Chapter 99: The Secrets Beneath (Part I)

Qian Ye cast his gaze over the cave, finding it in complete disarray. Massive rocks had collapsed, and among the rubble, dust, and mud, fragments of limbs and bodies were visible. If even the leader was killed by the explosion, how could his subordinates have fared any better?

Turning the man’s corpse over, Qian Ye saw that his armor was shattered. The most valuable item on him was a seventh-level origin gun. The gun was ornate and vintage, with a handle studded with gems and crystals, showcasing the utmost luxury. However, upon closer inspection, its thick barrel and simple structure still bore the distinctive style of the Neutral Grounds.

On the gun’s handle, intricate engravings formed two words: Spring Rain.

The name of the gun was intriguing, but when Qian Ye channeled his origin power to activate the origin arrays, he found that the gun’s performance was not particularly outstanding. The origin array was not much more complex than the one left by Cui Yuanhai, and among its limited functions was a ridiculously weak shield.

In Qian Ye’s eyes, such a feeble shield seemed more like a decorative halo around the wielder than actual protection. It was, in essence, a showy feature that wasted precious slots in the origin arrays of the Neutral Grounds without providing much utility.

This flashy but impractical gun, in Qian Ye’s estimation, was only worth the value of its materials. Of course, the embedded materials alone were enough to purchase a high-quality seventh-level gun, making this one almost a freebie.

Casually tossing “Spring Rain” into Anduya’s storage space, Qian Ye rummaged through the remaining items. The man mostly carried perfumes and trinkets, with only the solid origin bullets being somewhat useful. Suddenly, a metallic badge flashed, catching Qian Ye’s attention.

The badge, made of an unknown metal, felt heavy and was adorned with a grotesque, terrifying creature on its front, unrecognizable even to Qian Ye. On the back, small letters were etched: Captain of the Second Squadron, White Devil Legion, Juan.

It turned out that this flashy individual held a significant rank. One of the two main forces of the Moonlight White Devils, the White Devil Legion, was led by the Mask. For this man to lead a squadron, he must have possessed some genuine skills. Unfortunately, his strength lay in speed and techniques, not in physical prowess, which led to his pathetic death under the saturation barrage of Qian Ye’s origin grenades.

In a way, Juan’s death was not entirely unjust. To keep him in place, Qian Ye did not move either, absorbing nearly the same amount of damage. The difference was that while Juan died, Qian Ye remained unharmed.

After playing with the badge for a while and finding nothing, Qian Ye was about to discard it when a burst of electric light suddenly emanated from it, floating mid-air. The electric light grew brighter, outlining a man in a deep gray robe, his face hidden by a hood.

Even as a mere projection, the man exuded an aura of deep-sea-like authority.

The projection came to life, and the eyes beneath the hood emitted a dark red glow, staring at Qian Ye. Slowly, he said, “I am Quimbrey, the Deputy Commander of the White Devil Legion. You dare to kill my men; you have quite the nerve.”

At that moment, Qian Ye felt as if a venomous snake was eyeing him, realizing that the projection was not a mere recording but a sophisticated communication method. Such advanced technology was extremely rare, even among the elite forces of the Empire.

The projection’s gaze, as if tangible, pierced Qian Ye’s face, and he continued, “Wait. Beneath your mask, I see another face. Did you think such a simple disguise could fool me, Quimbrey? Now, you have two choices. One, commit suicide in front of me, and you will die quickly. The other, I will hunt you down myself, and then you will face endless torment…”

“Empty threats.” Qian Ye grabbed the badge and crushed it into a lump of scrap metal.

Several dozen miles outside Harbor City, a massive encampment had been set up, capable of housing nearly ten thousand soldiers. Suddenly, a strong electric light burst from a central tent, instantly turning to fire and reducing the tent to ashes.

As the flames subsided, a man in a gray robe appeared, the very Quimbrey who had been communicating with Qian Ye. His body was entwined with electric light, shooting out bolts of several meters long, which had burned the tent. However, the chair beneath him and the table in front of him remained unscathed.

“Bastard!” Quimbrey slammed the table and rose abruptly.

“My lord, please calm down!” A young woman in silver-gray armor pleaded.

“If I don’t kill Zhao Ye, others will think I can’t handle him!” Quimbrey’s eyes flickered with electricity.

The young female warrior frowned, “My lord, with your cultivation, it might be unwise to enter the Dragon’s Nest.”

Quimbrey responded coldly, “As a Divine General, do you think my control over power is inferior to those fools?”

