Chapter 290 ·Secret Realm Space and the Evil Eye Fiend!

Black ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Pupil Brother Rui said, “The situation is clear now. This Blessed Flame forms a protective barrier, making this our safe zone of activity.”

Raise ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍a Cup to the Moon nodded. “In addition, the Blessing has the function of controlling this floating island's movement. Lord Hang Yu has already authorized Strategist Jia and General Wen to take charge.”

Little ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Bell said, “What will happen if we leave the protection? Maybe we should send a couple of people out first to test the waters!”

Everyone ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍agreed.

They ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍immediately prepared to draw lots to choose a suicide squad.

After ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍learning about this, Jia Xu immediately stepped forward to stop such a reckless act.

“No!”

“Why?”

Jia Xu said, “The pollution intensity of the Sea of Eternal Darkness is extraordinary. Even powerful individuals like General Dian and General Zhou, who possess Abyssal physiques, would probably be completely contaminated in an instant beyond all hope of salvation.”

Ye Limeng burst into laughter. “Strategist Jia, you're worrying too much. Our Scourge Legion doesn't have many talents, but we've got as many lives as we want. They're not worth mentioning at all.”

Jia Xu still maintained a solemn expression. “Although the Lord has bestowed upon all of you an incredible method of resurrection, direct contamination from the Abyss will permanently alter one's consciousness and soul. The consequences are unpredictable. Resurrection alone cannot eliminate the side effects.”

“Strategist, you're really overthinking this.”

“We're just playing a game.”

“Can the Abyss crawl through the internet cable and attack me or something?”

“Bah, speak like a normal person. If you talk to the natives like that, do you think they'll understand?”

“Anyway, Strategist, stop worrying for nothing!”

“We know what we're doing!”

“......”

The players clearly did not take Jia Xu's words to heart.

Only Raise a Cup to the Moon, the Legion Commander of the Immortal Dragon Soul Legion, revealed a trace of concern.

Could this Sea of Eternal Darkness really contaminate players?

If players could be contaminated while playing the game...

Would that contamination affect the real world?

Facing the Scourge Legion's completely indifferent attitude, Jia Xu also revealed a puzzled expression. With his intelligence, he had naturally already understood what sort of people these Scourge Legion soldiers really were.

They claimed to have come from the future.

Judging from their behavior and speech,

it was not difficult to tell.

These strange Scourge Legion soldiers had never regarded this place as a real world.

Instead, they felt as though they were merely playing some special role-playing game.

Jia Xu also did not know why the Lord was able to summon these people's souls here.

Perhaps it was precisely because of this special nature that they had been granted immortal bodies.

However.

Before Jia Xu could think further,

a player suddenly cried out in alarm.

“Holy crap! Someone ran outside!”

“Terrifying! They instantly twisted and deformed into a puddle of blood and flesh! I've never seen anyone die like that before!”

“......”

While everyone was still discussing things,

a few players with a death wish had actually left the island on their own initiative.

The moment they crossed the barrier,

they instantly died on the spot through all sorts of grotesque and twisted mutations.

A few seconds later.

The three reckless players resurrected beside the Blessing.

Each of them looked pale,

their faces filled with horror.

“Strategist!”

“Look!”

“Aren't we alive again?”

Jia Xu found it unbelievable as he looked at the Scourge Legion soldiers who had returned completely intact after resurrecting.

Based on his observations of the Sea of Eternal Darkness,

the pollution intensity here exceeded the core pollution of Old Wan by thousands of times.

The moment any living being fell into the Sea of Eternal Darkness,

they would instantly become contaminated,

before being swallowed by endless chaotic nightmares.

The instant the Scourge Legion soldiers touched the outside world,

they had clearly become completely twisted and mutated.

This transformation affected not only their flesh,

but also their souls,

and even the deeper essence of their very origin.

Logically speaking,

such a transformation should have been almost irreversible!

Even if they resurrected,

they should have become indescribable monstrosities.

Yet bizarrely,

after their resurrection,

they had completely returned to normal.

Not the slightest trace of contamination remained.

