Bi Mo Zhi Jian

Chapter 234 Intensified Erosion, Fire Seed Strikes (Combined Chapter)

Sunset Country,

Upon leaving the airport, Anna and the other 50 exchange students immediately returned to the headquarters of the Night Watchers Organization in Fog City.

High-ranking officials like Yor could not hide their anticipation. Even His Excellency Archmage Anthony, the rarely seen guardian god of Sunset Country, was present.

"Our organization's people wrote in their letters that the exchange learning in Xin Huo was very smooth. They learned a great deal of knowledge, achieved immense improvements, far beyond imagination."

"Yes, especially Princess Anna. It is said that Princess Anna's performance in the training camp was exceptionally brilliant, the best among all the exchange students."

"Wonderful, truly the jewel of our Sunset Country."

"Princess Anna also mentioned in her letters that they brought back many precious items, but she couldn't explain clearly in the letter... Sigh, time is passing too slowly."

When the 50 exchange students returned to the headquarters of the Night Watchers Organization, the high-ranking officials were astonished to find that their demeanor had completely changed.

It was as if they had undergone a transformation, reborn.

Of course, they still lacked the imposing aura of true masters. Even with their significant progress within the Xin Huo training camp, they dared not claim the title of master.

Monsters were everywhere there.

Despite their rapid progress, the students dared not be arrogant. They were all pushing themselves to catch up, worried that once they left the training camp, they might be left far behind in the future.

But in the eyes of the high-ranking officials, their newfound vitality was evident.

It seemed that the Xin Huo training camp was indeed extraordinary. However, the true extent of its uniqueness would depend on what the exchange students had learned.

Yor asked.

Upon this question, the elite Night Watchers, graduates of the Xin Huo study abroad program, became animated.

They had so much to say that it would take three days and three nights to finish. They spoke one after another, many presenting textbooks like treasures.

Textbooks filled with meticulous notes.

Initially, the exchange students from Sunset Country had wondered how to secretly transport the potions they had redeemed and these textbooks back home.

To their surprise, Xin Huo had no objections.

Textbooks, student training uniforms, redeemed items, and anything else they had redeemed or received for free from the training camp – as long as it belonged to them, they could take it all.

Many of them were still wearing their training camp attire, a testament to unforgettable and cherished memories.

"Sir, this vial is a Strength Potion. It can enhance muscle strength in a short period. I haven't dared to try it, but according to the information I've gathered, the increase is quite significant for a first-level Awakener."

"This is a Speed Potion. Its effect is similar to the Strength Potion."

"Actually, there are many more advanced potions on the list, but we couldn't afford to redeem them."

"Lord Yor, I believe our Sunset Country needs more spots for overseas study... It would be even better if we could go to the training camp for further training again. I swear by God, I will bring back more potions for the organization."

"Go away! If there were such spots, I'd want one too!"

The students explained that among the advanced potions were Type 2 and Type 3 physical enhancement elixirs, as well as a special elixir that could greatly increase life energy capacity.

And so on!

Just by looking at the descriptions of the potion effects, Yor and the other high-ranking officials felt a pang of envy and desire.

Indeed, Yor was holding a student's mobile phone at the moment – mobile phones were also personal belongings that the students were allowed to take back.

However, once outside the training camp's vicinity, all functions of the mobile phone were locked. Currently, this phone could only browse the 'Student Redemption List' on it, and nothing else.

Yor and the others were envious.

After a long pause, he moved his gaze away with strong willpower, patted an elite student on the shoulder, and said,

"You have all done exceptionally well. For our research institutions, basic potions hold more research value. Even if advanced potions are available now, they would most likely be shelved."

"You are all heroes of the Night Watchers."

"This is what we should do, Lord Yor. Compared to potions, we unanimously agree that these textbooks are more precious and valuable."

A trusted confidant of a high-ranking official said.

Looking at the textbooks in his hand – "Understanding Mysterious Evils from Scratch," "Mystery and Awakening," "Basic Identification of Materials," and so on – Yor showed surprise.

Xin Huo even had textbooks on mysticism. This was indeed far ahead of them.

Yor opened "Understanding Mysterious Evils from Scratch (Vol. 1)" and became more and more astonished as he read.

"Oh! The mysterious evils recorded here are not just a few more than ours!"

"108 types of mysterious evils! This book describes a full 108 types of mysterious evils! My goodness, how many types of mysterious evils have we recorded so far?"

"62 types, but it's not just about the quantity; the descriptions of the mysterious evils in this book are too detailed!"

"That's right. There are five or six illustrations for each type of mysterious evil, and I've seen the appearance of many mysterious evils for the first time."

"If Xin Huo's data on mysterious evils is considered 100, then we... might only be at 3-5%?"

