167: Operation begins

Turtle Three Thousand, clutching the "ocean vastness spirit nurturing pearl" and filled with excitement, gratitude, and Gao De's expectations, arranged his subordinates' affairs and hurried into the secluded room prepared for his closed-door cultivation to begin breaking through to the third-tier Core Formation Realm.

Pure water Spiritual Qi permeated the spirit cave, and a small vortex of spiritual power slowly formed, signaling that a critical transformation was about to occur.

Gao De summoned Green Edge, Iron Pincer, and Lin Xiaofan, who was temporarily handling some internal affairs coordination.

The atmosphere in the main hall of the spirit cave was solemn.

Gao De sat high on the dais. The reforged purple scale earth-shaking armor on his body was as dark and deep as an abyss, and the thunder fang formation-breaking halberd rested quietly to his side, its blade occasionally flashing with a heart-stopping purple-gold cold light.

His gaze swept over the three core members below. Currently, Qianjiao Cliff relied on these three as its pillars, excluding the secluded Turtle Three Thousand.

"The mutations in the Sunken Abyss Sea Eye are intensifying. The Heavenly Demon Cult and the Thunder Tiger Demon King have both mobilized, and I have heard that the Qianjiang Dragon King's forces are also making moves," Gao De said, getting straight to the point in a steady voice. "This is a change not seen in Yunmeng Marsh for hundreds of years, and it is also an unprecedented Opportunity. We at Qianjiao Cliff cannot remain bystanders any longer."

Battle Intent rose in Green Edge's eyes, Iron Pincer's expression was grave but hinted at excitement, and Lin Xiaofan appeared somewhat nervous, though mostly focused on the heavy responsibility he had been entrusted with.

"My Lord, should we assemble our main forces and head to the Sea Eye?" Green Edge asked.

Gao De shook his head: "No. Although our strength has improved, our foundation is still insufficient compared to those great powers with thousands of years of Legacy. To blindly get involved in a head-on conflict is no different from throwing an egg against a rock."

He paused and continued: "Our advantage lies in the intelligence we have laid out in advance, our battle formations skilled in concealment and surprise attacks, and our status as local snakes. Therefore, our strategy for this trip to the Sea Eye is: sneak in quietly, hunt from the shadows, and wait for the right moment to act."

"Green Edge, Iron Pincer, you two shall select twenty of the most elite and stealth-skilled Demon Soldiers from your ranks, at least of second-tier strength, to form the 'Abyss Eye Reconnaissance Team'."

"Carry Magical Artifacts for concealment, protection, and communication, as well as sufficient Medicinal Pills for detoxifying, warding off evil, and stabilizing the mind."

"Lin Xiaofan, you are responsible for collecting the latest data on water veins, Spiritual Qi flow, and potential safe paths or dangerous area analyses around the Sea Eye, and preparing emergency support supplies."

"There are three objectives for this operation." Gao De extended three sharp claws.

"First, reconnaissance. Determine the current specific environmental changes on the periphery of the Sea Eye, the general distribution and movements of the various factions, and any new dangers or 'passages' that might appear after the Sea Eye erupts."

"Second, clear out the small fry. Provided that our own absolute safety is ensured, you may 'eliminate' isolated scouts or peripheral teams from hostile factions to obtain intelligence, weaken the opponent's eyes and ears, and create chaos."

"Third, and most importantly, determine the timing and target for entry. We must find the prey most suitable for us to 'bite' amidst the chaos."

"Remember," Gao De emphasized, "this is not a decisive battle, but reconnaissance and probing. Preserving ourselves is the top priority; you are absolutely forbidden from being greedy for merit, advancing recklessly, or exposing our main force. If you encounter irresistible danger or an existence above the fourth tier, retreat immediately according to the predetermined plan."

"Understood!" Green Edge and Iron Pincer replied solemnly.

"Lin Xiaofan, during Turtle Three Thousand's closed-door cultivation, you will temporarily coordinate internal affairs and intelligence transfers. If there is any major or urgent intelligence, you may contact me directly through the Heavenly Secret Realm." Gao De looked at this increasingly steady Cultivator.

