Chapter 107: What Are We Waiting For?

Still, Carol was the most perceptive, and she abruptly turned her head, her gaze locking onto Qian Ye as he flew through the air. However, with the rock crystal crocodile at her side, there was no room for distraction. A barrage of crystal arrows shot towards her, forcing her to scramble and leaving her with another wound.

In the entire defensive formation, Elder Wei was the most crucial person. Seemingly relaxed yet always alert, he would promptly address any issues that arose, ensuring a timely response. He never directly engaged the enemy, relying instead on adjusting his own team’s state or weakening certain aspects of the enemy to influence the battle.

This method of fighting utilized origin power with extreme efficiency, allowing for prolonged combat, even for an entire day if needed. On the other hand, it was mentally exhausting, allowing no room for error.

Thus, despite Elder Wei’s profound cultivation, he failed to notice Qian Ye’s appearance immediately. It wasn’t until Carol raised the alarm that he became aware, looking up into the sky.

Qian Ye took out the origin gun made by Cui Yuanhai, revealing his twin wings. With the Primordial Wings’ enhancement, the gun’s power had nearly reached the peak of the seventh rank.

Aiming at Elder Wei, Qian Ye fired a shot. The thunderous sound of the gun reverberated, and the recoil pushed him up over ten meters, indicating the sheer power of the shot!

As the muzzle flashed, Elder Wei’s expression changed. This was the first time since entering the cave that he had lost his composure. He threw down the book in his hands and quickly retrieved an ancient-looking envelope from his chest. Tearing it open, a red light shield appeared, enveloping him. Faintly, countless runes could be seen swirling on the shield.

But before the shield could stabilize, the bullet arrived!

Under the ferocious impact, the red light shield flared up, then shattered. The origin bullet also disintegrated with the shield. But Elder Wei did not fare well; his face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Everywhere, the origin arrays became unstable, and the casualties in the team suddenly increased. Cui Yuanhai’s design, which abandoned all fancy details to focus solely on power, finally proved its worth at this moment.

At this point, Qian Ye was already in peril. Adolph and Kemal abandoned their struggling troops and soared into the sky, attacking Qian Ye from both sides. Meanwhile, Elder Wei retrieved another ancient envelope from his chest and pulled out a piece of paper. This was the third ancient envelope he had used. The first severely injured the rock crystal crocodile, while the second defended against Qian Ye’s lethal attack. Whatever the purpose of the third, it was bound to be earth-shattering.

On the other side of the battlefield, Carol screamed, “It’s you!”

Ignoring the threat of the rock crystal crocodile, she lashed out with her whip through the air. Electric fire, like a serpent, zigzagged towards Qian Ye. At the same time, Elder Wei flicked the paper in his hand, releasing a silver light that cut towards Qian Ye’s chest and abdomen. The silver light was not as fast as the golden light, but once it appeared, Qian Ye felt locked in, with any movement of his causing the silver light to adjust accordingly.

Just seeing how seriously Elder Wei handled the paper, it was clear that the silver light would not be easily evaded.

At this critical moment, Qian Ye suddenly smirked, and his figure flickered, disappearing entirely!

Carol cried out, “He’s going to enter the door!”

Elder Wei turned his head hastily, only to see Qian Ye’s figure flash by the giant door, vanishing inside.

The silver light in the air, now without a target, circled aimlessly before falling among a group of crystal crocodiles. Then, a silent silver glow spread, and all the fierce beasts and insects within its range simultaneously lost their vitality.

Elder Wei sighed, “My chapter of dominance!” and spat out another mouthful of blood.

With everyone’s attacks failing, the situation worsened instantly. Carol, hit by several crystal arrows, was forced to reveal her trump cards to avoid a fatal blow. Elder Wei, now in low spirits, had expended significant energy using two powerful moves, and the damage from Qian Ye’s shot was more severe than it appeared.

In just a short time, the soldiers suffered heavy casualties. Adolph and Kemal, regardless of their own origin power and blood, fought with all their might, barely stabilizing the situation. Yet, they both sustained additional wounds.

Elder Wei finally caught his breath and began to enhance the team’s state. However, the number of states he could enhance was now much fewer, and their effects were significantly weaker. For the advanced warriors, it was understandable, as they were always intended to be sacrificial pawns in critical moments. But without these enhancements, Carol found herself hard-pressed when facing the rock crystal crocodile, frequently facing danger.

They were now only a few dozen meters away from the giant door, but this short distance seemed like a thousand miles, with no idea when they would reach it.

As Qian Ye passed through the door, his vision instantly became a kaleidoscope of colors. Knowing this was a spatial transformation, he suppressed his origin power and blood, ensuring no trace of his presence disturbed the process.

In the blink of an eye, Qian Ye found himself in a new world.