"Be more confident. Remove the 'might,' remove the '5,' we're at most 3% of Xin Huo's level, no more. Look at what our recorded mysterious evils look like? No names, no characteristics, and you call this recording? Even the few with characteristic descriptions are not necessarily accurate. We can't compare, we just can't compare."

"Immediately organize an expert team to analyze and evaluate this book."

"Yes, if all the content in this book is correct, it can be considered our Night Watchers' sacred scripture!"

It's a guiding principle!

It's a weapon against the enemy!

It's an ineffable treasure!

"Um... sirs, this book is just the most basic textbook. There are also advanced versions, (Vol. 2) and (Vol. 3), and... and there are other textbooks too."

The confidant of the high-ranking official said timidly.

Unable to contain their excitement, the high-ranking officials who had revered "Vol. 1" as a sacred scripture suddenly found themselves a bit embarrassed.

Their old faces flushed slightly.

They were too excited and momentarily forgot that this book was merely a textbook for Xin Huo students, and there were more such textbooks.

"Ahem."

Yor regained his composure and said, "I mean, we can compile and organize these textbooks into a collection to serve as our guiding scripture... After all, this 'From Scratch' book is packed with practical knowledge, and the other textbooks are not bad either."

"Of course, this book is just the foundation of the foundation, the most ordinary one."

The confidant replied.

Yor: "..."

He casually adjusted his glasses and looked at the other textbooks.

"Understanding Mysterious Evils from Scratch (Vol. 2)." This book also described a great many types of mysterious evils, fewer in number than the first book, but the mysterious evils discussed in this volume were of higher levels, more dangerous, and more bizarre!

Its value was even greater than "Vol. 1"!

"With this book as a guide, the number of injured and sacrificed Night Watchers will surely be reduced significantly."

"This book is invaluable!"

"Sacred Scripture! Sacred Scripture!"

"So mysterious evils have such characteristics!"

"I propose that all Night Watchers in our organization should prioritize studying this book and make it a compulsory course!"

Yor and the other high-ranking officials were shocked.

The summoned expert professors were glued to the textbooks, unable to look away.

Yor flipped open the next textbook.

This book, titled "Mystery and Awakening," discussed embracing mystery, increasing the chance of awakening, and reducing异化污染 (mutagenic pollution), and so on.

His eyes widened.

"This book, this book..."

"This book is the most precious sacred scripture of all!"

"I propose that all Night Watchers in our organization should study this book first! It is the most essential of essentials."

The high-ranking officials' hearts surged with emotion. They then opened the next textbook.

"Basic Identification of Materials."

As the name suggests, the book explains how to identify various mysterious materials, how to collect and excavate them, how to ensure the efficacy of mysterious medicinal materials does not dissipate, how to...

And so on!

The content was profound and packed with practical knowledge!

Even high-ranking officials like Yor, who focused on politics and combat, found it somewhat difficult to comprehend. Although they didn't understand everything, the terms used were all very impressive!

"Our Night Watchers have encountered some mysterious materials before, but they withered away quickly due to improper collection methods."

"Not only that, look at numbers #059, #067, #119. Who would have thought these were high-value mysterious materials! I think I've seen this kind of siderite before, mistaking it for ordinary stone. What a loss!"

"And there are mysterious ores that only reveal their appearance under light... With this guide, our Night Watchers' income from mysterious materials alone can increase by at least 50%!"

"This book must be studied, and studied first! It concerns our financial income. Only when our warehouses are full can we buy more potions and equipment from Xin Huo."

So, which of these textbooks should be studied first?

The Awakened individuals at the Night Watchers headquarters who had not gone to study at Xin Huo were bewildered.

Why did their teammates' study abroad trip lead to so much additional coursework for them? They had missions to execute during work, and physical training after work. Now they had to carve out time to memorize cultural lessons. Was this the downfall of humanity or the distortion of morality?

Oh, wait. Textbook A could reduce their casualty rate during missions?

It seemed, perhaps, it was worth studying.

Textbook B could increase their chance of awakening?

Oh, oh, oh... this was even more worth studying!

Textbook C could increase their income and generate additional revenue?

When it came to this, they were no longer sleepy. So what if they had to study a few more books? So what if it meant intense competition?

It smelled really good.

The joys and sorrows of ordinary Night Watchers and their superiors were not the same, but the feeling of "it smells really good" was universal.

There were a total of seven textbooks here.

Seven books worth ten thousand gold. No, these were beyond monetary value.

"Lord Yor, these are still not all of them. They are only the basic compulsory textbooks. There are advanced courses at the training camp that require certain prerequisites to learn."

"It's just that my abilities are limited, and I haven't been able to learn the advanced courses yet."

