Blackrock Camp, Faint Light of the Remnant Realm

Supporting each other, Nightmare and Mo Li stepped into the perimeter of Blackstone Camp.

Viewed up close, this camp, built upon ancient ruins, appeared even more weathered and rugged.

The dilapidated black walls had been crudely repaired, with huge beast bones and rocks filling the gaps to form a makeshift entrance.

On the walls, the figures of patrolling Cultivators were vaguely visible; their aura was steady and deep, and their eyes scanned the wilderness sharply.

The interior of the camp was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Using the remaining building foundations, various makeshift stone houses and bone huts had been erected, and there were even some dwellings carved out of natural caves.

The air was filled with the smell of smoke, medicinal herbs, the sounds of metal forging, and a tense, grim atmosphere characteristic of a frontline position.

The passing Cultivators varied in appearance and attire, clearly hailing from different "outer" worlds.

Some wore heavy armor with an aura as heavy as a mountain; others wore Daoist robes, looking ethereal; still others, like Mo Li, were dressed in sharp, practical gear, exuding Killing Intent.

But they all shared one thing in common—a resilience forged by hardship in their eyes, and undisguised hostility toward the Eclipse Moon Organization.

Nightmare's tattered black robe and the Chaos aura that clashed with the surroundings drew many scrutinizing gazes.

But when they saw Mo Li supporting him, and the clear signs of battle and the scent of blood on both of them, most of the scrutinizing gazes turned into understanding and a hint of imperceptible respect.

In this Jiu You Remnant Realm, being able to return alive from the outside was in itself proof of strength.

"Captain Mo Li! Are you injured?" An anxious voice called out. A young woman wearing cyan leather armor with a medicine pouch hanging at her waist hurried over. Seeing Mo Li's pale face and the bloodstains on her clothes, she quickly stepped forward to support her on the other side.

"It's fine, Qing Xiang. Just superficial wounds and excessive exhaustion."

Mo Li waved her hand, signaling she could still manage, then introduced him to Nightmare, "This is Qing Xiang, our squad's apothecary. Qing Xiang, this is Nightmare. I just met him outside; he has remarkable skills and helped me a great deal."

The woman named Qing Xiang then turned her gaze toward Nightmare, scanning him. A trace of surprise flashed in her eyes, as if she had sensed the oddity of his aura, but she still nodded politely, "Many thanks for your help, Your Excellency. Please follow me to treat your injuries."

Led by Qing Xiang, the three arrived at a relatively intact stone house in a corner of the camp. Hanging at the entrance of the stone house was a crimson flame flag embroidered with an unsheathed sword—the emblem of the Red Flame Squad.

The interior was simply furnished with only a few stone beds, a crude medicine rack, and a rough stone table. At this moment, two other members were also inside: one was a burly, bald man like an iron tower, who was wiping a huge bone shield; the other was a small, agile-eyed youth with unusually long fingers, who was tinkering with some strange metal parts.

"Captain!" "Sister Mo Li!" Seeing Mo Li return injured, the two immediately stood up, their faces full of concern.

"Tie Shan, A'Mu, I'm fine." Mo Li signaled them to calm down, then sat on the stone bed with Qing Xiang's support and began to circulate her Qi to regulate her breathing. Qing Xiang quickly took out ointment and silver needles to treat her external wounds and guide her Qi.

Tie Shan and A'Mu's gazes then fell on Nightmare, filled with undisguised curiosity and inquiry.

"Brother, you're the one who helped our captain beat back those Ice Ghost bastards?" Tie Shan's voice was like a booming bell. His large, fan-like hand patted Nightmare's shoulder (Nightmare moved slightly, dissipating most of the force), and he grinned, "Well done! I've long wanted to smash those Eclipse Moon ice brats!"

A'Mu was more cautious. He scanned Nightmare, lingering for a moment on his waist (where there was a subtle spatial fluctuation) and the Chaos aura that vaguely resonated with the surrounding energy, before saying, "Brother Nightmare, which 'outer' world are you from? Your cultivation... is very unique."

Nightmare was calm, having prepared his explanation long ago, "An abandoned land where Spiritual Qi had long since dried up. I happened to obtain a partial Legacy, nothing worth mentioning. I accidentally entered a spatial rift and ended up in this realm."

His words were half-true and half-false; the Land of Absolute Spirit was a fact, but the origin of his Legacy was omitted. In this strange place, keeping one's trump cards hidden was a necessary Law of survival.

