take on fifty at once?"

"Of course not," Lin Ye actually admitted, then changed the subject. "But who said I'm going to fight you?"

The moment the words fell, Lin Ye moved.

But not toward the enemy. Instead—his left hand slammed onto Shi Potian's back, while his right hand brushed over his Storage Ring, and a Talisman shimmering with silver light appeared between his fingers.

[Great Void Evasion Talisman]

[Type: Special Talisman]

[Quality: Legendary]

[Description: An Advanced Talisman containing the Law of Space. It can ignore conventional spatial lockdowns to perform ultra-long-distance random teleportation.]

[Effect: Upon activation, randomly teleports the user and up to two companions to any location within a three-hundred-mile radius.]

[Usage Conditions: Consumes a massive amount of Qi. After teleportation, the user will enter a "Spatial Disorder" state for 30 minutes (all attributes decreased by 50%).]

[Note: Random teleportation carries risks; you may land in a dangerous area or be surrounded by enemies.]

This was one of Lin Ye's trump cards for saving his life, originally intended for a more critical moment. But now, facing the siege of the Blood Prince and over fifty Archaic Race elites, a direct confrontation would only lead to death.

"Stop him!" the Blood Prince's pupils shrank as he shouted sharply.

Too late.

Lin Ye had already activated the Talisman.

Silver spatial light erupted instantly, completely enveloping him and Shi Potian. The light distorted the surrounding space, causing all the incoming attacks—blood-red arrows, stone hammers, wind blades, and shadow spikes—to miss entirely, as if striking illusory images.

"Damn it!" The Blood Prince roared, his hands forming seals. A dense surge of blood-colored energy erupted from his body, transforming into a giant blood hand that lunged toward the silver light.

But the Great Void Evasion Talisman had already locked onto the spatial coordinates.

"Buzz—"

With a slight hum, the silver light suddenly contracted into a point and then vanished.

The blood hand grabbed nothing, slamming heavily into the ground and leaving a giant crater three meters deep. The blood energy at the bottom continued to corrode the rocks, making a sizzling sound.

"Chase them!" The Blood Prince's face turned ashen. "They used a random teleportation Talisman; they won't have gone far! Search everything within a three-hundred-mile radius from here! I want them found, dead or alive!"

"Yes!"

The Archaic Race players scattered, some taking to the skies, some diving into shadows, and some tunneling into the earth, launching a carpet search.

Meanwhile, in a hidden cave about two hundred and seventy miles from the Valley of Buried Soldiers.

A flash of silver light appeared, and the figures of Lin Ye and Shi Potian manifested out of thin air.

"Pfft—"

As soon as they landed, Lin Ye spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning as pale as paper. The consumption of the Great Void Evasion Talisman was far beyond expectations—not just Qi, but even his Bloodline and spirit had taken a hit. Combined with the previous cost of activating the War Puppet control token, his current state was abysmal.

Shi Potian's condition was even worse. Already heavily injured, he had been forced to endure the tearing force of the spatial teleportation. Now, he couldn't even stand steadily and collapsed directly to the ground, his breathing faint.

The cave wasn't large, only about a dozen square meters, but it was well-hidden, with the entrance completely covered by vines. Judging by the marks inside, it seemed to have once been the lair of some beast, though it had been abandoned for a long time.

Lin Ye forced himself to check the cave entrance. After confirming it was safe, he slumped to the ground and began to meditate.

The recovery ability of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body far exceeded that of an ordinary person, but the consumption this time was too great. He estimated it would take at least two hours to recover to a combat-ready state. As for Shi Potian... without specialized medical care or healing potions, it would likely take much longer.

More troubling was that the Blood Prince would definitely not let this go. The Primordial Royal Court had operated in Purple Mountain for a long time and had strong control over this area. Although the random teleportation had allowed them to escape for now, as long as they were still within the range of Purple Mountain, it was only a matter of time before they were found.

They had to leave Purple Mountain as soon as possible.