"For this, perhaps Princess Anna can introduce you."

There were indeed a few students who had learned the advanced courses.

But without a doubt, Anna learned the fastest and grasped the most knowledge. It was most appropriate for her to explain.

Anna was also very enthusiastic.

She desperately wanted to share her miraculous experiences at the Xin Huo training camp with others. However, she was not a member of the Night Watchers Organization, and she couldn't steal the credit from her fellow Night Watcher students.

Just now, she had hesitated to speak, opening and closing her mouth, and finally kept quiet, watching her fellow exchange student, a Night Watcher, give his presentation.

Now it was finally her turn!

Let's see the top student among the exchange students!

She walked forward with graceful steps, and from her bag, she carefully took out a hardcover book, caressing it gently.

The cover of this textbook was glossy, showing no signs of wrinkles or wear, as if it were a brand new textbook just issued. However, upon opening it, one could see densely written notes, with elegant handwriting like the jewel of Sunset Country.

Anna, the princess, also cherished this book, handling it with utmost care.

As she brought out the textbook and handed it to Yor, she paused and retracted it slightly.

Yor: "???"

Anna said earnestly, "I have one request. You cannot take this book for research."

She glanced to the side.

High-ranking officials, experts, and professors were studying the textbooks with less than perfect decorum. While some were careful, others were smiling foolishly, which was a bit unsettling!

And this was a book that she valued greatly, a book that held her memories of the Xin Huo training camp. While her notes could be scanned, she was unwilling to have the book displayed in the Night Watchers Organization for public viewing in the future.

She planned to set up a study room upon her return to house the textbooks and notes from the training camp.

"Ahem, don't worry, of course, that's not a problem. There are still a few more textbooks like this."

Yor, an old man whose age was close to Anna's father, could not bring himself to take away the young lady's beloved textbook.

So, he looked at an outstanding exchange student, a Night Watcher, beside him. With a bewildered look in the outstanding student's eyes, he took his textbook.

He lowered his head and examined it. "Comprehensive Course on the Ethereal Realm?"

"Yes," Princess Anna replied. "This course teaches the basics and common knowledge of the Ethereal Realm, such as its dangers, opportunities, and changes in its environment and space. Although this book is also basic, it covers a vast amount of content."

However, Yor was a bit confused.

In front of Princess Anna, and indeed, in front of all the returning exchange students, he had felt like a scholastic underachiever several times.

The terms sounded impressive yet unclear.

Fortunately, Princess Anna had no intention of keeping him in suspense. She said with great enthusiasm,

"Simply put, the Ethereal Realm is the true world deep beneath reality, the other side of the Ethereal Gate. Uncle Yor, can you understand that?"

"Of course, we Night Watchers have had speculations and research before."

"The method to enter the Ethereal Realm is both difficult and simple. You just need to be in a secret place. Uncle Yor, you can turn to page 26 of the book."

Anna said with shining eyes.

Page 26 of this textbook introduced the method: stand within a secret place, mentally capture the fluctuating node, and as long as your spiritual power exceeds 15 points, you can squeeze into the Ethereal Realm through the spatial node.

"What is the scope of 15 points of spiritual power?"

"Generally speaking, a second-level Awakener of the spiritual type is not enough, but a third-level Awakener definitely is. However, a third-level Awakener of the physique type is not enough."

"That's a bit high. The Ethereal Realm, a place full of treasures, is so difficult to enter."

Yor lamented.

Anna shook her head. "It's not like that. The entry barrier to the Ethereal Realm is high, but the danger level is even higher. Even those who meet the conditions will find it difficult to move within the Ethereal Realm. For those who don't meet the conditions, entering is likely suicide."

"Little Anna is right."

An old man with a white beard appeared from somewhere, stroking his entirely white beard and staring at the hardcover textbook opened to page 26.

After a long moment, he signaled Yor with his eyes.

Why hadn't he turned the page yet?

Were young people reading slower than him, an old man?

"Oh, oh!"

Yor understood and quickly turned the page for the old gentleman. "Archmage, have you been to the Ethereal Realm before?"

The old gentleman said, "If that place was the Ethereal Realm, then I have indeed entered it. Just as Little Anna said, the Ethereal Realm is extremely dangerous. At that time, there were three or four particularly large mysterious evils and a larger number of large mysterious evils around."

The old gentleman sighed.

He certainly dared not take the risk. Since then, although he had lingered around the nodes, he still had not entered.

However, if the Ethereal Realm was as rich in resources as Little Anna said, then...

Anna corrected him, "Grandpa Archmage, the place you went to was the Ethereal Realm, but not entirely. It was still at the entrance of the Ethereal Realm. The true Ethereal Realm is countless times more dangerous."

