Returning to Cross-Cut Gorge

Cross-Cut Gorge. As the ruins' next opening drew near, buildings had sprung up across the canyon. The superpowered experts no longer slept under the open sky, choosing instead to construct shelters on the spot. More than that, a wave of merchants had arrived. They sold mysterious energy, and even divine energy stones! Beyond that, there were people peddling ancient weapons of dubious authenticity, relics, ancient texts, and martial art secret techniques... In a brief period, the presence of Battle Heaven City had given rise to a warped marketplace within the gorge. It was called warped because only the strong, or those backed by formidable factions, had the right to set up stalls and hawk their wares. Otherwise, anyone selling goods here had the life to make a sale, but not the life to spend their earnings. Meanwhile, the Three Great Organizations had blatantly established their own outposts throughout the canyon. Each staked out their own territory, awaiting entry into the ruins. At that moment, a figure soared straight into the sky, drawing the attention of every super in the gorge. "Everyone! I am Hao Lianchuan, Deputy Director of the Silver Moon Night Patrol! "Per the agreement reached between all parties—excluding the three evil super organizations—the Battle Heaven City ruins will open on the 28th of this month. Once opened, the entrance will remain accessible for half an hour. Anyone wishing to enter must pay an entrance fee: Starlight and Ten-Slayer realms must pay ten cubic meters of mysterious energy; Hundred-Breaker and Lunar Plume realms, thirty cubic meters; Solar Brilliance and Thousand-Battler realms, one hundred cubic meters! Three Suns realm must pay one divine energy stone, and Rising Light realm must pay ten divine energy stones... as Silver Moon's fee for maintaining the ruins' opening!" As soon as these words fell, an uproar broke out across the gorge. The weaker cultivators could accept it; even one hundred cubic meters of mysterious energy was not outrageously expensive. However, divine energy stones! Even the Three Suns realm was required to pay a divine energy stone to enter—this was exorbitant! Down in the canyon, a Three Suns expert called out directly, "Director Hao, isn't demanding a divine energy stone from Three Suns a bit excessive? As far as I know, Battle Heaven City is divided into an outer city and an inner city. There are virtually no treasures in the outer city; they are only in the inner city, and the inner city is fraught with lethal peril... We are risking our lives to explore it..." Hao Lianchuan looked down at him and replied flatly, "Then don't go in! If it's that dangerous, why bother entering?" The man's expression soured. Yet, knowing this was Silver Moon territory, he suppressed his anger and asked again, "Does this mean the Three Great Organizations and the Silver Moon authorities get to enter for free?" "Of course. The three evil super organizations will pay a different price, which is none of your concern!" "Director Hao, what about the Night Patrols or official organizations from other provinces...?" "They pay!" Hao Lianchuan showed no courtesy, declaring loudly, "If they don't want to pay, they can join our Silver Moon Night Patrol first. The situation in the other provinces is murky. To prevent criminals from sneaking in under false pretenses, they can join our Night Patrol first and undergo a background check. Once approved... entry is naturally free!" Bullshit! The crowd was speechless. What background check? If anyone truly joined the Silver Moon Night Patrol, they would be in massive trouble. As Night Patrol members, would they dare disobey orders from their superiors? If ordered to serve as cannon fodder, they would have to be cannon fodder. A Three Suns expert asked sullenly, shouting, "What if someone doesn't have a divine energy stone?" "One thousand cubic meters of mysterious energy will do as well!" That was hardly cheap either, roughly equivalent in value. If someone asked what to do without mysterious energy... then they simply shouldn't enter. What else was there to say? The clamor below gradually died down. After a moment, a young man spoke with a smile, "Is there a limit on the number of people who can enter?" "No limit!" Hao Lianchuan stated firmly, "Furthermore, aside from the ruins closing three days later, the entrance will not open again in the interim!" Previously, it had opened once every midnight. That had been how many had managed to escape with their lives during the last incident. His declaration caused another wave of