But how?

Lin Ye's mind raced.

A frontal Breakthrough was definitely out of the question given his poor state. As for a disguised infiltration... the Primordial Royal Court would certainly be on high alert now, and all exits from Purple Mountain would be strictly inspected.

Moreover, he hadn't obtained the star token yet.

The most important goal of this infiltration into Purple Mountain was the star token. Now, not only had he failed to get it, but he had also exposed his whereabouts and alerted the enemy. Obtaining it in the future would be many times more difficult.

Unless...

A flash of determination crossed Lin Ye's eyes.

Unless he went to get it now!

The most dangerous place is the safest place. The Blood Prince would never expect that after just escaping pursuit, they wouldn't run away but would instead turn back and sneak into the Valley of Buried Soldiers to steal the star token.

But the risk of this plan was too high. In their current state, let alone sneaking into the heavily guarded Shi Clan Tribe camp, they might even fall if they encountered a common patrol.

He needed someone to back him up and a more reliable method of infiltration.

Lin Ye took out an emergency communication Jade Slip from his Storage Ring; this was an internal Heavenly Court tool with an effective range of five hundred miles. He injected a faint wisp of Qi and sent out a distress signal.

Then, he began to check his equipment.

Regarding disguise items, the Thousand Illusion Mask was still there, but he had used it once before, and the cooldown wasn't over yet. Furthermore, the Blood Prince had already seen his Winged Race disguise, so using it again would be easy to see through.

He had two Aura Shielding Talismans left, but their effect was limited and couldn't completely deceive the perception of high-level players.

He was out of Earth Escape Talismans, had two Explosive Spirit Talismans left, and Shi Potian had already used the last bottle of healing potion...

As Lin Ye was inventorying his gear, his gaze fell upon an item.

It was an ancient bronze ghost mask. The mask's expression was half-crying and half-smiling, with two hollow holes for eyes and fine, writhing patterns like living creatures carved around the edges.

[bronze ghost mask]

[Type: Special Mask]

[Quality: Legendary (Growth Type)]

[Description: An ancient mask suspected to be related to the Ruthless Great Emperor, containing mysterious power. Long-term wear may produce unknown effects.]

[Current Effects:]

[1. Illusion: Can perfectly transform into the appearance of any Human Race or humanoid race seen (including body type, skin color, hair color, eye color, and other details). Duration: 24 hours. Cooldown: 72 hours.]

[2. Concealment: While worn, aura concealment effect +80%, capable of shielding most detection Spells and perception abilities.]

[3. Ghost Mask Might: Deals an additional 50% damage to ghosts, undead, and grudge-type creatures, and produces a deterrent effect on them.]

[4. ??? (Locked)]

[Usage Condition: Divine Sense ≥ 5000]

[Negative Effect: Long-term wear may lead to personality changes, creating a "half-crying, half-smiling" emotional split tendency. Recommended single wear time not to exceed 12 hours.]

The bronze ghost mask!

This was an item obtained along with the ruthless ones inheritance in the abyss of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land. Lin Ye hadn't used it much before, partly because the usage conditions were harsh (it required 5000 Divine Sense, which he hadn't reached), and partly because he was wary of the "personality change" negative effect.

But now, after reaching the Peak of the Four Extremities, his Divine Sense had reached 5200, meeting the usage condition. And the predicament before him seemed to require exactly this Legendary mask to provide sufficiently powerful disguise and concealment.

Perfect illusion, aura concealment +80%...

If he could transform into the appearance of a Shi Clan player and combine it with the mask's concealment effect, he might actually be able to sneak into the Shi Clan Tribe camp and steal the star token!

But risks still remained.

First, he hadn't verified the illusion effect of the bronze ghost mask yet, so he didn't know to what extent it could actually reach.

Second, the Shi Clan Tribe would definitely be on high alert now, and the star token was their sacred object, so the guards would inevitably be extremely tight.

Third, his and Shi Potian's conditions were too poor. If an accident occurred during the infiltration, they would have almost no power to resist.