Hearing this, a trace of sympathy and understanding flashed in Tie Shan and A'Mu's eyes. In the Jiu You Remnant Realm, there were many people with similar backgrounds; most had been driven to desperation in their original worlds or had ended up here due to accidents.

"Since you're here, it's fate!" Tie Shan was very generous, "From now on, just hang with our Red Flame Squad! As long as we have a bite to eat, you won't go hungry!"

A'Mu also nodded, "Brother Nightmare's strength is extraordinary. It is our squad's good fortune to have your help. However, this place is fraught with danger, and the Eclipse Moon Organization is powerful, so you must be careful in everything."

Nightmare nodded slightly, tacitly agreeing to join temporarily. He needed this foothold to understand the realm, and he also needed to borrow the power of the Sky Patrol Alliance to oppose the Eclipse Moon Organization.

At this moment, Mo Li finished regulating her breathing, her complexion returning to a slight rosy hue. She opened her eyes and looked at Nightmare, "Nightmare, how are your injuries?"

"It's fine, I can regulate my breathing myself." Nightmare looked inward; the Chaos Seed was slowly absorbing the energy of the Remnant Realm, repairing the damage to his Physical Body. Although the speed was not fast, it was steady.

"That's good." Mo Li breathed a sigh of relief and said seriously, "Since you have decided to stay, there are some rules I must tell you. In Blackstone Camp, and even the entire Sky Patrol Alliance, the two most important rules are: First, do not betray your allies; in the Remnant Realm, looking out for each other is the foundation of survival. Second, exchange contributions for resources; whether it is killing Eclipse Moon members, exploring unknown areas, or handing over valuable materials, you can exchange them at the camp's 'Merit Hall' for Medicinal Pills, Cultivation Techniques, intelligence, or even clues to leave this realm."

A contribution system? Nightmare's heart stirred; this was very reasonable. He looked at Mo Li, "I need a more detailed map of this realm, as well as all intelligence regarding the activities of the Eclipse Moon Organization here."

"I can give you this basic intelligence first." Mo Li signaled A'Mu to bring over a Jade Slip, "Inside is a rough map of the ten thousand miles around the camp, marking known dangerous areas, resource points, and some known strongholds of the Eclipse Moon Organization. More detailed intelligence requires Merit to exchange. As for the purpose of the Eclipse Moon Organization..." She frowned slightly, "They seem to be searching for something deep in the Remnant Realm. What exactly it is, the higher-ups in the Alliance are still investigating. We only know that they frequently capture native species of the Remnant Realm and have established large strongholds in several specific areas, with extremely tight defense."

Nightmare took the Jade Slip, his consciousness sinking into it, and quickly browsed the information within. The map was indeed rudimentary, with many areas blank and marked as "unknown" or "extremely dangerous." The few known strongholds of the Eclipse Moon Organization were all located on the edges of the map, deep in the hinterlands of the Remnant Realm.

His gaze fell on the northwest corner of the map, an area marked as "Star Burial Valley." That was the direction from which the half-fragment in his possession was faintly transmitting a stronger resonance!

"Star Burial Valley..." Nightmare silently recited the name in his heart. It seemed that the core secret of the Eclipse Moon Organization, and the ultimate destination of this fragment, were inextricably linked to that place.

Just as he was secretly deducing this, a low horn sound suddenly came from the center of the camp!

Woo—! The sound was desolate and urgent, instantly spreading throughout the entire camp!

Mo Li, Tie Shan, A'Mu, and Qing Xiang all changed expressions at the same time!

"It's the alarm horn! Something is happening!" Mo Li stood up abruptly, her divine sense instantly expanding, looking outside the camp.

Nightmare's thoughts also stirred, and his divine sense extended outward. He saw that in the distant sky, beneath the dark red firmament, a huge, twisted spatial rift, like an eye, was slowly taking shape! Around the rift, violent turbulent energy was raging, and countless shadowy, malicious figures could be vaguely seen attempting to cross through!

"It's the Eclipse Moon Organization! They are forcibly opening a large-scale spatial passage!" A'Mu exclaimed, his face turning pale.

Mo Li's eyes were cold; she gripped her flaming longsword and said decisively, "Red Flame Squad, prepare to engage the enemy!"

Nightmare looked at the huge spatial rift; deep within his heart, the Chaos Seed actually sent a trace of... yearning palpitation?