commotion. Some supers frowned in discontent. "If we only want to explore for a day or two, does that mean we're forced to wait until the very end to come out?" If someone obtained good treasures early and left in advance, it was far safer. If everyone had to emerge together at the very end... how could things go well for independent cultivators who found treasures when forced to cluster at the exit with all the heavy hitters? They wouldn't even know how they died! Hao Lianchuan said in a deep voice, "This is also for everyone's safety! Otherwise, if the entrance opens mid-way through and powerful figures barge in or sneak inside, it will bring even greater danger to all of you! To prevent such an occurrence, we will seal off this area once everyone enters. It will be jointly guarded by the Martial Guard Army, the Night Patrol, and the garrison, locked on target by city-destroying bombs. Only when the final moment arrives and everyone comes out will the blockade be lifted! "If you feel it's too dangerous, then give up on entering. We cannot compromise everyone else's safety for the sake of a few individuals!" Hao Lianchuan added, "In addition, Silver Moon bears no responsibility for any risks or danger encountered after entering the ruins! Ruins carry risk; enter with caution!" No one cared about this part; nobody expected Silver Moon to guarantee their safety inside the ruins anyway. That was impossible! The canyon fell quiet, and the Three Great Organizations remained silent as well. Evidently, the two sides had indeed reached an agreement. As for what price the organizations had agreed to pay, outsiders had no way of knowing. *** Above Cross-Cut Gorge, within a military encampment. This area was currently locked down and under the control of the garrison, which was responsible for peripheral security during this ruin expedition. Rumor had it that city-destroying bombs were primed here, ready to be launched into Cross-Cut Gorge at a moment's notice. In the center of the camp. It was no longer as crude as last time. Rows of buildings had been erected, reinforced by earth-element supers, and wood-element supers had even planted vegetation. It was no longer a barren clearing, but bore traces of greenery. Inside the largest building in the center, several prominent figures were gathered. Hou Xiaochen, Huang Yu, Hu Dingfang, Ren Tianchuan, Director Zhao, Deputy Director Zhou, Kong Jie, Hu Qingfeng... A group of figures who were either exceptionally powerful or possessed top-tier status were all present. Ren Tianchuan was the commander of the White Dragon Army. He was the one speaking at that moment. A map lay spread out before him—a rather dim, rough sketch. Addressing the group, he said, "This is a map of Battle Heaven City's inner city. It isn't detailed, merely a layout pieced together based on those who entered last time. "Our military has divided Battle Heaven City into five sectors! "Our direction of entry through the inner city gate is designated as the East! "Upon entering from the outer city, the first area encountered is the eastern sector. This is a residential zone with some commercial buildings, though commerce is certainly not its primary function. Next is the northern sector. Based on the previous expedition, this might have been an ancient military zone. It's said someone even spotted an aircraft... It remains unexplored for now. "The southern sector appears to be the true commercial district. Many storefronts were observed there. "The western sector is the industrial zone!" After outlining the divisions, he continued, "Residential, military, commercial, industrial... With the central tower as the landmark, that area is the true core of Battle Heaven City. It houses the city lord's manor, various administrative offices... and even an area holding numerous ancient texts and manuals. "As for the entire city, only a single golden armored warrior has appeared so far..." Among the crowd, Hu Qingfeng listened quietly, memorizing the details and observing the room. Indeed, joining this high-level meeting under the guise of a Night Patrol officer yielded considerable classified intelligence. Most people were completely in the dark regarding Battle Heaven City's inner sector. Yet Silver Moon had gathered a fair amount of intelligence; the division into these five zones alone was already a major boon. In terms of wealth, the commercial district undoubtedly held the most, but the military sector might have vast stockpiles of divine energy stones. As for the industrial sector, it was hard to say what industrial systems the ancient civilization had developed. If it was military manufacturing... that would be extraordinary! Just then, a young man in the room spoke up. "Has Silver Moon analyzed just how strong this golden warrior is?" Everyone turned to look at him. Hu Qingfeng was no exception. Glancing over, he cursed inwardly, *Show-off, always running your mouth!