Just as Lin Ye was weighing the pros and cons, the communication Jade Slip suddenly vibrated.

It was Su Qingyue!

"Lin Ye, where are you? The backup team and I have reached the outskirts of Purple Mountain, but we found the Primordial Royal Court conducting a large-scale search of the mountain, so we can't go deeper." Su Qingyue's voice carried a sense of urgency.

"We're in a cave about two hundred and seventy miles northwest of the Valley of Buried Soldiers. The specific coordinates are..." Lin Ye gave the location. "Shi Potian is heavily injured, and my state is also very poor. The Primordial Royal Court is searching for us; we need support."

"I'll bring people over immediately!" Su Qingyue said without hesitation. "But the Primordial Royal Court's blockade is very tight; it might take some time."

"No, don't rush over yet," Lin Ye said. "I need you to cooperate with a plan."

He briefly explained his infiltration idea.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, followed by Su Qingyue's calm voice: "It's too risky. You're not in good shape right now. Sneaking into the Shi Clan Tribe alone—if you're discovered..."

"That's why I need your cooperation," Lin Ye said. "You and the backup team don't need to enter the depths of Purple Mountain. You just need to create Chaos on the outskirts of the Valley of Buried Soldiers to draw the Primordial Royal Court's attention. I'll take advantage of the Chaos to sneak in, steal the star token, and then meet up with you to retreat."

"What exactly should we do?"

"In one hour, create a 'Yao Beast riot' southeast of the Valley of Buried Soldiers," Lin Ye said quickly. "There's a special type of Yao Beast in Purple Mountain called 'Amethyst Scorpions.' They live in groups, are highly territorial, and are sensitive to blood Qi. Take some blood bags there, and after detonating them, the Amethyst Scorpion swarm will riot and charge toward the source of the blood Qi."

"To suppress the riot, the Primordial Royal Court will inevitably divert manpower. At that time, the guards at the Valley of Buried Soldiers will be relatively thin, which will be the best time for me to sneak in."

Su Qingyue considered the feasibility of the plan. "It's possible. But how will you sneak in? The Shi Clan Tribe's camp defenses are very tight. Even if the guards are reduced, it will be hard to get in silently."

"I have this." Lin Ye picked up the bronze ghost mask. "It allows me to perfectly transform into a Shi Clan player. Combined with aura concealment, the success rate is very high."

"...Understood." Su Qingyue finally agreed. "In one hour, I will create the Chaos on time. But you must be careful. If things don't look right, retreat immediately. We can find another way to get the star token later."

"I know."

The communication ended.

Lin Ye looked at Shi Potian, who, though weak, was still conscious.

"Boss... are you really going alone?" Shi Potian struggled to sit up. "I... I can still fight..."

"Your task now is to recover properly." Lin Ye pressed him down. "This cave is very hidden; it should be safe for a short time. I'll set up a simple concealment Formation at the entrance, and you can meditate here. If... if I'm not back within two hours, use this."

He placed a small teleportation Talisman in Shi Potian's hand. "This is a One-way Teleportation Talisman. Once activated, it will teleport you to a preset coordinate on the outskirts of Purple Mountain. Su Qingyue will be there to meet you."

"Then you..."

"I'll find a way to get out." Lin Ye didn't say more.

He began to set up a concealment Formation. Although the effect of the Formation would be greatly diminished in his current state, it could at least mask Shi Potian's aura fluctuations and prevent him from being discovered by passing Archaic Race players.

After setting up the Formation, Lin Ye sat cross-legged and began to meditate.

The recovery speed of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body was indeed astonishing. Coupled with the operation of the Chaos Scripture, his damaged Meridians and Qi Sea were repaired at a visible rate. An hour later, although he was still far from his Peak state, he had recovered at least fifty percent of his combat power, which was enough to execute the infiltration plan.

Time was up.

Lin Ye stood up and checked his equipment one last time.

