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Chapter 265 The killing field is ready; the prey enters! (Please vote with your monthly tickets!)
The city of crystal light at dawn.

Like a colossal glass beast awakening from its frozen state.

The massive city gates slowly opened with a deep rumble.

A biting, knife-like wind, carrying tiny ice crystals, surged into the city gate passageway in an instant, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

The crowd that had been waiting in the square inside the city gate surged out of the city gate like a flood, wrapped in thick winter coats and braving the cold wind.

Stepping onto the vast, desolate, and perilous icy plains outside the city.

Fang Qingyu and four others were prominently featured.

However, they did not go through the elaborate disguises that Shi Kong and Liu Hanyan did.

Fang Qingyu was still wearing his signature black combat uniform, with a dark gray winter cloak over it. The hood was pulled down slightly, covering half of his face, revealing only his hard jawline and his striking, molten gold vertical pupils that were unusually conspicuous even in the harsh polar daylight.

Wei Banmeng was as cold as frost, Lu Jiuyuan held his long sword like an ice sculpture, and Jiang Wei quietly followed beside Fang Qingyu, her small figure almost completely wrapped in a cloak.

The five individuals exuded composure, standing out somewhat from the crowd.

Their goals are clear.

The glacial sea area is located 50 nautical miles northeast of the former site of the Ice Ridge Fortress.

Of course, most people leaving the city now are heading there.

Some gathered in small groups, talking in hushed tones, their eyes scanning their companions warily.

Some were alone, silent, and focused on their journey.

Several other small teams, well-equipped and exuding a fierce aura, were also heading towards the so-called "Martial Saint Ruins."

The invisible barriers and guardedness are like transparent walls.

Divide the population into separate small circles.

Everyone kept a respectful distance, and no one was willing to completely expose their back to a stranger.

It's alright in the city.

Once you're on the ice plains, trust becomes a luxury.

The cold wind whipped up snowflakes and lashed my face, chilling me to the bone.

Beneath our feet lay solid ice and frozen soil that had remained frozen for millennia, each step producing a "crunching" sound.

The group moved forward in silence.

Only the howling wind and heavy breathing accompanied me.

Fang Qingyu's molten gold vertical pupils calmly swept over the faces around him, some excited, some greedy, some wary, without the slightest ripple in the depths of his eyes.

"Qingzi, these people all seem to be in a hurry?"

Chu Kuanglan leaned closer to Fang Qingyu and whispered in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over several guys who were walking fast and almost running.

"The wages of avarice is death."

Fang Qingyu's voice came through the mask, "This shows that DeepBlue Heavy Industry's publicity efforts have been very effective."

"Hey, it looks like it's going to happen today."

Chu Kuanglan grinned, his eyes flashing with a beastly, bloodthirsty light, as he gripped the greatsword on his shoulder.

The team trekked across the ice field for several hours.

Finally, on the snow-covered horizon ahead, a stubbornly flickering light pierced the gray sky, like a star suddenly shining on an icy plain.

Nearly.

closer.

A sizable temporary camp, like a swarm of steel beetles crawling on an ice field, stubbornly took root in the raging cold wind.

The camp was set up in a relatively sheltered, huge depression of ice and rock.

Dozens of thick and sturdy military-grade cold-weather tents stood like fortresses, remaining unmoved no matter how fierce the wind tore at them.

Between the tents, several strips of energy lights flickered with a faint glow.

It provides illumination and a weak source of heat in the dim, snowy weather.

Several mobile engineering vehicles equipped with anti-slip tracks and large energy shield generators were parked at the edge of the camp, like silent steel guardians.

Further away, you can even see several small snow gyroplanes parked on a simple, flat ice surface.

People moved between the tents, and the campfire crackled and burned inside a specially made windproof cover, dispelling the biting cold.

The place was bustling with noise.

The sounds of conversation, shouting, tools clattering, and the deep hum of an engine.
This created a stark contrast with the desolate ice field outside the camp.

A rough estimate suggests that the number of martial artists gathered at this temporary camp is close to one hundred.

And they're all powerful second-tier grandmasters!!!
Several of them even reached the peak of the second tier!

"Holy crap, this is incredible!"

Looking at the bustling scene before him, Chu Kuanglan couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. "Shenlan Heavy Industries is really something! In just a few days, they managed to attract so many people to this godforsaken place?"

Fang Qingyu's gaze slowly swept across the entire camp.

You can see groups of three or five gathered around the campfire, talking and laughing loudly.

People who boasted to each other about their insider information and exploration plans.

Several "mercenary groups" can also be seen solemnly inspecting their equipment.
Several lone travelers, armed, leaned against the tent, their eyes scanning each person who approached with suspicion.