This was by no means an ordinary soul-based resurrection.

It was a reset on the level of laws,

surpassing the soul,

surpassing the origin itself,

existing at an unimaginably high order!

“How interesting!”

“This is truly fascinating!”

“Even the utterly insane and chaotic Sea of Eternal Darkness cannot completely devour them. These Scourge Legion soldiers really are immortal!”

Jia Xu developed considerable interest in these Scourge Legion soldiers who called themselves players.

He also became curious about the world behind them.

He wondered whether there might be some way to reach it.

At the same time,

his awe toward the Lord's methods deepened even further.

Even with his own abilities,

he could not comprehend the principles behind the Scourge Legion at all.

As for the great existence who had created this Legion,

it was even less something a mere mortal could fathom.

The three players who had just run out to seek death were All-Night Bald Hero, Yellowed Memories, and Kindergarten Boxing King, all Level 20 players.

Warrior Like the Wind asked, “Bald Bro, what's wrong? You only died once. Why do you look like you've gone at it three hundred times?”

All-Night Bald Hero replied, “Damn it! This place is poisonous! I entered the Fatigue state after dying just once!”

“Seriously?”

“What the heck?”

The three of them recounted their experience of death.

Although to outsiders,

their deaths had happened in an instant,

from their own perspective,

it felt as though they had fallen asleep and experienced a strange dream.

The strange dream was incredibly long,

filled with twisted images and deafening noise.

Yet after waking,

they could barely remember anything.

Instead,

they had inexplicably entered a state of fatigue.

“That actually sounds fun.”

“I've never experienced death like that before.”

Midnight Pig Slayer said, “I want to try it!”

Fox in Green Robes said, “Isn't that even more exciting than riding a roller coaster? I want to experience it too!”

“Let's all go together!”

Players had always enjoyed pursuing novel experiences.

This left Jia Xu, Zhang Zhongjing, and the others rather speechless.

These people truly were lunatics.

They actually regarded something so extremely dangerous as entertainment.

“Ahem!”

“Everyone, stop fooling around!”

“Now isn't the time to play!”

The Legion Commanders hurriedly stopped the subordinates who wanted to go seeking death.

Chi Mei Wang Liang said, “Although falling into the Sea of Eternal Darkness isn't as serious as the Strategist described, it still causes us to become weak and fatigued very quickly.”

Arthur King said, “The Blessed Flame won't last much longer!”

“Exactly!”

“Now isn't the time to play!”

“If the flame goes out, it's game over!”

“The flame must not go out!”

“Keep the flame alive!”

The environment of the Sea of Eternal Darkness was extremely hostile.

Their top priority now was to figure out a way to break the deadlock.

The Scourge Legion had no ideas,

so they sought Jia Xu's advice.

“This challenge facing the territory comes not only from Starsea Lords of other races.”

Jia Xu said, “Compared to most Lords, the environment of the Sea of Eternal Darkness itself may be even more dangerous!”

“If we lose the protection provided by the Blessing, we will instantly be swallowed by the Sea of Eternal Darkness. Although all of you possess the immortal trait bestowed by the Lord and cannot truly die, the rest of us would likely have no chance of survival.”

Upon hearing these words,

the Scourge Legion members became even more serious.

If they died,

then so be it.

But the NPCs absolutely could not die,

especially heavyweight Hero Units like these!

Otherwise,

the losses would be enormous!

Based on the available information,

Jia Xu reached two conclusions!

If everyone wished to survive within the Sea of Eternal Darkness,

they first had to satisfy the following two conditions!

First,

escape the Abyssal Storm!

Second,

maintain the Blessed Flame!

The Abyssal Storm was easy to understand.

It was simply the shrinking poison zone in a battle royale game.

The storms within the Sea of Eternal Darkness could devour everything.

According to the information the Lord had just revealed,

even a Legendary Lord would have only the slimmest chance of surviving if caught inside.

The Blessed Flame upon this tiny island

would fare no better than a candle facing a Category 17 typhoon.

The Abyssal Storm was currently brewing around the outer edges of the Sea of Eternal Darkness.