The bronze ghost mask, Aura Shielding Talismans, two Explosive Spirit Talismans, several Medicinal Pills to replenish spiritual power, and... a special Storage Ring.

This ring was custom-made for him in the Divine City. Its internal space wasn't large, only one cubic meter, but it had a special function—it could temporarily store "living things" (limited to Puppets without life force, creations activated by Talismans, etc.). He planned to use this to store the star token because the star token had a Bloodline resonance. Carrying it directly on his person might be detected by the Shi Clan Tribe, but the Storage Ring could shield part of that resonance.

Everything was ready.

Lin Ye took a deep breath and placed the bronze ghost mask on his face.

The moment the mask touched his skin, a cold, eerie sensation—as if countless tiny tentacles were wriggling—washed over him. Those tentacles weren't real; they were the power contained within the mask attempting to establish a connection with him.

Lin Ye's Divine Sense actively reached out, meeting and merging with the mask's power.

In his mind, countless fragmented images suddenly surfaced—a woman wearing the same mask standing alone atop a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, her expression half-crying and half-smiling as she held a dripping longsword; an ancient altar where countless people knelt in worship, the mask floating in the center of the altar, absorbing faith and fear; a dark abyss where the mask had slept for untold ages until it was picked up by a pale hand...

These images flashed by, but they left a deep imprint.

Lin Ye felt a flicker of emotion, as if another version of himself were whispering in his mind. The voice carried a sob and a laugh, eerie and mysterious.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

However, he forcibly suppressed this strangeness, focused his mind, and began the transformation.

In his mind, the image of 'Yanshan,' the captain of the Shi Clan squad he had encountered earlier, emerged—a tall, sturdy build, gray-white stone skin, a rugged face, three markings on his forehead resembling rock cracks, and a pair of eyes that were both resolute and fierce.

The bronze ghost mask emitted a faint bronze luster, and the wriggling markings on the mask's edges began to spread along the contours of Lin Ye's face, covering his entire head before extending downwards to his neck, shoulders, and chest...

His body began to change.

His bones emitted a faint crackling sound, his muscles reshaped themselves, and his skin color gradually shifted from a normal human tone to the gray-white peculiar to the Shi Clan, with subtle stone textures even appearing on the surface. His height increased by ten centimeters, his shoulders became broader, and his arms grew thicker. Even his hair turned into the coarse, gray-brown short hair as hard as steel wire commonly seen among the Shi Clan.

Five minutes later, the transformation was complete.

Lin Ye walked to a puddle of water inside the cave and looked down.

The reflection in the water was entirely that of a strange Shi Clan warrior. That face was rugged and fierce, the gaze sharp, and the three rock-crack markings on his forehead were clearly visible. Even his aura had transformed into the heavy and steady 'Earth Aura' unique to the Shi Clan.

Perfect.

The transformation effect of the bronze ghost mask was even more powerful than he had imagined.

Lin Ye moved his body; although his physique had changed, there was no sense of sluggishness in his movements, as if this were his original body. Even his voice had become deep and resonant, carrying the unique accent of the Shi Clan.

[System Prompt: bronze ghost mask transformation effect activated. Current transformation target: Shi Clan warrior 'Yanshan' (Template). Duration: 23 hours 58 minutes.]

[Aura Concealment effect activated. Detection success rate of standard detection Spells against you reduced by 80%.]

[Negative effect impact: Your emotions have developed slight fluctuations, with alternating tendencies of 'indifference' and 'violence.' Please maintain a clear mind.]

The negative effect was real, as expected.

Deep within, Lin Ye felt a sense of indifference toward life and an urge for destruction surging alternately. He circulated the Chaos Scripture, and the Chaos Power flowed through his body, suppressing that strange emotion.

He could still control it, but he had to be quick.

He took one last look at Shi Potian, who was still adjusting his breathing, then turned and left the cave silently.

