85: Chapter 85 Ten Directions of Power

"Is the information accurate? Where is the core located?" Mo Yufei immediately pressed.

"My teacher sent the precise coordinates. It's in the central area of the eight light pillars in the Fragment World, where a natural altar has risen. The news is definitely correct; the academy's detectors have already picked up the energy fluctuations of the core." Wang Chen quickly organized the information on his wristband.

"Every faction must have gotten wind of this by now. The people from the Blood Killing Hall will definitely rush to the altar immediately. This is likely why the Blood Killing Hall didn't send anyone to hunt you down later on."

Wang Chen stepped forward quickly and patted Mo Yufei on the arm, his tone urgent and solemn: "We need to go now. The various factions are already fighting over there at the Fragment World altar. If we're any later, it'll be too late!"

The two of them turned around immediately and walked quickly out of the temporary lounge.

As soon as they stepped out of the room, they saw the scene in the base was orderly yet hurried. The researchers from Kunlun Biotechnology were methodically boarding the large airship docked in the open space, their luggage and scientific equipment already loaded.

While Wang Chen was introducing the genetic serum to him earlier, Yang Qingyu had gone out a step ahead to coordinate the evacuation from the Fragment World with the federal personnel, and he was now standing among the crowd.

Yang Qingyu spotted Mo Yufei coming out immediately, rushed forward, and grabbed his hand.

"Brother, let's evacuate. I heard they're already fighting in a melee over there. Every faction in this world has lost their minds—fighting over some core? That's not something we can get involved in. If we don't leave now, it'll be too late!"

Hearing this, Mo Yufei calculated in his mind, but his face remained calm.

From the very beginning, he hadn't intended to fight for the Fragment World core. Although this world was rich in resources, it couldn't compare to his own secret realm. Even if he seized it, who knows when someone might break through the space barrier and invade.

His true goal had always been the energy crystal mines that no one in the Fragment World was paying attention to.

Now that the various factions had gathered at the altar for a chaotic battle, they would surely be too busy to scavenge the surrounding energy crystal mines. He could take advantage of the chaos to sneak in and quietly collect them on a large scale.

Having made up his mind, Mo Yufei spoke with a firm tone: "I know the risks. I won't go to fight for the core, but I have other business to attend to. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"Other business? What could possibly be more important than saving your life right now!" Yang Qingyu frowned anxiously, still refusing to let go.

"It's the energy crystal mines. I'll go collect a batch while they're fighting. I won't get close to the center of the altar."

Mo Yufei then patted Yang Qingyu on the shoulder and earnestly urged him, "Don't worry about me. Hurry and leave with the main group. Remember, take care on the way, keep a low profile, don't be too conspicuous, and just make sure you stay safe."

He knew that Yang Qingyu currently lacked the ability to protect himself, and evacuating with the airship was the safest choice.

As for him, he had his own secret realm; he could finish collecting the energy crystal mines during the chaos and retreat unscathed. There was no need to get involved in the dispute over the core.

Seeing the firm look in his eyes, as if he wasn't going to put himself in danger, Yang Qingyu finally let go and nodded through gritted teeth: "Then you must be careful. Don't get greedy; take what you can and retreat. I'll be waiting for you outside!"

"Okay." Mo Yufei agreed readily.

Yang Qingyu said no more. After one last look at him, he turned and quickly boarded the airship. Not long after, the massive airship slowly ascended and sped off toward the periphery of the Fragment World.

Watching the airship disappear into the horizon, Wang Chen looked at Mo Yufei and raised an eyebrow, asking: "You aren't planning on grabbing the core, are you!"

Mo Yufei's lips curled slightly, a hint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "The core is a hot potato; whoever takes it dies. I don't have an appetite that big. I just want to take advantage of the chaos to collect some energy crystal mines. To each their own."

Hearing this, a flash of approval crossed Wang Chen's eyes, and he didn't try to persuade him further: "Fair enough. Then I'll head straight for the altar. You collect your energy crystal mines, and I'll keep an eye on the movements of the core. We can look out for each other, and if we really run into danger, we can retreat in time."

Mo Yufei nodded in agreement and tapped his fingertip to activate his communicator: "Don't worry, nothing will happen on my end. You be careful in the core battlefield; don't rashly get sucked into the melee."

As the words fell, the two parted ways immediately.

Wang Chen sped toward the ancient altar in the center of the Fragment World, while Mo Yufei turned and ran into the depths of the dense forest in the opposite direction. energy crystal mines were densely distributed there, and it was far from the battlefield—the perfect place for him to scavenge resources.