I also saw several people wearing similar dark blue heavy-duty cold-weather suits, holding tablets and surveying instruments, pointing towards the distant glacier, and discussing something with focused expressions.
Everything looked so real.

That fits the atmosphere of an upcoming "Martial Saint Relics" camp.

"Aoko."

Chu Kuanglan leaned closer, lowering his voice slightly, with a hint of confusion, "You say this ruin is fake, but so many people have come. If even one person went down to take a look, wouldn't it be obvious? How come all these people seem so excited, not suspecting anything at all?"

Fang Qingyu listened, his expression turning somewhat strange.

As he directed his teammates to find a relatively open spot on the edge of the camp and begin setting up the military tents they had brought, he whispered in a voice only a few could hear:
"The people from Deep Blue Heavy Industry actually dug up a ruin underground."

"What?!"

Chu Kuanglan, Wei Banmeng, and the others all paused, staring in astonishment at Fang Qingyu.

"I don't know the specifics."

Fang Qingyu deftly secured the alloy tent pegs to the tent, his voice calm, "But Shen Zhou assured me that this ruin is absolutely indistinguishable from the real thing. From the disguise of the entrance to the internal structure, and even some of the 'ancient' traces, a great deal of effort has been put into it."

He paused for a moment, then glanced around at the "busy" figures.

"And haven't you noticed?"

"These people all look very busy, preparing to explore the ruins."

"But are they actually busy with anything substantial?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Kuanglan and the others immediately looked closely.

Those gathered around the campfire, talking animatedly, kept repeating the same topics: "How powerful the Cold Dragon Martial Saint was back then," "There must be divine weapons in the ruins," and "The opportunity to break through to the third rank is right in front of us."
Everything seemed like a deliberate, fake effort.

"hiss"

Chu Kuanglan gasped, a look of realization and admiration on his face. "Damn! That's incredibly professional! They acted like it was real! Deep Blue Heavy Industry is definitely a professional when it comes to intelligence gathering and acting!"

"You put your heart into it."

A hint of agreement flashed across Wei Banmeng's usually cold face.

Soon, Fang Qingyu's team finished setting up their tents.

The location they chose was relatively remote, but offered a good view, allowing them to observe most of the camp area and the only route to the distant glacier.

Fang Qingyu did not enter the tent, but instead sat cross-legged at the tent entrance, leaning against the cold tent wall.

He pulled up the hood of his winter cloak, revealing only a pair of vertical pupils as if they were melting gold, like a cheetah lurking in the shadows, his gaze calmly sweeping over the moving figures in the camp.

The title of every newcomer to the camp is laid bare.

The stage is already set up.

The actors are in place.

The lighting, set design, and atmosphere have all been perfectly executed.

Now, all that's left is for the most important protagonist to make his appearance.

The wind and snow howled, and time slipped away quietly as we waited.

Before long, several new tents were set up in an open space not far from Fang Qingyu's team.

The Shi Kong team and the Liu Hanyan team also arrived.

They maintained their ordinary appearance under their disguise, blending in seamlessly into the crowd.

Wearing a thick, stiff wig, Shi Kong looked like a simple-minded mercenary, directing his "subordinates" to set up a tent.

Liu Hanyan plays a female mercenary with an ordinary face and a slightly nervous expression. Liu Qingyan shrinks beside her like a frightened little quail.

Both teams tacitly avoided any eye contact or verbal exchange with Fang Qingyu's team.

They seemed like mere strangers who met by chance.

After setting up the tents, they dispersed, just like ordinary Tier 2 players.

Whether lingering on guard at the edge of the camp or gathering information around other campfires, they blended perfectly into this bustling torrent.

Fang Qingyu's gaze swept over Shi Kong and Liu Hanyan almost imperceptibly.

Everything is going according to plan.

The days on the ice field are short and gloomy, with the leaden gray sky seemingly pressing down on you forever.

The noise of the camp continued, the campfire dispelling the cold and seemingly dispelling the last trace of doubt in people's hearts.

Time seemed to grow thick and long while we waited.

I do not know how long it has been
suddenly!

"The ruins have been opened—!!!"

A roar filled with extreme surprise, excitement, and even a cracking voice suddenly exploded in the sky above the camp like a thunderclap!

The roar seemed to have triggered an invisible switch.

The noisy camp instantly fell into an eerie silence.

All the sounds of conversation, knocking, and engine roaring came to an abrupt halt at that moment.

next second!
"boom--!!!"

An indescribable, dazzling golden beam of light suddenly shot into the sky from a deep crevice in the massive glacier behind the camp.

