Ancient Ark: A Dark-Themed Historical Survival Game

Chapter 94 River Eye and the Suspended Eye Demon

Two days later.

The markets in Suiyang City closed.

The early inhabitants spontaneously gathered at Tiandao Square and along the streets, with banners waving and drums beating, to bid farewell to Xiao Yu, the chosen one.

Such a grand scene had never occurred before, naturally arousing shock and curiosity among the other chosen ones.

Many chosen ones came upon hearing the news, partly to join in the excitement, and partly because they didn't want to miss this historic moment.

"That's an exaggeration!"

"Why are there so many early settlers here?"

"nonsense!"

"Not only is Boss Xiao Yu the strongest among us Chosen Ones, he's also a top-tier figure among the people of Suiyang!"

"yes!"

"Xiao Yu not only broke through the four nightmares, but also built a huge industry. One-third of the chosen ones in Suiyang joined his ranks, and at least one or two thousand ancestors directly or indirectly joined his cause."

"You could say that."

"The Xiao Yu lord is the largest emerging force in Suiyang, and already the largest force outside of the four major clans!"

"——"

The crowd was buzzing with discussion.

It's certain that Xiao Yu is very popular.

After all, he was the greatest hero who saved Suiyang from disaster, but it would be a big mistake to think that he only had prestige.

Xiao Yu's power and influence expanded rapidly, and he quickly expanded into various commercial services, including weapon crafting, spirit refining, medicine making, and more.

Today it is today.

The impact is no longer on those destined for greatness.

Thousands of early settlers and ordinary people relied on Xiao Yu for their livelihood, and many of the more qualified early settlers were directly recruited into the team.

"Look!"

"It's the great master Xiao Yu!"

"Su Qingmeng is here too."

"Wow, even this proud goddess is now bowing down to a big shot. Xiao Yu, such a tough guy, is truly a role model for us all!"

"Keep it up, master!"

"I'm so tired of this little place! Whether I can leave Suiyang depends on you!"

"Although I guessed that day was not far off, I did not expect it to come so suddenly."

Amidst the enthusiastic cheers and applause of the crowd, Xiao Yu walked to the vicinity of the main altar, accompanied by Su Qingmeng, who was 1.75 meters tall, beautiful, and intelligent.

""

"While I'm away, everything will proceed as usual. You will be in charge of arranging the dungeon teams and daily activities."

"rest assured!"

Su Qingmeng puffed out her high, firm breasts.

She looked energetic and full of confidence and determination.

Since Su Qingmeng and her team and resources joined Xiao Yu, she has never been mistreated. She has received full support and her strength has improved rapidly.

Xiao Yu regarded him as his deputy.

Su Qingmeng cherished this opportunity very much.

If I can become the second-in-command of Xiao Yu's team in the future, I will definitely achieve more than I did as the captain!

For Xiao Yu.

Su Qingmeng is a rare talent.

She is a top academic figure in business administration and economics, and comes from a wealthy family, having participated in the management of large enterprises to some extent.

They possess both theoretical knowledge and practical experience, along with exceptional talent, and have high personal qualities and growth potential.

the most important is.

As the third chosen one, Su Qingmeng has enough prestige to command respect, and she is also very principled in her dealings with others, and her clear distinction between rewards and punishments makes her convincing.

Xiao Yu is no longer a single person; his team and influence are growing day by day, and Suiyang will become an important source of human and material resources for Xiao Yu in the future.

An ark.

There can't be only those destined by fate.

After all, those destined for greatness are free.

Unless a bond of interest is formed or a relevant contract is signed, the chosen one can leave or apply to join another ark at any time.

Each ark recruits reliable First Men to form an armed force, which is the private army that belongs entirely to the ark lord.

Although they cannot directly enter other Old Ones, they are the most important line of defense protecting the Ark.

Xiao Yu is already making plans for the future, and as the scale of the industry and team increases, the difficulty of various affairs and management increases dramatically.

He cannot do everything himself.

With subordinates like Su Qingmeng sharing some of the personnel work, he can save a lot of time and energy to do more valuable things.