If they wished to avoid it,

they had to move toward the center.

As for the Blessed Flame?

Everyone had already figured it out.

It was the core guarantee that protected the island while allowing it to sail through the Sea of Eternal Darkness.

Every Lord's island possessed such a flame.

The Blessing would gradually be consumed as it burned.

Once exhausted,

its protection would disappear.

Even if they were not swallowed by the Abyssal Storm,

they would lose the ability to continue sailing,

and everyone might even be dragged into the Sea of Eternal Darkness!

If that happened,

it would effectively mean elimination.

“Our Blessing only has enough fuel for another five hours!”

“Fortunately, there's always a way out. According to the Blessed Flame's description, as long as we find specific fuel, we can extend the remaining time.”

“What kind of fuel?”

“Idiot! Since this is a battle royale, what better fuel could there be than other territories?”

“So that's how it is!”

“The gameplay mechanics aren't that complicated.”

“They've simply added survival elements on top of a standard battle royale.”

“The island can move!”

“And in order to avoid the Abyssal Storm...”

“All territories will inevitably head toward the same destination!”

“We'll definitely encounter other territories along the way. As long as we defeat them, we can grow stronger while extending our remaining time!”

“......”

After spending several minutes figuring out the game mechanics,

the players found this event both fresh and exciting.

“Strategist!”

“In that case, time is of the essence!”

“Let's move the island and start hunting immediately!”

Jia Xu nodded,

then activated the Blessed Flame.

The floating island began sailing through the endless void at a speed that appeared slow but was in fact extremely fast.

Everyone stood outside the stone hall.

They watched helplessly

as the island passed through countless horrifying supernatural phenomena.

The surrounding environment and scenery changed every second,

every frame.

It was truly magnificent.

Even the most wildly abstract artist imaginable

could never depict even one hundred-millionth of the breathtaking spectacle before them.

Every frame

shook their very souls.

After the floating island had traveled for more than ten minutes through this endlessly abstract “painted world,”

a rather conspicuous green light suddenly appeared on the map.

“What is that?”

“Could it be an enemy?”

“Forget it! Let's head over and take a look first!”

Everyone immediately steered the island toward it.

Only after drawing near

did they discover

that it was not another territory's island,

but rather a green sphere of light floating in the void.

Unlike the constantly shifting phenomena around it,

it existed in a stable state,

anchored by some mysterious force.

The glowing sphere resembled a swirling vortex.

Within it,

faint images could be seen,

as though it connected to another space.

【Den of Evil Sins】Can be activated by consuming 1 hour of fuel... Description: This is a node temporarily anchored within the Sea of Eternal Darkness by the power of the Stars, thus forming a stable Secret Realm Space. Completing its challenge grants rewards.

“So it's not another territory's island.”

“Then what exactly is this?”

“It should be a special dungeon!”

“I think it's more like the random supply drops in battle royale games. You can obtain useful items for the tournament from inside.”

“But activating it consumes one hour of fuel.”

“Do we activate it?”

“Do we go in?”

“......”

After some discussion,

everyone unanimously decided to activate it.

After consulting with Wen Pin, Zhang Zhongjing, and the others,

Jia Xu also agreed with the players' proposal.

The Sea of Eternal Darkness was filled with twisted and chaotic spaces.

The sudden appearance of an anchored,

accessible node

must surely be a trial deliberately left behind by the Will of the Stars.

As long as they completed it,

there would definitely be rewards.

Perhaps they would prove useful in the tournament.

【Secret Realm Space 'Den of Evil Sins' activated successfully!】

Everyone watched as the Blessed Flame shrank slightly.

Originally,

it could have burned for nearly five hours.

Now,

less than four hours remained.

However,

at the same time,

a new teleportation node appeared.

It was precisely the space known as the “Den of Evil Sins.”

The Scourge Legion volunteered to take on the mission.

Seeing the situation,

Dian Wei also eagerly requested permission to fight.

For the sake of caution

and maximizing gains,

Jia Xu decided to let the Scourge Legion enter first to test things.

Even if something unexpected occurred,

there would be no real losses.

