Chapter 1 The Gray Robes

Surrounding the gray-robed figure were seven static force fields in the shape of bronze bells. Each static force field contained a human: Michael, Uncontrolled, the Special Affairs Bureau's Zhong Limeiming, the Clock Tower's Celsus, the Tribunal's Uriel, the Witch Alliance's Dir, and the Demon Scientist Alliance's Death Requiem.

These were the first echelon of Earth players who had been sealed previously.

Strangely, the Earth participants who were supposed to be captured and bound by the Fubian ropes, as Tian Jing Huo Tu had said, were nowhere to be seen.

Li Ang and the others soon had their questions answered.

The Desolate Lion stomped on the ground and swung its lion head to the side.

The intense demonic aura surrounding it suddenly spread out over two hundred meters, shaking two figures out of the void.

Hohenheim and the Veritas were sent tumbling out.

The former's magical barrier shattered continuously, barely offsetting the demonic aura's impact. At the same time, a magical item called the *Book of Sand* appeared in his hand, and he cast [Levitation] to slow down and land on the ground.

The Veritas, chairman of the Demon Scientist Alliance, used his mental ability to create carnivorous, vine-like monsters made of starlight material under his feet, similarly cushioning the impact and landing not far from Li Ang and the others.

How could Dan Chenzi and the blind monk let such an opportunity pass? They summoned flying swords and Arhat phantoms to attack the Veritas.

At the same time, the Desolate Lion stepped forward, its surging demonic aura condensed into the shape of a lion's claw, crushing down from above.

However, the Veritas, the chairman of the Demon Scientist Alliance, was not flustered. He took out an hourglass from the void.

The top and bottom of the hourglass were made of marble, with a glass ball and a narrow connecting tube in the middle. The four sides were golden thin rods. The whole thing looked ordinary, like something sold in a gift shop.

[Name: Time Management Hourglass for Communication]

[Type: Item]

[Quality: Perfect]

[Effect: Time Stop Communication. Pauses time for up to 5 minutes. During this time, the user can limit a spherical space with a diameter not exceeding 100 meters. Intelligent life in the space area can, and can only, communicate and exchange information mentally. Including the user, no transcendent powers can be used, and no equipment or props can be used. Equipment and props will also not have their cooldown timers running.]

[Usage Conditions: Intelligence attribute greater than or equal to 15 points, Perception attribute greater than or equal to 15 points]

[Consumption: 500 points of spiritual energy, 400 points of sanity]

[Cooldown Time: 24 hours]

[Remarks: The Time Management Hourglass for Communication is a new generation product developed by Future Technology Co., Ltd. for the vast number of inter-crystal-wall law firms. Currently, major inter-crystal-wall law firms generally lease stargates at a price of thousands of star system coins per second to communicate with their clients distributed in various crystal walls in real time and provide legal aid. The emergence of the Time Management Hourglass for Communication will greatly reduce the operating costs of inter-crystal-wall law firms, expand their business, and lay the foundation for their hegemony. After all, even the gods in the crystal walls sometimes need legal aid.]

[Remarks: Why sleep early in life, you'll sleep long enough after death. Saving time is creating wealth, my friend—advice from a time management master.]

The Veritas stood on the back of the carnivorous vine monster and turned the hourglass.

A faint golden light burst out from the hourglass, instantly filling the entire underground space.

As the sand in the hourglass began to flow,

Tai Hao and the others were shocked to find that the phantoms of the Veritas and Hohenheim extended from their bodies.

The distant Dan Chenzi and the Desolate Lion remained still and motionless.

"Don't overthink it. This thing just provides talk time. You can't take the opportunity to attack them."

The Veritas's phantom said quickly, "We have five minutes."

"Cough, cough—"

Hohenheim's phantom slowly stood up, looked at Li Ang and the others, and said quickly, "You're finally here.

You've all heard the system notification, right? We're the only ones left now."

Tai Hao frowned and looked around, adapting to the state of the phantom. He said, "What's going on with you guys..."

"That Desolate Lion on the other side, also known as the Demon Beast King, is the leader of the alien cultivators this time,"

Hohenheim said quickly, "It had its subordinates open that safe door, accelerating the tentacles' crushing of the Lost World levels.

We took advantage of the opportunity just now to cut the Fubian ropes and had all the bound players surrender and withdraw from the competition—they weren't strong enough, and their spiritual energy had been drained before they were captured. Staying here would only be a burden..."

Tai Hao nodded and said quickly, "What about the others..."

The seven people standing here, plus the seven players sealed in the static force fields, were clearly not enough to meet the fifty-person quota in the system notification.

Even if they added David, Abel, and the others, who were still unknown if they were alive, they wouldn't have enough people.

"The quota of fifty people is calculated separately from the alien players. We have fifty, and they should have the same number."

The Veritas, in his phantom state, glanced at the steadily flowing sand in the hourglass and said indifferently, "I received news that there are a total of fifty tentacles collapsing the levels, currently distributed on different floors, causing the upper levels to continue to collapse. Sooner or later, the entire Lost World will collapse and crush everyone to death.

I told Tian Jing Huo Tu to gather the surviving players as much as possible,

But it's hard to say how many are still alive."

Hohenheim nodded and said in a low voice, "The gray-robed people surrounding the safe door are influencing and controlling the tentacles. That's probably their ultimate goal, but I don't know why..."

"How much combat power do you guys have left?"

Tai Hao's phantom smiled bitterly, "Forty percent."

Kuang Ranhuo's expression hardened, "Fifty percent."

"Fifty percent." Zhan Lu pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and corrected himself, "Maybe less than that."

"Ninety percent?"

An Boli rubbed his smooth chin and said with a troubled expression, "Ah... my teacher said I must win the competition... so annoying."

Teacher?

Hohenheim glanced at him. He had heard before that there was a "Professor" behind the Syndicate organization, but he never knew their identity.

But now was not the time to gather information. He turned his gaze to Li Ang.

"Me?"

Li Ang pretended to think for a moment, "Fifty percent, but I might not be of much help."

"..."

Hohenheim nodded and didn't ask any further—he had also seen the information and knew that the person in the white coat was Li Risheng, whose personal combat power ranking was relatively low among this group.

However, the fact that Li Risheng was still alive and hadn't left proved that he had good strength and luck, and he was confident enough not to run away the moment he saw the Desolate Lion.

"I have the last two intermediate magic potions left in my backpack. They can restore some spiritual energy. If anyone needs them, they can ask later."

The Veritas glanced at the sand constantly falling in the hourglass and said indifferently, "Everyone prepare. The Desolate Lion's strength is no less than Michael's.

Fortunately, our goal is not it for the time being. Instead, we must first kill those dozen or so gray-robed figures who are trying to control the tentacles..."