Wang Chen ran at full speed the entire way. Along the way, he could feel increasingly intense energy shockwaves. The air was filled with the scent of smoke, blood, and the aura of various energies colliding, while thunderous roars and shouts of battle constantly echoed in his ears.

In just a moment, he arrived at the periphery of the altar where the Fragment World core had manifested.

The scene before him was chaotic in the extreme. The massive altar plaza was shrouded in colorful energy lights, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was raging violently.

The various factions were clearly demarcated, split into four major camps, confronting each other and fighting incessantly. Anyone who got too close would be dragged into the boundless flames of war.

Standing at the very front, with the most organized formation and the most high-tech equipment, was the official federal camp, led by the three major forces: Taixu Heavy Industry, Kunlun Biotechnology, and Xing Shu Academy.

The members were all elites directly under the Federation: there were technicians from Taixu Heavy Industry operating high-tech mechs, and researchers from Kunlun Technology carrying genetic serum and evolved weapons.

There were also the teachers and students of Xing Shu Academy. The camp was strictly disciplined and firmly held the front position of the altar, serving as one of the main forces fighting for the core.

Opposing the federal camp from afar, with the most ferocious aura, were the three giants of the underworld—Jiuzhou Capital, Phantom Sound Entertainment, and the Blood Kill Alliance.

These three factions were all powers that played both sides of the law and were driven solely by profit. Their members were a mixed bag, including death squads cultivated by the business world and Ability Users hidden within the entertainment industry.

There were also the ruthless killers of the Blood Kill Alliance. They disregarded rules and struck viciously, intent only on seizing the core. From time to time, they would launch surprise attacks on the other two camps, disrupting the battle.

Occupying the left side of the altar, exuding an ancient aura with moves that displayed classical charm, was the camp of veteran cultivators, composed of the Alchemist Association, the Mechanical Zen Monastery, and the Guixu Academy.

This group consisted of disciples from long-standing cultivation sects, skilled in alchemy, formation arrays, and Zen cultivation, possessing an extremely profound foundation.

And the most surprising one was the independent force occupying the right side of the altar, with numbers far exceeding the other three—the Dawn Alliance.

This was the only independent camp that wasn't a coalition of multiple parties, yet its members were packed densely, far outnumbering any other side. Although their overall strength was somewhat uneven, they won by sheer numbers.

They held their ground firmly, not initiating major battles, but they clung tightly to their place in the fight for the core, becoming a force in the battlefield that could not be ignored.

The four camps restrained and attacked each other. Energy beams, magical lights, mech artillery fire, and cultivation techniques collided wildly in mid-air, kicking up bursts of smoke and dust.

The brilliant golden light of the Fragment World core was right at the center of the altar, tightly surrounded by the four factions. No one could easily get close.

Wang Chen was at the periphery of the altar. The fighting on the outskirts of the four camps had already reached a fever pitch. There was no superfluous probing; a life-and-death battle on the brink of erupting spread instantly. Every shout was accompanied by fierce killing moves, and the strikes were vicious and clearly demarcated.

On the flank of the official federal camp, a two-meter-tall silver-white mech from Taixu Heavy Industry stepped forward. Its shoulder armor popped open, and its twin energy cannons charged up with a deep blue glare.

The pilot shouted sternly: "All non-official forces, withdraw from the altar area immediately! The Federation is recovering the World Core. Anyone who dares to obstruct us will be purged!"

Before the words had even faded, dense energy artillery fire poured out, blasting toward the Blood Kill Alliance killers opposite them.

The combat personnel from Kunlun Technology followed closely. They raised their hands to deploy floating energy shields while simultaneously firing several energy-tempered genetic needles. The needles tore through the air, aiming straight for the enemy's vitals: "Jiuzhou Capital and the Blood Kill Alliance have been plundering the secret realm's resources; today, we settle the score for all of it!"

The killers from the Blood Kill Alliance, wrapped in a thick aura of blood and malevolence, moved like ghosts. The bone blades in their hands, carrying fierce energy, slashed at the mech's armor, sending sparks flying.

A killer retorted sternly: "To hell with federal rules! This Fragment World is ownerless; whoever grabs the core gets it!" Before finishing, he leaped up, the tip of his blade stabbing straight at the mech's cockpit.

Nearby, an Ability User from Jiuzhou Capital condensed light around their body into sharp blades, firing them into the sky.

"So what if it's Taixu Heavy Industry? In the face of profit, your equipment is fragile!" Several blade lights shot precisely into the joints of the mech, attempting to paralyze the heavy equipment.

The sound-based Ability User from Phantom Sound Entertainment swayed their body, their fingertips plucking invisible sound waves. Sharp sound blades cut through the air, interfering with the mech's power lines. Their coy laughter was filled with ruthlessness: "If you want to swallow the core alone, you'd better see if you have the ability to do so!"