“Time is precious!”

“Finish it quickly!”

“Everyone, charge together!”

More than four hundred Scourge Legion soldiers immediately activated teleportation.

In an instant,

they left the floating island

and appeared in an unfamiliar place.

“Where are we?”

The players were astonished to discover

that they had appeared within a world on the verge of complete collapse.

The sky

and the earth

no longer existed.

Every mountain

and every building

floated in midair,

as though they had fallen into a vast,

desolate,

silent cosmic void.

Between the countless floating shattered mountains

and fragments of land,

numerous tornadoes,

lightning,

and walls of flame

formed barriers.

Everyone had appeared

upon one such ruined fragment.

The ground beneath their feet had split into hundreds upon hundreds of pieces.

Every building

had been destroyed beyond recognition,

becoming meteor-like ruins

floating throughout the surrounding space.

“How magnificent!”

“Putting everything else aside...”

“The scenery in this game is seriously incredible!”

“This should be a destroyed world, right? But why did it become like this? What kind of story happened here?”

“This is exactly the greatest charm of Souls-like games.”

“They love creating grand, distant worlds full of history and the weight of countless years. The moment you step into them, you immediately know that many stories once took place there.”

“But the game never directly tells you anything. You have to piece everything together from scattered clues.”

“......”

Facing this magnificent ruined world,

every Scourge Legion soldier was completely awestruck.

Yet before they could take many pictures

or continue discussing it,

suddenly,

a purple beam

shot toward them

from somewhere in the distance.

The beam traveled so quickly

that avoiding it was virtually impossible.

It instantly pierced through several Scourge Legion soldiers standing in a line.

-3131 (Fatal Critical!)

-3355 (Fatal Critical!)

-3218 (Fatal Critical!)

The Scourge Legion members were all greatly alarmed.

Before they could even react,

more than a dozen additional beams attacked.

These attacks

were unbelievably fast,

and extraordinarily accurate.

Every player struck

was instantly killed.

If that had been all,

it would have been one thing.

But the attackers possessed extremely long attack ranges.

Before the Scourge Legion even figured out what the enemy actually was,

roughly half of them had already fallen.

The remaining players

were thrown into complete chaos,

utterly incapable of responding.

“What the hell are those things?”

“Find them quickly!”

Chenxi had already summoned her Thunder Horn Eagle.

After the Thunder Horn Eagle circled the surrounding area,

its scouting eagle vision finally located the attackers.

“What are those things?”

Chenxi saw

that the attackers were monsters unlike anything she had ever seen before.

They resembled hideous giant eyeballs,

while the area surrounding each eyeball

was covered with dense,

hair-like tentacles,

making them resemble bizarre jellyfish

floating among the ruins.

The beams attacking the players

originated from the eyes

of these eyeball monsters.

【Evil Sin Evil Eye】Level 30 Elite Unit... Description: A monster born from the offspring evolved from the lingering aura of the Eye of Destruction that once destroyed this Plane.

“They're Elite monsters!”

“There are tons of them!”

“At least several hundred!”

“They're all Level 30 Elites!”

“......”

By the time the Scourge Legion finally understood what had been attacking them,

over three-quarters of their force had already been wiped out.

The remaining players

were still desperately struggling to survive.

“Damn it!”

“They're too far away!”

“We can't hit them at all!”

Ye Limeng did not even have enough time

to summon his Dragon Steed

and launch a counterattack.

He was simultaneously focused by nine Evil Eye beams.

The enormous critical damage

instantly killed him on the spot.

A few minutes later.

The Scourge Legion

was completely wiped out.

Meanwhile,

inside the Main City Core Hall.

【Player "Little Bell" has died. Abyssal Essence +70,000!】

【Player "Raise a Cup to the Moon" has died. Abyssal Essence +70,000!】

【Player "Ye Limeng" has died. Abyssal Essence +70,000!】

【......】

The higher the player's level,

the more Abyssal Essence they dropped.

Although this player force

was not particularly large,

the income generated by their complete annihilation

was extremely considerable.

The leading players of the Scourge Legion

had now all reached Level 27.