Twilight had fully descended, and Purple Mountain was shrouded in a deep purple Nightfall. There was no moon in the sky, only sparse stars, but the faint fluorescence of Purple Mountain itself prevented the view from being completely dark.

Relying on his memory, Lin Ye moved rapidly toward the Valley of Buried Soldiers.

His current appearance was 'Yanshan,' the captain of the Shi Clan squad. Although the real Yanshan had died at the hands of the mine's War Puppet, this news likely hadn't reached the tribe yet—players needed time to respawn after death, and after respawning, they needed time to rush back from the respawn point. This time gap was his opportunity.

On the way, he encountered three patrol squads.

The first was a group of four Shi Clan players. When they saw Lin Ye (disguised as Yanshan), they were stunned for a moment, then respectfully saluted: 'Captain Yanshan! Aren't you pursuing that member of the Human Race? Why...'

Lin Ye imitated Yanshan's rugged voice and tone: 'That bastard used an Evasion Talisman to escape, so I've returned to report to His Highness the Blood Prince. Continue your patrol and stay vigilant!'

'Yes!'

The second was a mixed squad of two Blood Clan members and one Shadow Clan member. They had no suspicions about Lin Ye's identity and let him pass after a simple interrogation.

The third was a pair of Feather Clan players patrolling in the air. They circled a few times and scanned Lin Ye with detection Spells, but because of the concealment effect of the bronze ghost mask, they only detected 'Shi Clan, Rank approximately 53, normal aura,' and flew away.

Three encounters, all passed smoothly.

The effect of the bronze ghost mask was verified—the concealment success rate was at least over 95%!

This greatly boosted Lin Ye's confidence.

An hour later, he approached the Valley of Buried Soldiers.

From afar, the lights of the Shi Clan Tribe camp in the valley could be seen. The camp seemed even more heavily guarded than before; the guards on the watchtowers had increased, and there were squads patrolling outside the camp walls.

But just as Lin Ye was preparing to find an opportunity to sneak in—

'BOOM!'

A huge explosion suddenly came from the southeast of the Valley of Buried Soldiers.

Immediately following it were waves of tooth-aching 'crackling' sounds and sharp screeches.

The Amethyst Scorpions were rioting!

Su Qingyue had launched the plan right on time!

In the mountain forest to the southeast, countless scorpions flickering with purple light poured out like a tide. Each of them was the size of a calf, their carapaces as translucent as amethyst, and the poisonous stingers on their tails flashed with an eerie blue light. These Amethyst Scorpions were usually scattered throughout Purple Mountain, but now, attracted by the blood energy, they had gathered into a massive beast tide and were rushing toward the direction of the explosion.

And in that direction, there happened to be several patrol squads of the Primordial Royal Court.

'Enemy attack! It's an Amethyst Scorpion riot!'

'Quick! Notify His Highness the Blood Prince! Mobilize troops to suppress them!'

'Cannot let the beast tide impact the camp!'

The entire Valley of Buried Soldiers fell into Chaos instantly.

Squads of Archaic Race players rushed out of the camp to meet the beast tide. The patrolling Feather Clan players in the air also turned around to provide support. Even the guards on the camp walls had many pulled away, leaving only basic security forces.

The opportunity had arrived!

Lin Ye did not hesitate any longer; he detoured to the side of the camp, where a section of the wall was relatively low, and there was an area nearby for stacking miscellaneous items, creating a blind spot in the guards' line of sight.

He observed for a while to confirm the guards' patrol pattern—every three minutes, a two-person squad would pass by this section of the wall, stopping for about thirty seconds each time to scan the surroundings with detection Spells.

Taking advantage of a patrol gap, Lin Ye rushed to the wall like a ghost. He didn't climb over; instead, he—Earth Evasion!

This wasn't an Earth Evasion Talisman, but a minor Spell recorded in the Chaos Scripture called 'Earth Evasion Art.' Although not as fast or stealthy as an Earth Evasion Talisman, it was barely enough with the support of the bronze ghost mask's aura concealment.