The pillar of light was incredibly thick, carrying a majestic divine power.

It instantly tore apart the leaden gray sky, forcefully pushing aside the swirling blizzard!

Golden light poured down as if it were a tangible substance.

It enveloped the entire camp, illuminating every face filled with astonishment, ecstasy, and greed in minute detail.

The light carried an indescribable ancient and majestic aura, as if a god who had been asleep for thousands of years had finally opened his eyes.

"It's open! It's really open!"

"The ruins of a Martial Saint! It's the aura of the ruins of a Martial Saint!"

"Quick! Charge! The opportunity is right in front of us!"

"Get out of the way!"

After a brief period of deathly silence came an even more frenzied, hysterical outburst.

The crowd erupted like a powder keg, completely boiling over.

All precautions were thrown to the winds at this moment.

Greed and fanaticism completely overwhelmed reason.

Hundreds of martial artists, like sharks that have smelled blood, burst forth at top speed, roaring and shoving, rushing toward the direction from which the pillar of light was rising.

The entrance to the glacial crevasse was rushing wildly.

The scene instantly became chaotic.

Fang Qingyu and the other four also stood up immediately.

However, Fang Qingyu's gaze was not drawn to the soaring golden light.

Instead, at the moment the golden light burst forth, it immediately swept across every face around them that had fallen into a frenzy.

Under the golden light.

Everyone's expressions betrayed their true feelings.

Ecstasy, greed, urgency, madness, stunned
These emotions spread like a tide among the people.

However, Fang Qingyu was about to scan all of these people.
The title of Martial Saint was not found.

Until the very moment the golden light was about to dissipate.

Fang Qingyu's gaze suddenly sharpened.

They spotted several figures, seemingly equally excited, running forward, nestled at the edge of the surging crowd.

Those few people were dressed in ordinary mercenary winter clothing, blending in easily into the crowd.

Their faces also showed just the right amount of excitement and urgency.

However, deep within Fang Qingyu's molten gold vertical pupils, the special titles above their heads, briefly illuminated by golden light, were clearly reflected.
[Yunhua Envoy]

more than one.

There were seven in total.

They appeared to be running forward with the flow of people, but their steps were steady, their breaths were restrained, and they maintained a subtle formation, subtly protecting a small area behind them in the middle.

The second-tier chosen one of the Jiang family!
The Jiang family are descendants of Yao Ji, the daughter of Emperor Yan.

Their title as second-tier chosen ones is uniformly called Yunhua Envoy.

Fang Qingyu immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Now that everyone else from the Jiang family has arrived.

Jiang Taixuan must be nearby.

Otherwise, these few Yunhua envoys alone would not be enough to suppress these hundreds of grandmasters who were blinded by greed.

Once the truth about the ruins is revealed.

The situation was out of control, and the Jiang family had no way of silencing everyone.

Moreover, what makes the Jiang family willing to spare no expense to send their core chosen ones?
only one person.

"Notice."

Fang Qingyu's voice, transmitted clearly through a miniature earpiece, reached Wei Banmeng and the other three, as well as Shi Kong and Liu Hanyan, who were also observing from a distance. It was calm and undisturbed. "The Jiang family has arrived. Seven Chosen Ones are guarding the central area at the edge of the crowd."

"Roger that!"

"understand!"

Shi Kong and Liu Hanyan responded calmly almost simultaneously.

"Proceed as planned."

Fang Qingyu's words were concise and to the point.

The golden light slowly faded, and the blizzard once again took over the sky.

But the crowd's fervor had been completely ignited, like a flood bursting its banks, rushing wildly toward the deep, dark crevice of the glacier, as if it were a predatory entrance ready to devour anyone who might enter.

Fang Qingyu and the other four exchanged glances and nodded.

As the surging crowd moved rapidly toward the glacial crevasse, so too did they follow the flow of people.

The Shi Kong team and the Liu Hanyan team also mingled in the crowd, following at a leisurely pace.

The entrance to the glacier crevasse is much larger than expected.

Like the gaping maw of a giant beast, its interior is deep and dark, radiating a chilling, bone-chilling aura.

The ground at the entrance was covered with a thick layer of ice, which had been trampled into a mess by the crowds that had rushed in earlier.

Inside the crack, there is a wide and deep passage that slopes downwards.

The walls of the passage have a strange appearance, as if they were formed by being instantly melted by high temperature and then rapidly cooled, with smooth, mirror-like dark glass-like rock walls.

The rock face was covered with crisscrossing, deep lines that resembled giant claw marks, exuding a wild and violent aura.

At certain key nodes at the top and sides of the channel.

Inlaid with minerals that emit a soft white light, it provides basic illumination.