At this level,

a single death

generated as much as 70,000 Abyssal Essence.

“What a dangerous place!”

Even Hang Yu had not expected

the players to suffer a total wipe so quickly.

If Hang Yu had been an ordinary Lord,

then after ninety percent of his participating force had been killed,

with only fifty units remaining,

his campaign would inevitably become extremely difficult.

No matter how many troops

his territory still possessed,

he would have no means

of reinforcing them.

Under such circumstances,

achieving a good tournament result

would have been virtually impossible.

However.

Less than one minute later.

More than four hundred players

had already resurrected

at the Blessed Land.

“What the hell was that?!”

“How did we all get one-shot?”

“I never imagined...”

“That place would be so dangerous!”

“......”

The Scourge Legion members

looked at one another,

their expressions unusually grave.

“The danger level inside that Secret Realm Space exceeds imagination.”

Ye Limeng said in a deep voice,

“But we paid a considerable price to activate it. We absolutely cannot give up so easily!”

Hua Mulan said, “Exactly. Time is far too precious. We can't waste even a single second. Let's try again!”

“Alright!”

“Let's go!”

“Open it again immediately!”

In order to save time,

the Scourge Legion hesitated not at all.

They immediately entered the Secret Realm Space once more.

Now that they had experience,

they naturally would not stand around

like stationary targets.

After entering the space,

they immediately dispersed,

then summoned their Spirit Steeds,

attempting to counterattack the Evil Eye monsters.

However.

Reality proved

it was not so simple.

First of all,

these Evil Eye monsters all possessed the ability to fly.

Their numbers were enormous,

and they floated throughout the entire battlefield.

Although this elite force of the Scourge Legion

had equipped Black Dragon Spirit Steeds,

granting them temporary aerial movement

and limited flight,

they still found it extremely difficult

to strike these monsters.

After all,

the monsters were not only far away,

but the areas surrounding their positions

were filled with storms,

flames,

and barriers of lightning.

Even riding Black Dragon Spirit Steeds,

the Scourge Legion

could hardly approach them.

And the moment they slowed down in the slightest,

high-precision Evil Eye beams from every direction

instantly killed them.

A few minutes later.

Another complete wipe.

This time,

everyone began to lose their composure.

“This won't work!”

“There are too many of them!”

“And they're too far apart!”

“Trying to wipe them all out is practically impossible!”

“Not only do these things have absurd attack range, but their attack speed and accuracy are completely broken!”

“......”

After learning

that the Scourge Legion had suffered another setback,

Dian Wei said,

“Time is precious! Let me handle it!”

Wen Pin added,

“Perhaps it would be more suitable for me to go. My defensive power should allow me to hold out for a while.”

Jia Xu, however,

shook his head.

“It is not yet time for you two generals to act.”

Salted Fish Thrust said,

“Exactly. Please let us try one more time. If we still can't clear it this time, then it won't be too late to ask the Strategist or the Generals to step in!”

“Very well. Then I'll give you one more chance.”

At this point,

Jia Xu offered the players a reminder.

“You may wish to consider changing your tactics. Based on your descriptions, these monsters possess herd behavior, and they all evolved from the same source...”

Everyone immediately became energized.

Ye Limeng asked,

“Strategist, you mean...?”

Jia Xu replied,

“They most likely originated from the same nest... or from the same root.”

“So that's it!”

“One sentence woke us from our dream!”

“Our strategy really was wrong!”

“The Strategist is incredible!”

“Even without seeing the battlefield, he immediately grasped the key point!”

“Let's try again!”

“This time, ignore those Evil Eye monsters harassing us. Our first priority is finding their nest!”

“That's the plan!”

“These are all Level 30 high-level monsters—extremely valuable and rare wild monsters. If we can wipe them all out in one go, the loot alone will make us rich!”

“......”

After receiving Jia Xu's advice and guidance,

the Scourge Legion's confidence soared.

Once again,

they entered the Secret Realm Space.

This time,

they had to succeed.

Failure was not an option!

Their first two failures

had not been meaningless.

