dmims Chapter 99: Information Fragments
Chapter 99: Information Fragments
Within the Wind and Thunder Canyon, countless purple lightning bolts, accompanied by wind blades that seemed to be real, were frantically tearing apart this narrow space.
Without the unified command of their leader, the remaining Iron Rhinoceros herd completely lost its organization.
They were crammed into the narrow canyon, their skin torn open by the indiscriminate lightning strikes from above, emitting painful howls.
"Damn it, we've finally shaken off those troublesome beasts."
Thor leaned on his sword, panting heavily. He glanced back at the surrounding area of thunderstorms and hurricanes, a trace of lingering fear still on his face.
Hong's figure landed silently on a giant rock charred black by lightning. His gaze did not linger on the chaotic herd of beasts behind him, but instead looked toward the direction where the strange silver light had disappeared into the void.
Hong understood perfectly.
Within this world of thunder, the only being capable of controlling a group of ninth-tier eternal star-level ferocious beasts as if they were toys is the intelligent life form "Mist."
That old guy really has a twisted sense of humor. If it weren't for his quick reflexes, his team would probably have been caught in a brutal and arduous battle.
"Brother, the lightning in this canyon is too dense, and my mental power is being severely suppressed. We need to find a place to rest as soon as possible."
Luo Feng flew to Hong's side. Hong's face was also a little pale, obviously he had exhausted himself in the intense escape just now.
Hong withdrew his gaze from the distance, turned around, and glanced at Tainuo and Fuxi, who were not in very good condition.
"We've got the Iron Rhinoceros Horn; now we only need the Wind Horn Stone. According to the map, Wind and Thunder Canyon is one of the main sources of Wind Horn Stone."
He tapped the holographic map on the auxiliary computer on his wrist, and identified the surrounding terrain in the strong wind. Then his tone became serious.
"Everyone suppressed their aura to the lowest level. The harsh environment of Wind and Thunder Canyon is only the threat we need to face on the surface. The real danger lies with the other assessment teams who are also here for the Wind Corner Stone."
"Remember this, everyone: in a place like Thunder World, stealing the spoils of your peers is always much faster than painstakingly collecting them yourself."
Hong didn't say anything more. He walked at the front of the group, his domain silently expanding and compressing to a ten-meter radius around him, tightly enveloping the five members of the team. They pressed themselves against the rugged rock wall and silently advanced rapidly into the deeper part of the canyon.
……
After continuing to travel deeper into the canyon for some time, the terrain ahead suddenly opened up, but the wind in the surrounding environment increased exponentially.
Countless purple lightning bolts, each as thick as a water bucket, continuously struck the ground from the dark clouds.
"Brother, there's some noise ahead."
Luo Feng paused, then abruptly raised his hand, signaling the entire team to stop immediately.
At the edge of his mental detection range, in that wide area where the wind was highly likely to produce wind-pointing stones, a large army of martial artists was stationed.
Dozens of warriors, all clad in identical golden armor and possessing cultivation levels at the peak of the ninth rank of the Hengxing realm, had completely occupied the areas rich in windstones. They had even set up sentry posts on the perimeter, clearing the entire area.
"People from the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's Imperial Martial Corps."
Hong's eyes were sharp; he only glanced at the insignia on the armor of those people and immediately recognized their origins.
These martial artists, backed by powerful forces, seized the best resource points as soon as they entered the Thunder World, relying on their superior numbers. They didn't even allow any independent groups to approach; the few mangled corpses lying in the crevices of rocks some distance from their position served as the best warning.
Thor slammed his sword into the ground with a thud, his voice tinged with resentment.
"These guys have some serious ambitions. Do they really think this is their backyard?"
Hong's gaze shifted from the Imperial Martial Corps. He knew perfectly well what his true objective was. At this critical juncture, engaging in a direct confrontation with such a large, organized force would be the most foolish thing to do.
"Ignore them. It's not worth risking your life for a few pieces of windstone."
Hong said softly.
"Let's change course and go to the deserted Thunder Fault on the left. They wouldn't go to a place like that with such a large force."
Without any hesitation, he led his team, carefully avoiding the outer perimeter of the Imperial Martial Corps' cordon, continuing deeper into the area while silently approaching the hidden entrance to the realm within a realm that he remembered.
……
The deeper you go into the Wind and Thunder Canyon, the harsher the environment becomes.
The hurricane's tearing force became extremely strong, and countless flying sand and stones were whipped up and hit the star-level combat suits on everyone's bodies, creating a series of dazzling sparks.
The Windstones needed for the mission are mixed in with these raging hurricanes.
"I saw one!"
Taino let out a low shout, steadied his stance, and activated the genetic energy within his body. He suddenly reached out, trying to grab a wind-corner stone that whistled past his head.
However, the moment his hand reached out, it was swept away by the terrifying kinetic energy of the wind-blown stone and slammed backward. Taino grunted, staggering back three large steps uncontrollably, half of his arm going numb from the impact, nearly dislocating it on the spot.
Grabbing wind-capped stones here is not only extremely inefficient, but also carries a huge risk of being struck by the dense lightning strikes from all around.
Hong merely glanced coldly at the few scattered wind-pointing stones in mid-air, and did not allow Taino to continue taking risks.
His gaze shifted to Luo Feng beside him, and the two nodded to each other in tacit agreement.
The next moment, two Moyun Vine vines, thicker and stronger than ever before, shot out and quickly intertwined in mid-air to form two huge vine nets.
This powerful plant life exhibits unimaginable resilience in the face of fierce winds. Whenever a wind-blown rock whistles past the vicinity of the vine net, the Moyun Vine precisely coils around it, perfectly dissipating the terrifying kinetic energy, and then deftly drags it back to the ground.
In less than ten minutes, dozens of wind stones of varying sizes landed steadily in Luo Feng's spatial ring. This not only exceeded the minimum requirement for the assessment but also left over.
All quest items have been collected.
According to normal procedures, they should immediately find a safe and secluded place to hide quietly until the one-month assessment period ends.
However, at that moment, a sudden change occurred.
"Owner."
"Luo Feng".
Almost simultaneously, the virtual images of Qiu Jian and Babata jumped out from Hong and Luo Feng's wrists.
The two highly intelligent beings exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes.
Then, for the first time, an unprecedented seriousness appeared on Babata's usually playful face. It spoke to Luo Feng, Hong, and the others.
"I sensed it... I sensed fragments of similar information nearby, very faint, but I'm absolutely certain!"
Almost as soon as Babata finished speaking, Qiu Jian, dressed in black, suddenly turned around and pointed to the void where the silver light had finally disappeared.
"The information segment breaks off in that direction."