Blinding sunlight streamed down from the sky, causing Qian Ye, accustomed to the dim underground, to squint. Beneath him, a gentle slope stretched to the horizon, covered in lush grass dotted with wildflowers, like a splendid carpet.

In the distance, there were forests, peaks, lakes, and rivers. If not for the pitch-black void stretching to the far horizon, this place would be a perfect paradise.

Turning back, Qian Ye saw the two giant doors standing behind him, half-open. He was now on a hilltop, and the doors stood awkwardly, allowing a glimpse of the underground world through the crack.

On the other side of the hill, the terrain gradually descended to the edge of the landmass, and beyond lay endless void.

To Qian Ye’s surprise, he was standing on a floating landmass, only about a hundred miles in diameter. Normally, such a small landmass would not generate natural protection to sustain life. Yet, standing here, Qian Ye could breathe freely, feeling no pressure.

Looking up, Qian Ye saw a floating land in the distant void, and beyond that, more specks of land. That was the Neutral Zone, and where he stood must be an isolated island at its edge.

The view here was exceptionally vast, allowing him to see a large part of the region. However, after several searches, Qian Ye could not find Claudia’s whereabouts, unsure where she was hiding.

At that moment, a deep, ancient drum-like sound resounded, causing the entire island to tremble. Hearing this sound, Qian Ye felt a tingling sensation, his blood surging, an indescribable discomfort.

Instantly, Qian Ye’s gaze fell on the distant peak. The sound was coming from there. To his ears, it was not a drumbeat but a heartbeat!

A heartbeat strong enough to shake the entire island.

Without hesitation, Qian Ye sprinted towards the peak. Such a terrifying heartbeat could only belong to a dragon. In the entire island, the peak stood out abnormally, likely the target of Elder Wei and his team.

As Qian Ye ran, his speed was extraordinarily fast, leaving trailing shadows behind. In a blink, he crossed the vast grassy slope and rushed into the forest. For Qian Ye, who carried latent blood, the forest was the perfect hiding spot, with the canopy and leaves concealing his lack of invisibility.

As Qian Ye moved stealthily through the forest, approaching the peak, the giant doors on the hill finally stirred. A wave of light surged, and Elder Wei, Carol, and a dozen soldiers charged onto the island.

Everyone was injured. Two crystal arrows stuck in Carol’s back, and her lightning whip was now only half its length, the tip missing. Elder Wei’s beard and hair were singed, his robes tattered, exposing a withered thigh.

Adolph and Kemal had also survived, though their auras were weak, and Adolph had lost his left arm. The remaining soldiers were in better shape, mostly sustaining minor injuries. Initially, a force of over a hundred had been reduced to just eleven or twelve. These survivors had only lived by luck. Once seriously wounded, the advanced warriors were unable to follow the main force through the giant door, all becoming prey for the swarm.

After rushing through the giant door, Carol turned, fully alert, and called out, “Elder Wei, can we close the door?” After witnessing Elder Wei’s various methods, Carol’s form of address had unconsciously changed from “old man” to “Elder Wei.”

Elder Wei sighed, “I don’t have the strength for that now.”

“Then prepare for battle!” Carol declared decisively.

They waited, but there was no movement from the giant door. Neither the crystal crocodiles nor the insects appeared. The tense group finally breathed a sigh of relief. Carol said, “It seems those things can’t pass through this portal. Is that good news or bad news?”

“Both. We can’t draw them here to eliminate, which means we can’t go back either,” Elder Wei replied.

Carol dispelled the electric light around her and landed, saying, “Elder Wei, what do we do now? Is there a way back?”

Elder Wei sighed again, “Of the world beyond the door, I only know the general outline. How can I know if there’s a way back? We’ll have to take it one step at a time.”

“Didn’t someone from your Empire come here before? How could you not know?”

Elder Wei looked somewhat embarrassed, coughed, and said, “Someone from the Empire explored the dragon’s nest. This portal is related to that person. However, that person holds a special position in the Empire, and even we cannot casually disturb them. So, my knowledge of this place is mostly hearsay, and I only know fragments about the portal. We need to explore further.”

Carol, being a wise warrior at the god-general level, understood that Elder Wei’s faction likely didn’t get along with that person, and this mission was probably kept secret. Even worse, there might be a suspicion of stealing their achievements. Just by looking at the grand portal, one could imagine that person’s incredible powers. Offending such a person was a matter of life and death. Thus, there was no need to ask further.

“Is that Qian Ye related to the person you mentioned?”

“Of course not. In fact, Qian Ye has caused a great calamity in the Empire, and his crimes are unforgivable. The Empire has decided to send an execution team to hunt him down. No one can protect him now,” Elder Wei explained.

Carol’s smile was menacing, “If that’s the case, no one can stop me from taking him. He killed my only brother, and I will make him suffer in the thunder, never to find peace!”

Elder Wei nodded, “Since my two chapters of the sage were ruined because of him, I will not let him go.”

“Then what are we waiting for?”