At this time.

Fan Xin appeared.

Old Fan Xin, accompanied by the high-ranking members of the four clans of Suiyang, appeared near the altar, specifically to bid farewell to Xiao Yu.

"The River Eye Hell is extremely dangerous; we must proceed with extreme caution." Fan Li, along with a dozen or so men, bowed deeply to Xiao Yu. "We entrust the eternal peace of Suiyang to you!"

Xiao Yu returned the greeting.

He calmly said, "Please rest assured, everyone, there shouldn't be any major problems with this trip. Please wait for my good news!"

No nonsense.

Initiate the teleportation command.

Xiao Yu's figure disappeared from Suiyang City under the watchful eyes of everyone.

Su Qingmeng watched Xiao Yu's disappearing figure, then glanced at the lively scene nearby, and at Fan Li, who had actually been taken under Xiao Yu's command.

"How can someone be this outstanding?"

She couldn't help but sigh, feeling fortunate to have such a leader; the adventures and life ahead were truly something to look forward to!

After teleportation is activated.

Xiao Yu's vision went black.

Before the field of vision is fully restored.

A strong, corrosive stench permeated the air, as if some highly corrosive gas were causing—

He felt unwell.

[You have been affected by "Deep Sea Erosion," losing 1% of your health every minute!]

[You have been affected by the "Nightmare Mist," all attributes reduced by 30!]

[You have been affected by "Resentful Sludge," and you are now poisoned. Your movement speed has decreased by 20.]

【————】

As soon as Xiao Yu landed, he was affected by the environment and four or five different negative states emerged.

"This is the area near the entrance to the River Eye Purgatory? The environment is indeed far harsher than other places!"

With such multiple weakenings, an ordinary level 10 Chosen One would probably lose half of their strength before even fighting a single monster.

For Xiao Yu.

Other weakening measures are not a major issue.

After all, Xiao Yu has a strong foundation and powerful attributes, so losing tens or hundreds of points won't have much of an impact on him.

The only troublesome thing is the loss of 1% of vitality per minute caused by deep-sea erosion.

This is a fixed percentage of loss; although it may not seem like much, it will become a huge burden over time.

After vision was restored.

I first glanced around the area.

This place appears to be a nearly dried-up riverbed, with only a shallow layer of black water beneath which lie silt and skeletons.

The black mudflats were shrouded in a crimson fog, the thick fog completely obscuring the view and making visibility extremely low, so that people and animals could not be distinguished beyond five meters.

Xiao Yu initiates the summoning of heroic spirits.

Three famous heroic spirits appeared at the same time!

Sun Wu was still dressed in blue with his hair tied up and holding a bamboo scroll. His appearance was no different from before, but he now had a long sword at his waist.

This is the new equipment "Spring and Autumn Yue King's Sword", a purple-grade soul weapon that has replaced the green-quality "Rotten Dragon Blade".

Soul artifacts are different from soul crystals.

Soul Crystals can only be used once.

Although the chosen ones can replace old skills with new ones, old soul crystals cannot be removed and reused.

Horcruxes are different.

Unless it's an innate, natal soul weapon.

Other Horcruxes are simply pieces of equipment; it's normal for Heroic Spirits to exchange them or trade them with other Chosen Ones.

Sun Tzu's Corrupted Dragon Blade, although only a green soul weapon, has been enhanced to level 10, thus providing a certain attribute boost.

Xiao Yu then equipped Zheng Dan with the weapon. As a melee-type hero spirit, having an extra weapon wouldn't hurt; it would at least increase her strength.

"Greetings, my lord!"

"Greetings, Master!"

The three heroic spirits bowed to Xiao Yu.

Sun Wu immediately sensed the intense corrosive power of the deep sea and the nightmarish atmosphere surrounding him. "Could this be the source of Wu Zixu's nightmare?"

"That's right, our target is near the entrance to Wu Zixu's Nightmare!"

Xiao Yu said, "What we are going to do on this trip is to challenge Wu Zixu and thoroughly purify this core source of pollution that has eroded the past."