His body sank into the ground as if merging into water, moving toward the inside of the wall.

He passed through the three-meter-thick stone wall in five seconds.

When Lin Ye silently emerged from the ground inside the wall, he was already standing inside the Shi Clan Tribe's camp.

Before him were neatly arranged stone houses and tents; a bonfire burned in the central open space, and further away was the altar dedicated to the star token.

Around the altar, there were still eight Shi Clan warriors guarding it, all above Rank 50. But compared to the previous scale of over twenty people, it was less than half.

Lin Ye didn't act immediately; he first observed the environment.

Although the guards in the camp had been reduced, there were still mobile patrols and fixed posts. He needed to find a perfect route to avoid all lines of sight and approach the altar.

Moreover, the altar itself might have defensive measures.

Lin Ye activated the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body and turned on the 'Chaos Pupil' (a capability brought by the Chaos Star Art), and faint Chaos light appeared in his eyes.

Under the vision of the Chaos Pupil, the world turned into lines of energy flow. He saw a faint blood-colored light barrier above the camp—that was the warning enchantment set up by the Blood Prince; any creature without the Archaic Race Bloodline passing through would trigger an alarm.

But he was now 'Shi Clan,' so he could pass safely.

Around the altar, there were six invisible energy lines arranged in a hexagon, forming a defensive Formation. In the center of the Formation, the star token was floating, constantly absorbing moonlight and emitting soft starlight.

The Formation was complex, but in his past life, Lin Ye had studied Formations quite deeply, and he quickly saw the flaw—this Formation was set up by a Shi Clan Shaman, utilizing the power of the earth, but it had one weakness: at the moment when the moon was highest in the sky and the moonlight was strongest, the Formation would have a momentary sluggishness in energy conversion, which was the most vulnerable time for the Formation.

And now, there was about a quarter of an hour left until the moon was highest in the sky.

Lin Ye waited patiently.

He hid in the shadows where Ore was piled up, motionless like a real rock. The concealment effect of the bronze ghost mask allowed him to blend completely into the environment; even if a guard walked past within three meters of him, they didn't notice anything unusual.

Time passed minute by minute.

The sounds of the Amethyst Scorpion riot gradually subsided; it seemed the Chaos created by Su Qingyue had been suppressed. But the guards in the camp didn't return immediately, clearly still cleaning up the aftermath and strengthening the outer perimeter.

Finally, in the night sky, that crescent moon shrouded in purple mist rose to its highest point.

Moonlight penetrated the purple mist and sprinkled onto the altar.

The star token suddenly shone brightly, doubling its efficiency in absorbing moonlight. The six invisible energy lines around the altar also trembled slightly at this moment, and the energy flow showed a sluggishness of less than one-tenth of a second.

Now!

Lin Ye moved.

He rushed out from the shadows like an arrow released from a bow, his speed exploding to the limit, yet he didn't make any sound. The Chaos Domain was quietly expanded; although the range was only three meters, it was enough to distort light and sound, making him like a true ghost.

In three seconds, he covered the fifty-meter distance and arrived at the edge of the altar.

Of the eight Shi Clan warriors guarding the altar, five had their attention drawn by the anomaly of the star token and were looking up at the sky. Although the other three remained vigilant, their lines of sight had blind spots.

Lin Ye cut in from a blind spot, his right hand reaching out like lightning to grab the floating star token.

But just as his fingers were about to touch the token—

'Hum...'

The star token suddenly emitted a slight humming sound.

An invisible wave spread out.

The special Storage Ring in Lin Ye's possession suddenly became slightly hot.

And in front of the altar, a Shi Clan Shaman who had been meditating with closed eyes suddenly opened them.

Those were eyes that were completely cloudy, as if carved from stone, but at this moment, they erupted with astonishing brilliance.

'An outsider... is touching the holy object!'

Exposed!

But Lin Ye's hand had already grasped the star token.

It felt cold to the touch, like the highest quality jade. The star markings on the surface of the token felt slightly hot in his palm, as if they were beating like a living thing.