"I obey! I will not fail the Lord's trust!" Lin Xiaofan bowed solemnly.

"Three days from now, before dawn, the 'Abyss Eye Reconnaissance Team' will depart secretly. I will accompany you for a portion of the journey. After confirming the peripheral environment, I will act alone. You are to execute the reconnaissance mission according to the plan and maintain regular contact." Gao De issued his final order.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Qianjiao Cliff accelerated quietly, like a precision gear. The twenty selected elites conducted final equipment checks and tactical briefings.

Gao De personally inspected everyone's condition and once again emphasized the purpose of the operation to the two demons leading the team.

In the darkest moment before dawn on the fourth day, a team that seemed to blend into the night left Qianjiao Cliff silently, heading toward the far west of Yunmeng Marsh, to that abyss where death and Opportunity coexisted—the Sunken Abyss Sea Eye.

Gao De took on his usual form and led the team. The 【Hidden Scale Concealing Scenery】 Divine Ability enveloped the entire team, ensuring that when this small group traveled at high speed underwater, they left behind only barely perceptible ripples.

The closer they got to the western waters, the more they could feel the oppressive, chaotic, and strange atmosphere permeating the air, mixed with pure water Spiritual Qi and foul Death Qi.

Occasionally, they encountered panicked low-tier aquatic creatures fleeing in the opposite direction, or saw faint flashes of combat light in the distant waters, which were immediately swallowed by the darkness.

Seven days later, they arrived at the "Sea Eye peripheral alert zone" designated in Turtle Three Thousand's intelligence.

The water here had turned pitch black—not due to pollution, but a reflection of its bottomless depth, impenetrable by light.

The water pressure increased sharply, and the currents were chaotic and disordered, at times calm as death, and at others stirring up terrifying undercurrent vortexes.

Divine Sense probing was greatly suppressed, and strands of gray-black "Soul-Eroding Death Qi" began to drift in the currents, capable of slowly eroding the Divine Soul and physical vitality of living beings. One had to constantly resist it with mana or specific Magical Artifacts.

"We have arrived." Gao De stopped and looked into the distance.

Even with his vision, he could only see an endless darkness churning with ominous energy. That was the entrance to the Sunken Abyss Sea Eye, an underwater black hole that seemed to devour all light.

Around the black hole, one could vaguely sense several powerful and hidden auras roaming and confronting each other; those were the great powers that had arrived earlier.

However, the strongest aura detected so far was only at the Late Stage of the third tier; there were no traces of any fourth-tier existences for the time being.

"According to the predetermined plan, split into ten-man groups and infiltrate for reconnaissance in a fan shape. Set a seven-day limit; regardless of whether you have made any gains, gather at this area to evacuate. If you encounter danger, prioritize self-preservation and use the 'Space-Breaking Thunder Talisman' to create chaos and retreat. Now, move out!" Gao De issued the final order.

"Yes!" The twenty elites bowed silently, then split into two groups. Like two agile fish, they used the complex underwater terrain and chaotic energy fields as cover, quietly dispersing in different directions and merging into the darkness.

Gao De took a deep breath and pushed his 【Hidden Scale Concealing Scenery】 to its current limit, his figure and aura almost completely merging into the background environment.

He did not choose to approach from the conventional direction, but instead dived toward an area on the side of the Sea Eye where the terrain was more rugged, the undercurrents were more violent, and the Death Qi was exceptionally dense.

"The more neglected a corner is, the more likely it is to hide unexpected things..." Gao De thought to himself, gripping the thunder fang formation-breaking halberd tightly in his claw, while the purple scale earth-shaking armor appeared on his body, ready to handle any sudden situation.

His figure, like the deepest shadow, cast itself toward the edge of the abyss that devoured everything.

The true game of the Sunken Abyss Sea Eye, with the deepening involvement of various factions and the entry of the shadows of Qianjiao Cliff, was about to raise the curtain on a more bloody and treacherous prologue.