* The young man appeared to be in his twenties, handsome and sunny in disposition. Hu Qingfeng knew him. He did not belong to the Night Patrol system, but hailed from the Administrative Department. As the direct superior agency above the General Administration Bureau, the Administrative Department was ostensibly the leader among the Nine Departments. This young man came from the Administrative Department in Heavenly Star City. Heavenly Star City wished to participate this time. While others kept a low profile, this fellow had openly entered the Silver Moon General Administration Bureau, taking part in the expedition under official auspices. Hu Qingfeng recognized him. The man had quite a reputation: Qi Gang of the Administrative Department. Like the monstrous Heaven-Favored Divine Masters in the Inspectorate, this man was also a Heaven-Favored Divine Master, and exceptionally powerful. He was at the mid Rising Light realm, slightly stronger than Hu Qingfeng and on par with the monstrous geniuses of the Night Patrol. These people were all listed on the Divine Master Roll. There were ninety-nine experts on the Divine Master Roll, featuring figures from the Nine Departments, the imperial family, the Three Great Organizations, the Seven Divine Mountains, and the prominent clans of the Four Seas. In the realm of supers, the Three Great Organizations were overwhelmingly mighty. As for the Seven Divine Mountains, their supers were not particularly dominant, but peerless experts presided over each of the seven peaks. For instance, the Heavenly Sword from Silver Moon was the master of one of the divine mountains, and his disciples had now emerged into the world. Other divine mountains either housed top-tier martial masters of old who had converted to supers, or were lorded over by great demon beasts. Yes, even great demons appeared on the Divine Master Roll. However, it was difficult to determine the age of great demons. Many who had risen in recent years were slotted in regardless of age. The ranking primarily considered how long the great demon had been awakened. If it had been awakened for under ten years, its prior age was usually ignored. In truth, they couldn't have been that old before awakening anyway; before the rise of supers, ancient demon beasts rarely survived for long. The elites of these factions carved up the Divine Master Roll among themselves. There were also solitary independent experts, Heaven-Favored Divine Masters born with awakened abilities who possessed monstrous strength. Compared to them, Hu Qingfeng was ordinary. Hu Qingfeng let his thoughts wander, thinking of Lanyue. That man was also on the Divine Master Roll. Among the Seven Moons of Red Moon, only he was on the list; the others were either too old or, like Purple Moon, too weak. Among the ten hall masters of Yama, one was also listed. Feitian's Council of Elders also had an elder on the roll. Several of the Night Patrol's monstrous talents were ranked as well. This Qi Gang before him was one of three experts from the Administrative Department on the list. He was very young, said to be only twenty-six. Having awakened his super abilities nine years ago, he had crossed into the mid Rising Light realm in just nine years—a terrifying pace! Moreover, he specialized in the highly aggressive metal element. His metal super abilities were said to be overwhelmingly potent. The Divine Master Roll had not yet been widely publicized, so Hu Qingfeng knew these Silver Moon hillbillies might not be aware of Qi Gang's background. If they knew, they might not have welcomed his presence so readily. As he was musing, Hou Xiaochen smiled faintly and said in a gentle voice, "Special Envoy Qi, his exact strength is difficult to judge. Based on available intelligence, this golden warrior's strength is roughly between peak Rising Light and the Rising Light metamorphosis stage. "He killed a Three Suns expert from Feitian with a single punch and shattered a Yellow-tier Origin God Armament... Origin God Armaments are remarkably sturdy, difficult even for someone in the Rising Light metamorphosis stage to break. However, his golden armor is also immensely powerful, capable of destroying Origin God Armaments of a lower tier than itself..." Qi