The woman stood her ground, still blocking Quimbrey’s path, “I’m not questioning your abilities, but reminding you of the risks. Others might be overlooked if they attract the Dragon’s attention, but you won’t. If the Dragon senses a Divine General approaching, it will awaken from its docile state, and our years of preparation will be in vain. Lord Mask will not forgive you.”

Mentioning the Mask, the electric light around Quimbrey flickered. He huffed, “Should we let that brat run rampant?”

The young woman replied calmly, “Of course not, I will deal with him personally. As for that Gao Hu woman, we still need her to guide us, so let her live a little longer.”

Quimbrey was startled, “You’re going to enter the Dragon’s Nest?”

“Why not?”

“If anything happens to you, how will I explain it to the Mask?”

“He can’t protect me forever. Besides, my mother and I managed to survive on our own during those wandering years.”

Unwilling to delve further into the topic, Quimbrey hesitated before nodding, “Fine, but be extremely cautious. That brat is cunning, and he carries many origin grenades.”

The woman proudly declared, “Have you forgotten my special ability? Herds, armies, puppets—no matter how many origin grenades he carries, he won’t be able to handle them all. Moreover, can he even carry fifty grenades?”

Quimbrey nodded, “True. But besides his schemes, his combat skills are formidable. Be careful in everything.”

The woman’s expression remained stern, “When it comes to combat skills, I spent five years in the underground arena. I doubt anyone surpasses me in that regard.”

Electric sparks danced around Quimbrey as he sighed, “Be cautious, in any case.”

The woman nodded and turned to leave. In the center of the camp, a pit leading underground was visible. She leapt in, disappearing into the labyrinth below.

After she left, Quimbrey’s anger had not subsided. He muttered, “A bunch of fools, thinking they can get their hands on my Dragon blood? But that brat is slippery… Come, bring me paper and a pen!”

A servant immediately provided the requested items. Quimbrey laid out a sheet of white paper on the table and began to draw, quickly sketching a lifelike portrait of Qian Ye.

He handed the drawing to the servant, instructing, “Issue a bounty for this person, fifty thousand gold coins.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Wait, decide whether to issue the bounty after this operation,” Quimbrey suddenly remembered. If the brat was killed soon, the bounty would be pointless. Yet, letting him go unchecked filled him with unease.

After much thought, Quimbrey made up his mind. He wrote a short letter, carefully sealed it, and called in a servant, saying, “Deliver this to the Frost Thunder Temple, to that lord.”

Hearing the name, the servant’s face changed, showing fear, “Which lord?”

“Thunderwhip, of course! Deliver it as quickly as possible.”

The servant took the order and left. Quimbrey slowly sat down, smirking, “Let’s see how you’ll live after killing her beloved brother. If any Divine General can approach the Dragon, it’s her.”

Deep underground, after securing his loot, Qian Ye continued deeper into the nest. Initially, he was directionless, but Juan’s presence had given him a clue. The place Juan came from must be the location of the nest.

Winding through the rocky tunnels for an indeterminate amount of time, Qian Ye’s view suddenly opened up, revealing a vast space. The underground cavern expanded rapidly, with the ground sloping downward. Even with Qian Ye’s sharp vision, he couldn’t see the end. The distance from the ground to the ceiling spanned over a thousand meters, supported by several massive pillars, each a hundred meters thick, holding up the entire underground world.

The ground was uneven, with cliffs and caves scattered everywhere, leading to unknown destinations. Tiny luminous points floated in the air, similar to spores, emitting a light disproportionate to their size, resembling countless stars. The dim light illuminated the mysterious and profound underground world.

Before Qian Ye, there were over a dozen passageways worth exploring, spread across three levels, with five or six directions on each. Faced with such a situation, Qian Ye was momentarily at a loss.

However, this underground expedition was merely to relieve his pent-up emotions, and he didn’t care about the outcome. Additionally, after slaying the giant rhinoceros, his gains were already substantial. Leaving now wouldn’t be a waste of time.

After a brief scan of the passageways, his gaze settled on the smallest one on the middle level. Battle traces outside the passage indicated that the Spider Emperor’s people had used it. The height of the passage was only about ten meters, just enough for the Rock Crystal Crocodiles to move through, ruling out the presence of the giant rhinoceros.

Qian Ye started walking towards the passage, taking a few steps before pausing. Why should he follow the paths of the Spider Emperor and the Moonlight White Devils? With their numbers, they were more likely to attract the Dragon’s attention. Conversely, with his concealed bloodline and solitary status, Qian Ye was better suited to infiltrate the core of the Dragon’s Nest. Even if he encountered the giant rhinoceros again, he could evade it. And if not, with his greatly enhanced strength, he could use Life Plunder again, and with the Primordial Gun fully charged, victory was not impossible.