The passage extends downwards with a natural curve, its depths unfathomable.

The air was filled with a smell that was a mixture of sulfur, metallic rust, and some indescribable ancient dust.

What's even more unsettling is...

A faint yet real energy fluctuation, like the breath of a sleeping behemoth, emanated from the depths of the passage.

"My God, is this real?"

As Chu Kuanglan walked quickly down with the crowd, he couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over the smooth, mirror-like glass walls covered with ancient claw marks.

"These rock walls, these marks, these energy fluctuations... which deity did Deep Blue Heavy Industries hire to create this fake? It's fucking too real!"

A hint of seriousness and admiration flashed across Wei Banmeng's cool eyes: "Indeed, it looks just like the real thing. The melting marks and cooling patterns on these rock walls cannot be faked in a short time."

Fang Qingyu remained silent.

Without stopping, their senses, like an invisible spider web, had already reached deep into the passage.

You can clearly "hear" the voices and footsteps coming from ahead, and even the excited exclamations of someone touching the rock wall.

The "ruins" arranged by Deep Blue Heavy Industry are perfect in every way, from the entrance to the atmosphere.

Even if someone who doesn't know the truth comes in, they will be completely convinced.

The crowd descended rapidly along the passageway.

After walking for about ten minutes, the view suddenly opened up ahead.

A colossal natural ice cave appeared before everyone's eyes.

The ice cave's dome soared high, with countless huge icicles hanging down like an inverted forest of swords.

At the center of the ice cave stood a massive pyramid-shaped altar, tens of meters high, cast entirely from some kind of dark gold metal.

The altar was covered with ancient runes that emitted a faint golden light.

That immense, heavy aura, seemingly capable of suppressing all things, emanated from this altar.

Scattered around the base of the altar were some huge, broken fragments of strange statues that were neither gold nor stone.

The fragments still retained powerful energy fluctuations.

It seems to tell the story of the fierce battle that once took place here.

"An altar! It's an altar!"

"The Martial Saint's legacy must be on it!"

"Those statue fragments... they're definitely treasures! They contain powerful energy!"

"Charge! First come, first served!"

The crowd went completely wild!
Like wolves that have caught the scent of blood, they howled, pushed and shoved, and rushed toward the huge altar without regard for anything else!

The area is closed.

Amidst this frenzied chaos.

Fang Qingyu and his group of five quietly stopped in their tracks.

Instead of rushing towards the altar with the crowd, they quietly retreated to a relatively dark corner near the entrance passage of the ice cave, shrouded in the shadow of huge ice pillars.

"almost."

Fang Qingyu's voice was low and deep.

Almost as soon as he finished speaking.

hum--.

A thick, ink-like darkness, seemingly capable of swallowing all light, silently spread out from Fang Qingyu's center.

The Eternal Night Territory.

The profound darkness instantly engulfed the five people completely.

Their figures, their breath, their heartbeats, their body temperatures
All traces of existence were perfectly contained and isolated by this pure darkness.

Like five shadows that blend into the ice wall itself.

The deafening noise and chaotic energy fluctuations inside the ice cave were instantly shut out by the biting cold.

Only absolute silence and profound darkness remained.

"Stay where you are."

Fang Qingyu's voice rang out clearly in the darkness.

A few seconds later.

The figures of the Shikong team appeared near the entrance of the ice cave.

They didn't rush towards the altar either, but instead, as agreed beforehand, they moved quickly towards the corner where Fang Qingyu and the others had disappeared.

Shi Kong's eyes, hidden beneath his wig, were sharp as an eagle's, seemingly wary of his surroundings, but in reality, his pace was subtly slowing down.

Just as they were about to approach that shadowy corner.

"Come in."

Fang Qingyu's deep voice seemed to resonate directly in the ears of Shi Kong and the others.

Immediately afterwards, the deep shadow seemed to come alive, like a gaping abyss, silently swallowing the six members of the Shi Kong team in an instant.

Shi Kong felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and all light and sound vanished instantly.

A cold, deathly stillness, yet carrying an indescribable sense of security, enveloped him.

The team members behind him were also swallowed by darkness at the same time, and their faces showed a moment of shock, but they immediately suppressed it and remained silent.

"do not move."

Fang Qingyu's voice rang out calmly in the darkness.

Shi Kong and the others immediately stopped, held their breath, and stood still like statues.

They could feel that they were very close to each other, but they couldn't even see each other's outlines; they could only hear their own faint heartbeats.

The darkness, like thick ink, enveloped them completely.

A storm raged in Shi Kong's heart.

Is this Fang Qingyu's ability?