Gang quickly replied, "Thank you for explaining, Director Hou. But... is it possible that he is above Rising Light?" "It is possible!" Hou Xiaochen said solemnly, "The possibility exists. You must understand that the ancients were different from us. We modern people must forge the path ahead step by step. What we consider to be above Rising Light might have been commonplace back then. If this golden warrior was already powerful in ancient times, it is not impossible for him to retain strength beyond Rising Light even today." Qi Gang fell into thought. Seeing the others looking at him, he smiled. "I have no further questions." Though he had finished, Hu Qingfeng chimed in, "Director Hou, that Black Tortoise Seal held in the golden warrior's hand—what tier of Origin God Armament is it?" Hou Xiaochen chuckled. "Heaven-tier at minimum. As for whether it's even stronger... that isn't impossible either. "As you know, the tier classification of Origin God Armaments is merely something we established. Grading them with our current knowledge and vision might not be accurate. According to certain ancient texts, all the Origin God Armaments we currently possess may have been mere standard-issue equipment back then. This Black Tortoise Seal is the core Origin God Armament of an entire city; it might be even stronger, perhaps comparable to that item in the Central Region." At these words, several expressions shifted slightly. That item in the Central Region? He was likely referring to the treasure seized from Yama! The massive conflict in the Central Region had originally erupted because of that object. It could test so-called super talent; whoever used it could easily discern which super element and talent they aligned with. That was secondary. The treasure was also immensely useful to powerful experts—it was said to be capable of detecting supernatural locks! Some experts might only ever detect six supernatural locks. Yet that treasure could apparently help people detect even more supernatural locks. Some of the Origin God Armament essence within could even help experts manifest additional locks. It was a priceless treasure! Currently, it remained in the hands of the Night Patrol, though the Nine Departments were reportedly pressuring them, demanding that the Night Patrol share it rather than hoard it alone. Because of that item, the Central Region had been thrown into utter chaos. Now, Hou Xiaochen claimed this Black Tortoise Seal might rival that treasure... Even Qi Gang's expression flickered. Qi Gang asked solemnly, "Director Hou, are you serious?" Hu Qingfeng also pressed urgently, "Can this Black Tortoise Seal truly compare to the Heavenly Dao Ruler?" The object in the Central Region had been named the Heavenly Dao Ruler. A ruler to set the heavens! Rumor had it that beyond its known functions, it possessed other formidable, unique abilities. Unfortunately, Hu Qingfeng had never been granted a look at it. High-ranking members of the Night Patrol had stated that while the ruler was useful, it also carried certain drawbacks that were currently being resolved. "It's hard to say; anything is possible," Hou Xiaochen said with a smile. "Until it's in our hands, who can say for sure?" His response quieted the room. Director Zhao cleared his throat, interrupting the exchange. "Let's set that aside and discuss the arrangements for this expedition—who will enter. We cannot send too few, nor too many... otherwise, things could easily fall into chaos here in Silver Moon." He looked toward Hou Xiaochen. "Director Hou, you intend to enter personally?" "Yes, it has already been agreed upon. There is no other way, and this aligns with everyone's wishes, doesn't it?" Hou Xiaochen chuckled, then added, "As for the Night Patrol, besides myself, I won't bring too many people inside: myself, Golden Spear, Mu Lin, Little Yu, and if Li Hao returns, Li Hao as well. Just the five of us." At this, the eyes of the gathered figures flickered. Although it was only five people, aside from Hao Lianchuan, virtually all the top fighters were being pulled in. Director Zhao coughed for a moment. "Just the few of you? You won't bring the Martial Guard Army inside?" "Forget it." Hou Xiaochen shook his head. "Let the Martial Guard Army maintain the perimeter cordon. They can handle some Three Suns, but if they encounter Rising Light, they won't stand a chance. It is a pity that Silver Moon's strength is frail. If Rising Light experts cause trouble, we will have to trouble the military." On the military's side, the stern-faced Huang Yu glanced at the group and said, "The