After suffering two complete wipes,

the Scourge Legion

had already gained a corresponding understanding

of the Evil Sin Evil Eyes' abilities

and their approximate distribution.

This time,

through targeted defense

and evasive maneuvers,

the threat posed by the Evil Eye beams

was greatly reduced.

Rather than attempting to counterattack,

everyone focused on avoiding

or defending against the attacks,

while simultaneously exploring the area.

“Look!”

“There's a strange building!”

The players quickly discovered

a relatively intact ancient temple.

It stood at the very center

of the floating ruins,

making it especially conspicuous.

Evil Eye monsters

were continuously flying out

from the gigantic temple.

“This must be the monsters' nest!”

“Even if it isn't, such a complete building can still provide us with cover!”

“Everyone, charge!”

“Let's fight our way inside first!”

Ye Limeng,

Black Pupil Brother Rui,

Old Mad Blade Wang,

Little Bell,

and the others

all controlled their Black Dragon Spirit Steeds,

using Leaping Flame

and Burst Flame.

They crossed

the countless floating fragments suspended in midair.

Finally,

while enduring beams firing from every direction,

they forcibly broke inside.

This enormous temple

contained an immense interior.

It covered the area

of roughly two or three football fields.

Within it,

approximately several dozen Evil Sin Evil Eyes floated.

However,

the players' attention

was not on those Evil Eyes.

Because deep within the temple,

there stood

an enormous monster

completely unlike the others.

Its body

was as large

as a ten-story building.

Its overall shape

resembled a gigantic sphere.

A monstrous mouth,

dozens of meters long

and filled with razor-sharp fangs,

occupied its front.

Aside from that gigantic mouth,

its spherical body

was densely covered

with lumps.

But upon closer inspection,

those lumps

were actually eyeballs.

These eyeballs

could be detached.

Most of them

had already been removed.

The detached ones

were precisely the Evil Eye monsters

floating throughout the sky.

【Evil Sin Evil Eye Fiend】Level 31 Commander Unit... Description: The offspring evolved from the lingering aura of the Eye of Destruction that once destroyed the Plane. It can give birth to hundreds of Evil Eyes.

“We found it!”

“It's the BOSS!”

“All the Evil Eye monsters...”

“Grew from this Evil Eye Fiend!”

“Holy crap! A Level 31 Commander! Doesn't that make it a Fourth-Order Commander monster? This won't be easy!”

“Don't chicken out!”

“Everyone attack!”

“Kill it! We'll definitely clear the dungeon!”

“......”

The moment the players thought

about the loot

dropped by a Fourth-Order wild Boss,

every one of them

could not suppress their excitement.

Although the monster's rank

was incredibly high,

nearly two hundred Scourge Legion soldiers

had reached this place.

Among them,

more than a dozen were Level 27 powerhouses,

each possessing Commander-level combat strength.

With all of them joining forces

against this Boss,

their chances of victory

should still be quite high!

Meanwhile.

On the Human territory's floating island.

Jia Xu,

Dian Wei,

Wen Pin,

and the others

continued waiting.

At this moment,

more than two hundred players

had already resurrected one after another.

Judging from the information they brought back,

the situation

was still relatively optimistic.

Clearing the Secret Realm Space

should not be too difficult.

However,

just as everyone was waiting

for good news...

“Huh? Everyone, look! A red marker has appeared on the map!”

“It's moving toward us!”

“Oh no!”

“An island!”

“An alien Lord has appeared!”

“They're trying to attack us while we're occupied!”

“......”

Everyone saw

within the endlessly chaotic and insane Sea of Eternal Darkness,

a floating island

protected by a Starsea Barrier

rapidly approaching

the Human territory's island.

There was no doubt about it!

The other side

had already discovered this island.

And they had also noticed

that the territory

was currently exploring a Secret Realm Space.

Thus,

they intended

to seize this opportunity

to launch an attack.

“The Scourge Legion can't disengage completely for the moment.”

Jia Xu remained completely calm.

“Several Generals, it is now your time to shine!”

Dian Wei grinned ferociously.

“Good! I've been waiting for this moment... for far too long!”

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