No wonder he has been able to create miracles time and time again.
"Captain Fang, your abilities are truly impressive."

Shi Kong couldn't help but whisper in the darkness, his voice filled with undisguised shock.

"Hmm." Fang Qingyu simply responded without explaining.

He had long since come to terms with the abilities of the Border Patrolmen.

The earth-shattering battle within the Black Pine Pass force field, the thick darkness that enveloped the battlefield, and the enormous dark vortex in the sky had long been seen by Wei Banmeng and the other two.

Later, the glacial relic, codenamed "Nine," barged in as if it were its own backyard.

This kind of secret can't possibly be kept forever.

Even your trump cards need to be constantly changed and upgraded.

Instead of hiding it, it's better to make the most of it at crucial moments.

Now, using it to conceal three squads and complete this earth-shattering assassination plot is making the best use of it.

"Don't worry, Captain Fang."

Shi Kong's voice became extremely solemn in the darkness, "What we have seen today, we will keep to ourselves! We will never reveal a single word to anyone!"

“Me too!” The other members of the Shikong team immediately whispered their assurances.

"Well, thank you."

Fang Qingyu's voice remained calm.

Just then, Liu Hanyan's team appeared near the entrance to the ice cave.

They also avoided the confusion surrounding the altar, seemingly searching for a suitable vantage point.

Liu Hanyan's face, which appeared sallow from disguise, was now filled with vigilance and a hint of barely perceptible tension.

"Next to the icicle on your left in front of you."

Fang Qingyu's voice was clearly transmitted to Liu Hanyan's ears through the headset.

Liu Hanyan's eyes narrowed, and she quickened her pace imperceptibly.

The moment they stepped into that shadowy area.

The same feeling returned!
Absolute darkness devoured everything.

Liu Hanyan and Liu Qingyan felt their bodies lighten, and were then enveloped by the cold, sticky darkness, completely isolating them from the outside world.

"Don't make a sound."

Fang Qingyu's voice rang out.

The six members of Liu Hanyan's team immediately stopped, like stones blending into the darkness, their breathing becoming barely audible.

This is the end.

This corner, less than ten square meters in size, is shrouded in the shadow of a huge icicle.

Enveloped in the deep, viscous absolute darkness of the Eternal Night Realm.

It silently accommodated a full fifteen people.

Fifteen figures stood silently like ghosts.

They could even feel the faint heat emanating from each other's bodies, yet they couldn't see any outlines.

Only the sounds of heartbeat and breathing were amplified in the absolute silence.

An extremely oppressive and tense atmosphere, yet filled with deadly intent, permeated the small, dark space.

Fang Qingyu stood at the very front.

In the darkness, the Golden Eyes appeared as two faint golden flames.

It pierced through the borders of the Eternal Night Territory, firmly locking onto the direction of the ice cave entrance.

Time ticked by in the thick darkness.

The chaos continues deep within the ice cave.

The sounds of colliding energy, angry shouts, and fighting for treasures echoed from the direction of the altar.

But in reality, most people are just putting on an act.

They didn't actually do anything.

It's the kind of show that will continue as long as they don't yell "cut."

Another ten minutes passed.

at last
Under Fang Qingyu's molten gold vertical pupils.

At the entrance to the ice cave, seven familiar figures appeared.

Yunhua Envoy of the Jiang Family.

They maintained their previous formation, seemingly drawn by the chaos, and were quickly entering the ice cave with a small, "late-arriving" group of people.

However, their steps were steady and powerful, and their breath was completely restrained.

There was no excitement whatsoever from entering the Martial Saint's Ruins.

Their seemingly loose formation actually created a semi-circular protective circle, tightly protecting a small area behind them.

Fang Qingyu's breathing became almost imperceptibly long.

His gaze pierced through the crowd, through the barrier formed by the seven Yunhua envoys, and locked firmly on the back of the group.

There, a figure dressed in ordinary mercenary winter clothes, slightly hunched over, wearing a thick winter hat and goggles that completely covered his face, was following at the back of the group with his head down and his steps seemingly unsteady.

He looked unremarkable, like an old mercenary drawn by the ruins but exhausted.

However.
Deep within Fang Qingyu's molten gold vertical pupils.

Beneath that ordinary and unremarkable exterior.

Fang Qingyu clearly saw a name as red as blood.

【Martial Saint】

coming!

The real prey!
He finally stepped into the place that had been carefully prepared for him.
Death Hunting Ground.

In the absolute darkness, Fang Qingyu's lips slowly curved upwards into a smile.

He turned his head slightly and said softly:
"coming."

　After thinking about it, I still feel uneasy updating only 6000 words, so I'll resume regular updates. Please give me some monthly votes!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)