military will not send too many either: Hu Dingfang, Ren Tianchuan, Bai Yuanqing, and Wang Pengju, plus Mad Saber. That makes five people as well." Those four were the commanders and deputy commanders of the White Dragon and Tiger Wing armies, with Mad Saber representing the Silver Moon military. Huang Yu himself chose not to enter. Kong Jie laughed. "From our Inspectorate, only Wang Henggang and I will go in." Director Zhao coughed. "You fellows... all of you are going. My General Administration Bureau would like to participate, but unfortunately, we lack the manpower... Forget it. Qi Gang just arrived, and he is said to be an exceptional talent in the Central Region, so let him represent the General Administration Bureau!" Hu Qingfeng hesitated, on the verge of speaking. Director Zhao glanced at him and smiled. "Special Investigator Hu, you may do as you please. Whether you go or not is up to you. If you wish to bring your two subordinates along, that is fine as well... It will bolster our Silver Moon official strength." Hu Qingfeng nodded. Qi Gang frowned slightly. "In other words, even including me, Hu Qingfeng, and his two subordinates... only sixteen people will enter in total?" That was far too few! Of course, nearly all the top-tier combatants were being mobilized. What puzzled him was that Huang Yu of the Silver Moon military was not entering. He had assumed Huang Yu would participate this time. He added, "The Three Great Organizations are sending quite a few people. It's even rumored that Orange Moon and Yellow Moon, who were hunting Yuan Shuo, are rushing over. They are top-tier powerhouses." Under such circumstances, it would be extremely hazardous. Hou Xiaochen smiled. "In war, quality matters more than quantity. It is enough! Furthermore, with two talents from Heavenly Star City joining us, our safety is even more assured. "Commander Yu still needs to oversee the military to prevent unrest, while Director Zhao and the others are elderly and frail. The General Administration Bureau truly lacks combatants, and the same goes for the Inspectorate... It is already the limit for Director Kong and Director Wang to take part." After a brief pause, Hou Xiaochen added, "Even if we brought more people, if they are too weak, they would only serve as targets for everyone inside!" Hu Qingfeng spoke up, "Director Hao Lianchuan isn't going? He is at the mid Three Suns realm. Having another Three Suns enter at a time like this would still be helpful." Even with several Rising Light combatants, Three Suns remained a core tier of fighting strength. Yet they weren't even bringing a Three Suns. Hou Xiaochen coughed and shook his head. "Leave him out of it; he will stay behind to hold the fort. We can't allow ourselves to be wiped out in one fell swoop, or that would spell trouble. If something happens to us, he is still at the mid Three Suns realm and can steady the situation. Backed by the Martial Guard Army, even if one or two Rising Light foes show up, he can hold them off for a time..." Hu Qingfeng said no more. This meant very few people were going in. It also meant Hou Xiaochen would be in grave danger. This time, on the Rising Light level, aside from Hou Xiaochen, only Jade Rakshasa had reached that tier. Although Golden Spear also counted, his exact strength was difficult to gauge, while Mad Saber only seemed comparable to a Three Suns. And naturally, neither he nor Qi Gang would lift a finger to help Hou Xiaochen in a crisis. Just then, Qi Gang asked suddenly, "Li Hao is Yuan Shuo's disciple. If he truly returns and enters, won't that provoke the hostility of the Three Great Organizations?" Hou Xiaochen replied nonchalantly, "It makes no difference. He managed to kill six Three Suns and possesses formidable combat strength. Even the Three Great Organizations rate him at the peak Three Suns level. Such power will provide us with considerable support. "Moreover, he visited the ruins last time. Since Hao Lianchuan isn't going, Li Hao is the most familiar with the place among our group; none of the others know it as well as he does." Hu Dingfang had gone as well, but Hou Xiaochen made no mention of that fact. Qi Gang nodded slightly, then asked curiously, "Can this Li Hao... truly return? It's said that Banshan and Haixiao haven't returned to this day, and even Equality King's sixteen Hell Masters went with the Wheel-Turning King to pursue him." Seeing Hou Xiaochen looking at him, Qi Gang explained, "Merely curious, nothing more. If nothing else, the sixteen Hell Masters under Equality King are quite renowned. Equality King operates