Xi Shi and Zheng Dan were invigorated upon hearing this.

Zheng Dan immediately replied, "With your immense power, Master, this journey will surely liberate this world completely!"

Xi Shi expressed her heartfelt admiration: "This day came faster than we imagined, and we are honored as well."

It is not too late.

Take action immediately.

Sun Tzu opened the book of military strategy.

He used a secret technique on the group.

[You have been affected by "Conservation of Energy," which restores 1% of your health and mana per minute, and increases the cooldown speed of all skills by 30% for 15 minutes!]

This is a new spell that Sun Tzu unlocked when he upgraded his natal soul weapon, the Sacred Military Manual, to level 8.

It is different from "a volley of arrows", "a fierce battle", and "crossing the sea under cover of darkness".

The newly unlocked spell "Wait for the Enemy to Tire" is a support skill.

Recovering 1% per minute may seem like a small amount.

It can restore 15% in fifteen minutes, which is not a small amount in total. Moreover, it can also be applied to Heroic Spirits, so its value is undoubtedly extremely high!

This is the source of Xiao Yu's confidence in summoning three heroic spirits in one go; otherwise, he would never have done so in the past in order to conserve the power of the heroic spirits.

This technique can also speed up skill cooldown.

This will undoubtedly significantly enhance Xiao Yu's combat power and performance, given his numerous powerful skills.

This can be seen.

The secret techniques of the Supreme Military Manual.

Not only are they plentiful, but they are also of high quality!

Xiao Yu has the ability to "wait in comfort" to offset the life drain caused by the environment, allowing him to explore this unknown area more leisurely.

[Mental Strength -10!]

[Mental Strength -10!]

[Mental Strength -10!]

【————】

Xiao Yu continuously consumed his mental energy to strengthen his All-Knowing Eye, and the crimson mist quickly dissipated, revealing a clearer field of vision.

The overall picture of the area gradually came into view.

This is a large shallow area, covered with ink-black, fishy-smelling river water and equally dark, highly toxic silt.

As for monsters?

There are two main types of monsters.

The first type is very eye-catching; you can see it as soon as you look up. It consists of giant octopuses.

of course.

It looks like a giant octopus.

It actually has nothing to do with octopuses.

They are essentially enormous, blood-red eyeballs with numerous tentacles covered in tiny eyeballs that float high in the air.

Xiao Yu glanced at it.

There are at least ten giant eyeball monsters.

[Hanging Eye Demon], Level 10 Lord Unit —

This lord-level unit is enough to become a core boss in Nightmare difficulty dungeons, and the probability of a lord-level unit appearing in the wild is extremely low.

Let alone 10 level 10 lords?

However, eliminating them is not easy.

First, the level 10 boss monster has very strong overall strength. Second, the "Hanging Eye Demon" always stays more than 100 meters in the air.

Normal spells can't reach that far.

They are essentially spirits, possessing extremely high immunity to physical damage, making them virtually ineffective against ordinary arrows, further increasing the difficulty.

However, the range of the Suspended Eye Demon's perception is extremely wide.

An attack can be launched from hundreds of meters away.

They are very difficult to deal with!

Besides the enormous and conspicuous Suspended-Eye Demon, there is actually another very special monster in this area.

[Demon Eye Tide Spirit], Level 10 Normal Unit —

This is a very well-hidden little monster; it looks like a puddle of humanoid mud, except that it's covered in eyeballs both inside and out.

Although they are not strong, they are extremely good at hiding, blending completely into their environment and making them very difficult to distinguish. They are also good at ambushing.

"interesting!"

Xiao Yu was very interested in the Demon Eye Tide Spirit.

Although these monsters are not strong individually, they have a special ability—fusion!

Hundreds of Demon Eye Tide Spirits lurk in this shallow area, and once triggered, they will merge with the nearest of their kind.

The more numbers are integrated.

The stronger the monster that is formed.

Ten can be combined to form a Hundred-Eyed Tide Spirit, and one hundred can be fused into a Lord's Thousand-Eyed Tide Spirit.