There was no time to hesitate.

Lin Ye directly stuffed the star token into the special Storage Ring.

The ring's spatial barrier activated instantly, completely isolating the aura of the star token.

Meanwhile, the Shi Clan Shaman had already stood up, his bone staff pointing at Lin Ye, and he uttered a sharp, rock-grinding incantation:

'Earth Binding!'

The ground suddenly softened, turning into a quagmire, and countless rock tentacles extended from the mud, entangling Lin Ye's feet.

The eight guards also reacted and pounced on him with roars.

'Enemy attack!'

'Someone is stealing the holy object!'

'Stop him!'

The entire camp boiled over instantly.

Lin Ye snorted coldly, fully expanding the Chaos Domain; once those rock tentacles entered the Domain's range, they were instantly eroded and disintegrated by the Chaos Power. He kicked off the ground, his body shooting backward like a cannonball, while his left hand waved, throwing two Explosive Spirit Talismans at the pouncing guards.

'BOOM! BOOM!'

The violent explosion blew four guards away, filling the air with smoke and dust.

But more guards swarmed in from all directions, and the warning horns sounded from the distant watchtowers.

Lin Ye didn't look back and sprinted toward the perimeter of the camp.

He was currently in the guise of 'Yanshan,' but his actions just now had completely exposed him. He had to rush out before others could fully react!

'Stop that imposter!'

'He stole the star token!'

'Kill him!'

Roars, the whistling of Spells, and the sound of weapons piercing the air came from all directions.

Lin Ye pushed his speed to the limit, the power of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body surging within him. Like a nimble leopard, he weaved through the camp, dodging one interception after another.

The wall was right ahead.

But suddenly, six Feather Clan players appeared on the wall, drawing their longbows, cyan wind arrows locking onto Lin Ye.

'Fire!'

Six arrows pierced the air, sealing off all angles of evasion.

A dead end?

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Lin Ye's eyes.

He didn't dodge or evade; instead, he accelerated his sprint, while his right hand wiped across his waist, and the last Talisman appeared in his hand.

This wasn't an Evasion Talisman, nor was it an attack Talisman; it was a—

[Mirror Image Talisman]

[Type: Special Talisman]

[Quality: Rare Rank]

[Description: Can create a mirror Clone completely identical to the user, lasting 10 seconds, possessing 30% of the main body's attributes, and capable of executing simple commands.]

[Effect: After activation, creates a mirror Clone to attract the enemy's attention, while the main body enters a 3-second 'Visual Ignore' state (cannot be directly visually locked).]

The Talisman was activated.

Another 'Lin Ye' (Yanshan appearance) appeared three meters to his left, sprinting in another direction.

All six wind arrows shot toward that mirror image.

And the real Lin Ye, under the support of the 'Visual Ignore' state, rushed toward the wall as if invisible. He leaped up, tapped his right foot on the wall, and vaulted out of the camp.

Behind him came the sound of the mirror image being shattered and the roars of the guards.

'He ran away!'

'Chase! Must not let him take the holy object!'

But Lin Ye had already disappeared into the night of Purple Mountain.

He followed the pre-planned evacuation route, sprinting toward the meeting point agreed upon with Su Qingyue.

The bronze ghost mask was still on his face, but at this moment, deep in the eye sockets of the mask, a faint, eerie smile seemed to flash by.

It was like crying, yet like laughing.

And in the Storage Ring, that star token was slightly hot.

The first star token was obtained.

But what Lin Ye didn't know was that at the moment he stole the star token, the Shi Clan Shaman in front of the altar was not angry; instead, he revealed a strange expression, as if he had expected it.

He knelt before the altar and whispered in the ancient Shi Clan language:

'Star God's guidance... the holy object departs... the path of Legacy... is about to open...'

'He who holds the holy object... shall surely return...'

'At the end of the Ancient Star Road...'

The voice was low, dissipating into the night wind.

No one heard it.