mainly in the south. His personal strength is at the mid Rising Light realm, not considered peak, but when paired with his sixteen Hell Masters, his reputation is formidable. Even some peak Rising Light experts dare not provoke him. "Although they are merely sixteen Three Suns, when they combine to lay the Avici Hell Net alongside Equality King's own formidable strength, this Ninth Hall Master of Yama can be considered far more formidable than Lanyue. "Lanyue may be on the Divine Master Roll, but his ranking, like ours, is toward the lower end. Equality King is over thirty, so he isn't on the roll, but even those ranked near the top would not lightly cross him..." He didn't care much about Red Moon's Lanyue. However, he was deeply wary of Equality King. Hou Xiaochen pondered briefly and said, "They went into the Cangshan Mountains, and the Cangshan Mountains are far from peaceful. Li Hao is a martial master; as long as he stays cautious and avoids pursuit, it shouldn't be a problem. Once Li Hao returns, past accounts will be settled. When we enter the ruins and a few more Rising Light experts from the Three Great Organizations die, who will remember what happened before?" "..." His words left the others speechless. Hou Xiaochen smiled again. "Everyone else is merely secondary this time. Special Envoy Qi and Special Investigator Hu are the true pillars of our Silver Moon official contingent! Along with Xiao Yu and myself, even if the Three Great Organizations send several more Rising Light combatants, we can handle them! After this is over, I will be leaving Silver Moon. Clearing away a few more troubles for everyone is the least I can do." Hearing this, Kong Jie laughed. "Old Hou, you look down on people too much. I'm at the peak Three Suns realm at least—do you take me for a ghost?" Hou Xiaochen smiled. "Wait until you reach Rising Light before making such claims." Kong Jie chuckled heartily. "Soon! I think I have a good shot at Rising Light!" To the side, Huang Yu seemed somewhat impatient, saying coldly, "Then it is settled. You... *cough, cough, cough*... once you enter, look after Dingfang and the others. The White Dragon and Tiger Wing armies would be in trouble without them." "Rest assured, Commander Yu!" Hou Xiaochen smiled. "As long as we are unharmed, we will naturally look out for them. We leave the outside to Commander Yu and Director Zhao." Director Zhao coughed softly. "Speak with Old Huang about that. The only thing I can do is report to higher authorities and petition for more experts to assist Silver Moon." With that, the meeting concluded. Qi Gang watched as the Silver Moon leaders dispersed to their respective quarters. After a moment of thought, he caught up with Deputy Director Zhou. Once the others had moved ahead, he lagged behind and whispered, "Director Zhou, it is said that the Heavenly Star Martial Guard was primarily stationed in Silver Moon in the past, and the identities of the three great commanders were mysterious. Now there are rumors spreading... Does the bureau still possess archival records from back then? I inquired with the Administrative Department, and they said that aside from the imperial family, the General Administration Bureau also held a copy of the records regarding the Heavenly Star Martial Guard. Is that true?" Deputy Director Zhou looked slightly surprised, glanced at him, and said thoughtfully, "There were records, but they were destroyed later on. When the Martial Guard Army was disbanded and the Night Patrol was established, Hou Xiaochen came to the bureau, took the archives, and destroyed them all!" "The bureau... never read them?" Qi Gang whispered, "Surely you know something?" "A little. At the very least, we know Hou Xiaochen is the Sickbed Ghost of martial world legend. Furthermore, evidence suggests... Commander Huang Yu... *cough, cough*, it is not appropriate to say more." Deputy Director Zhou lowered his voice. "Prying into these matters now serves no purpose. Whether it's true or not changes nothing." Qi Gang nodded, yet his curiosity remained hard to suppress. "I truly wish to know who the last of the three commanders was... Were they a high-ranking official in Silver Moon, or someone from the martial world? Could it truly be that Yuan Shuo, as some speculate?" "That, I do not know." Deputy Director Zhou shook his head, then smiled. "It will come to light sooner or later! Can it be hidden forever? Let us set aside such dull matters. Speaking of which, Special Envoy Qi, I hear you enjoy great renown and formidable strength in the Central Region. With so much