If five hundred Demon Eye Tide Spirits can be fused together at the same time, then a supreme-level Ten Thousand Eye Tide Spirit can be created.

How rare are the deep-sea overlords?

So far, only Goujian in his strongest form in the Jijili region has reached this level!

Monsters of this level have a chance to drop rare purple materials, so even if it's a bit troublesome, it's worth the effort!

"Not bad, we haven't even entered the nightmare yet, and we've already encountered such a high-quality monster."

Xiao Yu immediately took action.

He planned to eliminate the Suspended Eye Demon before dealing with the Tide Spirit, since the Suspended Eye Demon had a very wide range of perception and also possessed the ability to awaken the Tide Spirit.

If they cannot be eliminated in advance, even someone as strong as Xiao Yu will find it very troublesome and difficult to deal with once surrounded.

"Deceive the heavens and cross the sea!"

Unable to see through Sun Wu's methods, the group easily approached one of them.

"Aggression is like a curse!"

Xiao Yu then cast a Level 5 Invasion Flame Curse on himself and the three heroic spirits in turn.

As for why we didn't use the Light of the Military Saint?

Because the Light of the Military Saint is a green luck talent skill, it can only be used to spread level 3 fire spells at most, and level 5 fire spells are too powerful to carry.

"Sudden Rain of Arrows!"

Xiao Yu quickly drew back the Ash War Bow, and a flaming arrow shot out hundreds of meters, blooming like fireworks when it appeared above the head of the Suspended Eye Demon.

next second.

One becomes dozens.

It fell down quickly, like a sudden rainstorm.

This "Sudden Rain Arrow Technique" is a new skill that the nameless hero gained after fusion and evolution.

The Rain of Arrows has unique advantages over the Gale Arrows. The latter is fast, has high attack power, and can penetrate armor, while the former's biggest feature is its area-of-effect attack.

"Sudden Rain Arrow Technique" can strike targets within a range of two to three hundred square meters simultaneously. The power of a single arrow is not strong; its main purpose is to suppress.

However, the Suspended Eye Demon was too large and its attacks were launched at close range, so it was almost completely wiped out by a small volley of arrows.

—202!

—221!

—242!

Although the Suspended-Eye Demon is a powerful level 10 lord, it was still severely weakened by this sudden and intense attack.

A violent mental wave erupted!

The demon immediately formed a mental shield around itself, while its enormous eyeballs glared directly at the attacker.

[You have been attacked by "Death Stare," your health has decreased by 210!]

Xiao Yu's vision went black.

He was momentarily lost in thought.

The "Death Gaze" of the Suspended-Eye Demon is a terrifying mental attack skill.

Xiao Yu has extremely high mental resistance, and through the passive talent skill "Xi Zi's Blessing", he has 100 points of mental damage immunity.

Even so, he still suffered considerable damage and even experienced a brief moment of disorientation; most other chosen ones would have already been defeated.

You've got some skills!

Don't underestimate level 10 lords.

Xiao Yu cast the Immovable Mountain Mantra on himself.

Although Sun Wu could not see, he sensed the location of the Suspended-Eye Demon. He immediately drew his Spring and Autumn Sword and released a mighty sword aura.

Whoosh!

White sword energy.

Breaking through the hundred-meter-wide fog.

The piercing demon that flew high into the sky.

Break through the invisible mental barrier on the spot.

—1021 (Critical Hit Damage!)

Xiao Yu could only say that he truly lived up to Sun Tzu's reputation. Sword energy is usually a mid-to-close range attack skill. Although the Haoran Sword Energy is quite special, even Xiao Yu would find it difficult to hit it a hundred meters away.

however.

A casual sword strike.

Sun Wu not only hit the Demon with the Suspended Eyes, but also broke through its defenses and caused extremely high damage, interrupting the continuous release of "Death Gaze"!

Xiao Yu drew his bow again.

A flaming arrow condenses for two seconds, then splits into five arrows the instant it is fired.

This is another skill of the Sudden Rain Arrow Technique: "Five Arrows Shot Simultaneously".

Although it requires a short charging time, one attack is equivalent to five attacks, which can target multiple targets or concentrate on a single target.

