As the rescue team drew nearer to the island, Ye Cangtian was urgently summoned to the conference hall.
Naturally, he wasn't the only one called here!
Huang Wu was also present, along with several other Yellow-tier members, totaling around twenty to thirty people!
From the discussions among other Yellow-tier members, it seemed the higher-ups intended to send some people into the ruins ahead of time, supposedly for reconnaissance. To put it bluntly, they were being sent to test the waters!
The danger was immense!
The selected personnel were mostly discarded pawns from under various Profound-tier overseers, or stragglers like himself.
With their superiors dead, what else could the remaining people be called if not stragglers?
Ye Cangtian felt a touch of helplessness. Now, being assigned to the ruins, he wondered if he would even have time to rescue anyone after he came out!
Huang Wu, standing beside him, also had a grim expression. He lowered his voice and asked, "Brother Huang Jiu, have we been abandoned?"
Ye Cangtian snapped back to attention and smiled faintly, "It's not that serious. It's just testing the waters. Although the danger is great, it's manageable if we're careful!"
Huang Wu was about to say more, but the conference hall fell silent.
Lord Zǐ Lóng entered the hall, followed by two Profound-tier powerhouses. Like the others, these two Profound-tier experts wore solemn expressions.
Lord Zǐ Lóng spoke, "Everyone should be aware of the mission ahead. Exploring the ruins in advance, while perilous, offers both crisis and opportunity."
"Furthermore, the two Profound-tier overseers and I will accompany you into the ruins. As a reward for those who emerge alive, I will grant each of you a crystal!"
This announcement visibly eased the dejected expressions of many.
With Earth-tier and Profound-tier experts entering the ruins alongside them, the danger they faced was significantly reduced. Moreover, the organization would reward them with crystals.
In the crowd, Ye Cangtian's brow twitched slightly. He quietly asked Huang Wu, "What are crystals?"
Huang Wu pondered for a moment before directly answering, "Crystals can be used to enhance one's strength, but they are very rare and can only be obtained within the ruins. For us Yellow-tier members, unless we earn merit through achievements, it's very difficult to acquire them."
Within the Dark Association, only Profound-tier experts were provided with crystals. For Yellow-tier members to accumulate merit for them highlighted the crystals' value!
After hearing Huang Wu's explanation, Ye Cangtian couldn't help but touch the items in his pocket.
Were the items that dropped from the stone figure crystals?
If so, and he now possessed seven of them, didn't that mean he was rich?
Soon, everyone reassembled in the spacious clearing below the passage. Some equipment was still left here, with some even connected to the massive energy barrier ahead.
The energy barrier, resembling a wall, was becoming increasingly weak. This was the entrance to the ruins.
A total of twenty-eight people were to enter the ruins for preliminary exploration!
This included Lord Zǐ Lóng, an Earth-tier expert, two Profound-tier experts, and twenty-five Yellow-tier members.
This was nearly one-fifth of the entire base!
"Depart!"
With Lord Zǐ Lóng's command, the two Profound-tier experts exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and simultaneously stepped through the energy barrier, vanishing from sight.
Those remaining hesitated.
However, under Lord Zǐ Lóng's watchful gaze, these Yellow-tier members dared not slack. They cautiously stepped forward.
One by one, the Yellow-tier members crossed the energy barrier, disappearing from view.
Ye Cangtian also stepped forward. He could feel a peculiar energy within the barrier, one that repelled him slightly, yet not entirely.
This was likely why the entrance was not yet stable!
As he stepped directly into the energy barrier, the next moment, he felt as if he had entered a strange space.
Of course, this sensation lasted less than half a second. Then, his vision cleared, and the scene opened up.
Stepping through the entrance to the ruins revealed a different world!
This was no longer the passage, nor was it as dark as the outside.
Distant rolling hills, yellow earth and pebbles underfoot—everything made it feel as though they had entered an illusion. The sky was hazy, but it didn't impede their vision.
"What place is this?" a Yellow-tier member murmured in fear.
"Aren't we on an island? Why isn't there any sea here?"
"Could this be hell?"
The vast majority of the Yellow-tier members present had never entered a ruin before. Thus, upon seeing their surroundings, they felt both curiosity and a primal fear of the unknown.
Even Ye Cangtian was filled with awe. The so-called ruins were, in fact, another dimension.
At this moment, Lord Zǐ Lóng's voice echoed from behind them, "This is the interior of the ruins. From the looks of it, this ruin is vast, much larger than any we've explored before!"
The distant hills stretched endlessly, appearing desolate and barren.
Nearby, there were many large rocks, it was unclear if they were naturally formed or had been moved.
A Profound-tier expert surveyed the barren surroundings and inquired, "Lord Zǐ Lóng, what do we do next?"
Although this was the interior of the ruins, the desolate environment suggested it wasn't the core area, as there was nothing here.
Furthermore, each ruin was different, so even Profound-tier experts who had entered ruins before were unfamiliar with this particular one.
Lord Zǐ Lóng looked ahead and then pointed, "Let's explore forward. Although this ruin is large, only the central area is of paramount importance."
Just as everyone prepared to move forward, a scream suddenly erupted from the crowd.
Turning back, they saw that the surrounding large rocks had shattered, revealing several stone figures. One Yellow-tier member, who had been resting on a large rock, was caught off guard as a stone figure tore open his chest.
For a moment, everyone's faces changed, and they became vigilant.
They hadn't expected that mere rocks in this desolate land could hide such ferocious stone figures!
At that moment, the stone figures launched a frenzied assault on the crowd.
Many panicked, retreating or fleeing in disarray.
Only the two Profound-tier experts hesitated for a moment before engaging the stone figures. Apart from them, Ye Cangtian also did not retreat, swinging his fist towards the closest stone figure.
A Profound-tier expert could handle one or two stone figures, but more would be overwhelming.
Lord Zǐ Lóng acted directly, a purple long saber appearing in his hand. With a single strike, he cleaved a stone figure in two, reducing it to a pile of rubble.
He then swung the purple saber again, and more stone figures fell.
Moments later!
As all the stone figures turned into ruins, silence fell upon those present.
The ruins also contained stone figures, and it was possible that even the larger rocks harbored stone figures within them.
However, witnessing Lord Zǐ Lóng's power, the others couldn't help but gasp in amazement. Splitting a stone figure in two with a single blow—such immense power was enough to shock these Yellow-tier members.
"Why are you all panicking?"
Lord Zǐ Lóng's expression was grim. These were just a few stone figures, yet these Yellow-tier members were so terrified that they scattered in all directions.
The Yellow-tier members dared not utter a sound under his scolding. After all, they had heard that stone figures had rioted in the outer passages of the ruins, and even Profound-tier experts had died.
"You, however, have courage. You even dared to attack the stone figures. Your strength is also decent; given enough time, you might even be able to deal with a stone figure yourself!"
Lord Zǐ Lóng looked at Ye Cangtian, a smile of approval on his face, "Under whom do you serve?"
Ye Cangtian replied honestly, "I serve under Lord Xuan Qi, but Lord Xuan Qi the day before yesterday..."
Lord Zǐ Lóng immediately understood. It was a pity that Xuan Qi had died in the outer passages.
He nodded, "You are quite good. Continue to perform well!"