happening there, sending you here personally was quite unexpected. The headquarters must value this greatly. Did any experts from the other eight departments come?" "I'm not sure. Perhaps they didn't travel the same route as me, or maybe they're concealed among the supers..." Qi Gang smiled. "Besides, I'm nothing special. The Central Region is teeming with talent and filled with experts. Most maintain a low profile; we only made a show of force to deter the Three Great Organizations." Deputy Director Zhou sighed. "The Three Great Organizations are a scourge and a cancer! Once you enter the ruins, Special Envoy Qi, please put in extra effort to slay a few of their experts. Hou Xiaochen harbors wild ambitions as well... Fortunately, the bureau pressured him into agreeing to leave after this expedition... Whether he obtains the Origin God Armament or dies inside, he must be forced to leave Silver Moon!" He added, "If he leaves, I hope you might consider staying in Silver Moon, Special Envoy Qi. With an expert like you present, Silver Moon can truly rest easy." Qi Gang gave a dry laugh without committing to an answer. *What nonsense.* That was the Night Patrol, not the General Administration Bureau. Even if he stayed, he couldn't assume command over that side; several fellows from the central Night Patrol headquarters would be arriving soon enough. Before he could speak, Deputy Director Zhou asked with mild curiosity, "I heard a few fellows from the Night Patrol headquarters cause trouble day in and day out. Why didn't they come to Silver Moon to join the spectacle?" "Them?" Qi Gang considered it before replying, "Probably... off watching an even bigger spectacle, or stirring up even bigger trouble!" Shaking his head, even Qi Gang felt helpless. "Those fellows wish for nothing more than total chaos! I have no idea what the Night Patrol leadership is thinking, allowing them to run wild outside. Rumor has it that a few days ago, they went to Heavenly Roc Mountain, one of the Seven Divine Mountains, to provoke the heavenly roc that is about to break through to the next realm. They even tried to steal its offspring to raise as a mount. When I left, great demons from Heavenly Roc Mountain were reportedly hunting them down, and no one knows where they are now." Deputy Director Zhou shook his head with a sigh and asked no more. It seemed those individuals likely wouldn't make it. So be it. *** Cross-Cut Gorge bustled with activity. Everyone was waiting—waiting for the ruins to reopen, eager to witness the golden warrior and venture into the inner city, which was rumored to be littered with divine energy stones everywhere. At that moment, a large truck pulled to a stop in the small town closest to Cross-Cut Gorge. It was already September 26. The ruins would reopen the day after tomorrow. This town was barely a hundred li from Cross-Cut Gorge. At a forced march, they could reach it within an hour, and traveling across the wilderness, their pace would be even faster. However, Li Hao chose to stop and rest. Along the way, he had avoided everyone. Whenever he spotted a cluster of light, he steered clear. Now that he had returned, scarcely anyone knew of his presence. Concealing his tracks was not meant for ambushing anyone. He merely wished to gain a clear picture of the current situation. Moments later, having checked into an inn in the town, Li Hao dialed a number. As expected, the fellow was nearby; communicators ceased functioning once one ventured more than a thousand li from White Moon City. Cross-Cut Gorge was just barely a thousand li from White Moon City, but the other party needed to be in the vicinity for the signal to connect. As soon as the call went through, Wang Ming's excited voice came from the other end: "You... you're here?" "Yes." "Where are you?" "Where are you?" "I'm in the military camp... My grandfather came this time and plans to enter the ruins, so he grounded me! He won't let me step outside the camp!" He sounded thoroughly exasperated. "I only went out on a little trip; what does that have to do with me? What's the point of grounding me?" Then, he added excitedly, "I reached the mid Solar Brilliance realm! And... I feel like the late stage is close, hahaha..." "Right, congratulations," Li Hao offered perfunctorily, then quickly cut to the chase: "Gather intelligence for me—information on all the experts! Attach photographs if possible. Also, check whether the master of Sword Gate has come out of seclusion, and whether Southern Fist has come to Cross-Cut Gorge... Right, compile all the events that have occurred in Cross-Cut Gorge recently into written materials and hand them over to me." Wang Ming was rendered speechless. "You want it in writing?" *That'll be the death of me!