All five arrows hit the giant eyeball.

The demon with the suspended eyes was nearing the end of its life.

Xiao Yu did not stop and drew his bow again, the white arrow flashing on the flaming arrow.

"Gale Strike!"

This arrow was two to three times faster than the previous ones.

The demon with the suspended eyes didn't even have time to assemble a new defense before it was pierced directly by a beam of white arrow light.

—1220 (Critical Hit)

The giant eyeball of the Suspended-Eyed Demon exploded, and countless tentacles withered and dissipated rapidly, eventually revealing a blue sphere of trophy.

[You have collected the following loot: Soul Essence +2200, Suspended Eye Crystal +12, Green Forging Stone +5, Blue Deep Sea Stone +1, Green Soul Stone +20!]

"good!"

Xiao Yu's face lit up with joy.

Although the Suspended Eye Crystal dropped by the Suspended Eye Demon is an ordinary material, it is a high-quality material with value in refining weapons.

As for rare materials, although only one blue material was obtained, it is still of extremely high value.

This material.

It is priceless in Suiyang.

Even Xiao Yu was lacking.

In addition, the amount of essence given is quite good, and there are at least 9 Suspended Eye Demons. Just relying on these monsters, we can make a lot of money!

Next.

Act swiftly.

With the assistance of the three heroic spirits, Xiao Yu quickly hunted down the Suspended Eye Demon.

[You have collected loot: Soul Essence +2200, Suspended Eye Crystal +15, Blue Forging +1, Green Soul Stone +25!]

[You have collected the following loot: Soul Essence +2200, Suspended Eye Crystal +12, Blue Forging +1, Blue Deep Sea Stone +1, Green Soul Stone +10!]

【————】

at this time.

Suiyang City.

After Xiao Yu left.

Its influence is still growing.

While the vast majority of the early settlers were excited and looking forward to it, a few were worried or uneasy.

For example, some high-ranking members of the four clans in Suiyang.

Their concern wasn't that Xiao Yu would fail.

As the core nightmare, the Jiangyan Purgatory is far more difficult than any other nightmare, and Wu Zixu is by no means an easy opponent.

but.

This chosen one is too powerful.

He has every chance of succeeding and thus completely purifying the century-old pollution.

According to the rules of Heaven, these chosen ones will become the guardians of Suiyang's past, and the ancestors who wanted to leave Suiyang would inevitably have to use their arks.

But so far.

Xiao Yu refused to reach an agreement with the local forces, neither accepting investment from them nor selling any Ark rights.

The heads and leaders of the four clans in Suiyang were very frustrated, as they did not want to miss this great opportunity that could have propelled their entire clans to new heights.

and so.

They found Wang Yang again.

"Although I am the one in Suiyang who is closest to Xiao Yu in terms of destiny, the gap between second and first place is still very large and can be seen with the naked eye. I am afraid I will fail to live up to the trust placed in me by my seniors."

Wang Yang sighed helplessly.

"If I hadn't been born on the same ancient day as Xiao Yu, or if I had been born on another ancient day, I'm confident I could have seized the throne of the Ark's Lord—but why was I born when I was already here?"

That's all.

With a wave of his hand.

Several of his men came out.

They carried a gleaming black iron flat sword, several pieces of fine armor, and piles of soul stones.

Ji Xi, the head of the Wu clan, asked, "What does my nephew Wang mean by this?"

"These are the equipment and resources that our seniors gave to us. Since we have failed to live up to their expectations and have not fulfilled our promise, we are returning them to you in their original form."

Wang Yang said, "As for the shortage of materials and soul stones, I will make up for it as soon as possible, and I will never let you seniors suffer any losses."

Everyone looked at each other.

"Isn't there even the slightest chance?"

"My talent has improved considerably recently. As long as it's not the first time I'm venturing into the wilderness, I might be able to clear the River Eye Purgatory and obtain the Captain's Certificate!"

Wang Yang continued, "Even if I obtain the credentials, the gap in strength and reputation is so vast, how can I possibly win against him in the upcoming election?"