"Once you step out of the secret place at the entrance, you will face great danger. Let alone a third-level Awakener, even a fourth-level non-human grade or a fifth-level commander grade would be in danger of perishing if they stepped out directly, unless they possess a torch that can dispel the gray fog."

Being a scholar was Anna's domain.

She spoke with a confident smile, explaining everything one by one.

After a long, long time,

Yor let out a long sigh. "So, there are still so many secrets hidden in this world. Arranging for you to go to Xin Huo for study and exchange was the most correct decision."

"It was also intentional on Xin Huo's part to reveal this. They said they received tuition fees from our exchange students, but compared to this valuable information, that small tuition fee is insignificant."

"Xin Huo is truly an organization that protects humanity."

"Indeed it is~"

"Xin Huo is so powerful and great~"

Anna tilted her neck, as white and lustrous as sheep fat jade, feeling immensely proud.

As long as you praise Xin Huo, we are friends.

"Not only that, but our harvest at the training camp was not limited to this."

"Uncle Yor, don't forget that the training in the training camp, the word 'training,' 'getting stronger,' is what we did most of the time."

Anna was a little expectant.

She looked forward to seeing Uncle Yor and Grandpa Archmage's astonished expressions.

She was now very, very strong!

Yor was also expectant.

The elite Night Watchers had mentioned in their letters that their improvement was immense.

How immense? He didn't know, but since it was special training from Xin Huo, perhaps this short half-month could be equivalent to two or three months of training?

Seeing the confident demeanor of Anna and the others, he believed there had been significant changes.

They walked towards the training grounds.

The elite exchange students rubbed their hands, eager to begin their demonstration.

"Let me go first later."

"I'll go first, let me."

"You guys can't handle it. It has to be me. I'm a top 10 exchange student at the training camp, only I can handle it."

They were subtly competing.

Suddenly, a piercing alarm sounded.

A Night Watcher urgently transmitted, "B-big trouble! According to the Heavenly Eye system, four ominous signs of Ethereal Gates have suddenly appeared in our country, and... and they are about to open soon!"

Yor's brow furrowed.

Before long, another Night Watcher reported, "Sir, one of the Ethereal Gates is located in the southern suburbs of our Fog City. It has been confirmed that gray fog has suddenly diffused there!"

Yor's brow knitted tighter.

The next moment, another Night Watcher reported, "Sir, Xin Huo has also sent a warning. This time, the Ethereal Gates are not to be underestimated. They will be stronger than before and will last longer."

Yor's brow creased into a single line.

He asked, "What does Xin Huo say? Can they provide strong reinforcements?"

The Night Watcher replied, "Xin Huo said that this is a global catastrophe. Ethereal Gates are appearing in many places around the world, and many areas are worse off than our Sunset Country."

"The only support Xin Huo can provide is personnel from their high-level branch offices. Many Xin Huo powerhouses are being dispatched to various regions and cannot spare their hands. They have asked us to try our best to resist the disaster ourselves."

Yor's expression grew more somber.

Anna's also did, but she showed no fear. She had emerged from the Xin Huo training camp and would not forget her heritage and mission.

The disaster of the Ethereal Gates in Sunset Country, I will resist it!

...

Blue Star, the sky was somewhat dim.

It was like the prelude to an approaching storm.

Fang You stepped above the sky, gazing at the distant silhouette.

"A twenty-day prophecy, huh."

"According to my previous estimate, there were at least fifty days left, but..."

Under the tracking vision of Mysterious Evils, he could vaguely see the boundless dark gray world suddenly approaching, taking a big step forward.

The process of erosion had accelerated, and the Ethereal Realm had consumed a large portion of Blue Star's essence.

The barriers weakened, and cracks opened.

Naturally, this formed numerous Ethereal Gates, and there might even be instigators behind this. No, there must be instigators.

He looked at the deployment map.

Within Blue Star, there were a total of 75 ominous signs of Ethereal Gates appearing this time. The time was short, the task urgent, and the special markings scattered across the world appeared before his eyes.

And as he had warned the cooperating countries, some of these Ethereal Gates pulsed with a deep, eye-catching red.

These indicated higher-level disasters.

Cataclysmic Mysterious Evils, or even higher-level beings, would inevitably appear.

Blooming everywhere.

The number of disasters was simply too great!

Even powerful beings like Throne-grade or stronger would be stretched thin trying to save the day.

But,

"Saving the world has never been a solo performance, nor is the night sky illuminated by just one or two sparks, but by the countless lights like a galaxy."

Passed down from generation to generation, the flames grew stronger.

With three hours remaining until the Ethereal Gates opened, the sparks scattered across the regions should strike.