* *Just come over and I'll tell you in person.* Li Hao spoke swiftly, "Cut the chatter. One hundred cubic meters of mysterious energy—are you in or not?" "Huh? That's..." "Plus a metal-element divine energy stone." "Deal!" Wang Ming was overjoyed, saying hurriedly, "I'll pull an all-nighter to put it together! When do you need it?" "Once it's ready, just step outside the camp. I'll come find you." "Alright!" Hanging up the call, Li Hao tucked the communicator back into his storage ring, severing the connection. After a moment of thought, he walked over to the neighboring room, pushed the door open, entered, and transmitted his voice: "Boss, we'll head to Cross-Cut Gorge tonight. As for the others, have them remain here for now; Battle Heaven City is too dangerous." Liu Long nodded. It was indeed dangerous. Having been there, he knew just how terrifying that golden warrior was. "Are we not meeting up with the Martial Guard Army or the Night Patrol?" "Not for now." Li Hao continued, "We'll put on black armor later. If members of the Martial Guard Army enter, it would be best if we can blend in with them. If not, we should keep a low profile to avoid becoming everyone's target before even getting inside! While no one knows we've returned, it's best not to show our faces. Otherwise, what happened to Banshan and the others might be exposed. "If we can keep even Director Hou in the dark, that would be ideal. If not, then only Director Hou and his circle should know." Liu Long looked at him and nodded without objection. He had no issue with the plan. After pondering for a moment, he transmitted his voice to Li Hao: "Right, once we enter this time, you should try taking that second passage. I walked it once last time. Although I found nothing, I had a vague feeling that there might truly be good things inside that I failed to notice. You have sharp eyes; perhaps you can discover something." Li Hao was somewhat puzzled, but nodded nonetheless. That worked too. As for the danger of the second passage, it wasn't significant for martial masters; no martial master had ever died walking through it. After conferring briefly, the two began waiting for darkness to fall. *** Once night blanketed the sky, two figures moved swiftly, heading toward Cross-Cut Gorge. Over an hour later. Li Hao inhaled sharply, his teeth aching. *Fuck!* In all directions, there were clusters of light. Across the vast expanse of Cross-Cut Gorge, this entire area was packed with people! All of them were supers! In his vision, this area spanning several thousand meters had turned as bright as day, filled with dazzling lights that made his eyes ache. Just how many supers had gathered here? Moreover, there were countless Solar Brilliance light clusters among them. He spotted several dozen Three Suns, and Rising Light flares flickered from time to time, blinding to behold. How many supers had come? Thousands? A single Battle Heaven City had drawn so many people. Li Hao was genuinely impressed—weren't these people afraid of dying? Battle Heaven City was far from safe. Li Hao suspected that aside from the Battle Heaven Army, the greatest danger within the city did not stem from the black-armored or bronze-armored soldiers, but from... conscious living beings! Before leaving last time, he had felt it—the distinct sensation that someone was observing him. He was confident his senses hadn't deceived him. Even though he hadn't seen any massive light cluster, that merely indicated the observer was not a super, but perhaps a martial master. *Every single one of them is rushing in to die!* Li Hao complained inwardly, harboring suspicions about whether Hou Xiaochen had deliberately leaked the existence of Battle Heaven City for some ulterior motive. Otherwise, with his strength and the prowess of those shrewd old foxes of Silver Moon, this joint exploration with the Three Great Organizations would never have occurred. What happened last time wouldn't have taken place, and how could Purple Moon and her cohort ever have stood against Hou Xiaochen and the rest? Still, it worked out well. At this moment, Li Hao actually had to thank Hou Xiaochen. If not for him drawing supers into Silver Moon, Li Hao wouldn't have had so many opportunities. A moment later, Li Hao led Liu Long in skirting around several powerhouses, slipping deeper into the canyon. Along the way, he could also observe the relative strength of the various factions.