The patriarchs and clan leaders remained silent.

Although I am unwilling, I have to admit that this is reality.

"but----"

Wang Yang changed the subject.

"If you seniors are willing to believe in me, I am still willing to bite the bullet and give it a try. Even if I lose to Xiao Yu in the election in the future, I can just temporarily submit to him and wait for an opportunity, and wait for other old friends to break away and start their own businesses."

The heads of the families seemed to be deep in thought.

This seems to be the only option at the moment.

Wang Yang was the most promising and talented among all those he had come into contact with who had the potential to utilize destiny.

He could not find any other suitable talent. Although he failed to accomplish the agreed-upon task, he had indeed done his best, and the failure was not his fault.

after all.

Who would have thought.

Is there such a prodigy as Xiao Yu?

Wang Yang was shrewd, worldly-wise, and very tactful. He not only returned the Wu clan's treasure sword and various equipment, but also recorded the consumed materials and soul stones in his account, without intending to keep them.

This move earned the trust of several family heads.

This person has consistently demonstrated strong ambition, and once he seizes the new ship, he can still become the master of the Ark, so he is still worth investing in and cooperating with.

Ji Xi asked, "Our clans have always given our full support to your cause, Nephew Wang. Just tell us what you need, and we will do our best to fulfill it."

Wang Yang pondered for a moment and said, "If I had a truly good sword, and I could cultivate the second heroic spirit Zhao Qing's talent to the top level, I would be confident that I could clear the River Eye Purgatory second only to Xiao Yu."

He made a series of demands.

This requires a significant amount of blue materials, the productivity of all four races, and the support of various other resources.

It's not a small amount.

Not long after.

After the heads of the family left.

Li Zihao couldn't help but ask, "Brother Yang, can't they see that you're using them?"

"It doesn't matter. I use them, and they use me. People aren't afraid of being used; they're afraid of not having any use to them."

Wang Yang picked up his tea and took a sip: "I happen to look very useful, and they've already invested a lot of sunk costs, so they'll most likely bring out their best resources to gamble again."

Why did Wang Yang return the Xuan Tie Bian Zhu Sword? Because he already had better weapons, and other equipment had been replaced with better alternatives.

to be honest.

I've gotten it all for free.

It's all used up.

No cost was incurred.

He gained the indigenous people's trust further through this, and was able to extract more resources from them.

The four races possess some priceless blue deep-sea gems, and even blue heroic spirit essences, among other materials.

These are all things Wang Yang urgently needs.

He didn't have Xiao Yu's ability to fight for himself, so he could only try to obtain it from these natives.

As for going against Xiao Yu?

If he had even considered becoming a captain before participating in the Kuaiji Altar, he has now given up on the idea altogether.

Why does Wang Yang want to be a captain?

Because only by becoming a captain can one reach higher limits and ascend to a higher stage.

However, if you follow Xiao Yu and become one of his core subordinates, your potential is higher than if you were the captain yourself, and your future development prospects are even greater.

Why persist in this obsession?

Wang Yang only values ​​practical benefits and doesn't care about empty fame.

In the future, in the deep sea, one will inevitably have to deal with various forces and ark lords, which will inevitably involve deceit, intrigue and scheming.

Wang Yang believed that Xiao Yu needed someone like him who was skilled in diplomacy and strategy.

Pretending to remain independent at this moment is nothing more than an attempt to exploit this ecological niche to extract more resources and benefits from Suiyang's past.

He was also able to maintain good relations with the four clans.

In the future, he will help Xiao Yu to win over these people.

"It is foolish and presumptuous for a group of ants to try to control the Kunpeng. It is wise to take advantage of the Kunpeng's momentum to rise to the top."

Wang Yang said, "Although I'm deceiving them now, they will thank me in the future."

Done.

He seemed to be deep in thought.

I wonder how Xiao Yu's progress is.

Is this guy actually capable of clearing the Jiangyan Purgatory in one go and killing Wu Zixu?

Although I have great confidence in Xiao Yu's abilities, I still feel that this matter is not so easy!