On the other side of the battlefield, the veteran cultivator camp and the Dawn Alliance were locked in an inseparable fight.

A cultivator from the Alchemist Association threw out crimson explosive fire pills. The pills landed and exploded into roaring flames. He rebuked them in a deep voice: "You rogue cultivators don't know your place. How could you covet the World Core!" At the same time, he tossed out cyan healing pills, the medicinal mist dispersing to stabilize the injuries of his own side.

A Confucian scholar from Guixu Academy held an ink-jade brush, the tip splashing out profound runes. The runes transformed into chains that bound the rogue cultivators. His tone was indifferent: "The opportunities of the Heavenly Dao belong to those with virtue. Withdraw quickly, lest you meet your doom!"

The cyborg cultivators of the Mechanical Zen Monastery had long since completely discarded the image of a traditional monastery. They were half flesh and blood, half mechanical alloy. Their metal Zen staffs had been modified into energy battle staves, their eyes gleaming with cold mechanical red light. Mechanical gears turned all over their bodies, emitting a clanking metal sound.

The leading cyborg monk swung his energy battle staff, the shaft glowing with incandescent white electricity. With one strike, he smashed apart a rogue cultivator's fire ability, his cold, synthesized mechanical voice echoing: "Flesh is weak, machines ascend! The mortal body is fragile. The World Core shall be controlled by our monastery to perfect the Great Dao!"

They held nothing back in their strikes. Their mechanical arms extended and retracted, popping out energy runes. Their alloy bodies withstood magical attacks head-on, completely abandoning defense. Every strike carried the unique, rigid, and overbearing power of machinery, forcing the members of the Dawn Alliance to retreat repeatedly.

The rogue cultivators of the Dawn Alliance were essentially a rabble, but they won by sheer numbers and a fearless, death-defying spirit.

A fire-attributed rogue cultivator mobilized all their ability, roaring flames sweeping forward as they roared in counterattack: "The government, the sects, the mechanical monsters—you all want to oppress us! Even if I have to risk my life today, I'll snatch a share of this opportunity!"

Another rogue cultivator, who controlled Wind Blade, used the terrain to dodge while throwing out homemade ability bombs, howling: "To hell with rules and opportunities! Strength is the only hard truth! Everyone, attack together and wear them down!"

Still other rogue cultivators seized the opportunity to launch surprise attacks, circling behind the Mechanical Zen Monastery, their sharp blades stabbing toward mechanical joints: "I don't care what faction you are; I'm determined to have the core!"

The cyborgs from the Mechanical Zen Monastery turned instantly. While their mechanical arms blocked the attacks, their shoulder cannons fired energy projectiles. They shouted coldly: "Ignorant mortals, you do not understand the true meaning of machinery and only know how to display the brute courage of a common man!" The energy projectiles exploded, directly blasting that rogue cultivator away.

For a time, mech artillery collided with blood malevolence, wealth-infused coin blades clashed with pills, rune chains intertwined with mechanical light staves, and sound blades and rogue abilities flew everywhere in the sky.

The sounds of metal clashing, energy explosions, and angry roars and curses mixed together. The ground was covered in scorch marks, mechanical debris, and the wreckage of weapons. The four factions were blinded by bloodlust on the outskirts, each wanting to clear out their opponents first to seize the initiative in the fight for the core.

Under the cover of the chaotic energy turbulence, Wang Chen kept his body low and moved rapidly, dodging sporadic skirmishes and fights along the way, until he finally reached the camp of Xing Shu Academy.

The team from Xing Shu Academy was guarding the front row of the camp. An old man dressed in green Taoist robes with half-white hair and beard was staring intently at the center of the altar. His spiritual energy was restrained, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. This was Wang Chen's teacher, Professor Yun Yan.

"Teacher!" Wang Chen stepped forward quickly, bowed in greeting, his tone urgent, "I have arrived."

Professor Yun Yan turned his head to look at him, nodded slightly, and then let his gaze fall back to the center of the altar, saying in a deep voice: "You've come at the right time. Do not act rashly. At this moment, the core elites of the four camps are all surrounding the Fragment World core, waiting for the right moment."

Wang Chen followed his teacher's gaze and immediately saw the brilliant golden glow suspended in the air at the very center of the altar.

The halo was soft yet radiated an unshakeable majesty. Within the core of the halo, runes faintly flowed—it was the Fragment World core that countless people were fighting over.

Even from a great distance, one could feel the majestic will belonging to a world emanating from the core. The surrounding air was slightly distorted, suppressed by this will.