Star Gate

Chapter 275: Gains (I)

There was a small seal of a turtle shell floating over his hand...

A sliver of greed rose in everyone when they thought of that item, but it was swiftly drowned by terror.

Too strong! Ding Chen had been annihilated with one punch; he’d had no room for retaliation at all.

“How much longer until the ruins open?” Violet Moon asked despite her wan face and shortness of breath. She’d forgotten what time it was or didn’t even have the ability to consider how much time had elapsed.

“A long time!” Li Hao called out while being dragged away by Director Zhou. “You guys were in there for only two hours. There’s another twenty-two until the ruin doors open again.”

That was a very long time! They couldn’t leave even if they wanted to. It was why the crowd didn’t keep running—there was no place to run to. They wouldn’t even be able to fly anymore if they left the outer city and came back in. Thus, they wouldn’t brashly depart the premises. They still had designs on the inner city.

“This is all that idiot Ding Chen’s fault!” Violet Moon set her jaw with annoyance. “That Gold Armor was inert and wouldn’t have made a move if we didn’t disturb the seal in his hand...”

The Solars had swiftly run for the pagoda after entering the city, but hadn’t been able to make it up the structure after prolonged attempts. They couldn’t even fly up!

They had to search around the base when they were out of ideas and found the Gold Armor in one of the ancient houses. Wary and on guard at first, no one dared approach it. The might of the Silver Armor was still fresh in their minds. But after extended tries, someone was bold enough to try attacking the soldier.

There was no response!

That was when other thoughts entered their mind and Ding Chen made use of the opportunity to attempt to sneak the seal away when everyone milled around in confusion.

The results spoke for themselves. Everyone’s wits flew out of their minds when the Gold Armor moved! Violet Moon was assigning all blame to Ding Chen—no one would object since he was dead. In actuality, everyone wanted that item. Ding Chen was just unlucky enough to be the first to touch it and die a ghastly death for it.

Hao Lianchuan didn’t say anything, he looked at the city gates. Hu Dingfang also frowned.

“There’s still people inside.”

Indeed, there were still others behind the gates. There had been thirty people left on the expedition team before. Li Hao’s trio killed Zhang Ting and the Yama Sunflare, and another two Solars had died. That left twenty-six inside the city.

There were five Solars standing outside, eleven Sunflares that’d made it out, and Li Hao’s three. That made for nineteen total, leaving seven inside the city—including the four Night Watcher Darkmoons. Not a single one of them had emerged. Plainly, they’d all chosen to go deep into the city and traveled slower. Since they couldn’t fly, they hadn’t been able to retreat in time.

The others looked around and saw that the Night Watchers were abruptly five less. Cold smirks appeared on faces when they saw that all of their Darkmoons were missing. How dare Darkmoons remain! They were just courting death to do so!

The group pivoted to Yama after the Night Watchers—the Revolution King looked wordlessly at the sole Sunflare left by his side. He was down yet another person!

Of the rest, Celestial lost two Sunflares and Red Moon lost one Sunflare. Hao Lianchuan didn’t notice it at first, but then realized when he took a close look—where was Zhang Ting? He remembered that she was with Li Hao and the others. Where was she now?

It was normal for the other Darkmoons to be missing since they were trapped in the city, but Zhang Ting was a Solar! There were no Silver or Black Armors here, so the method he’d taught Li Hao before was completely unusable. She would swiftly land back on the ground even if flung into the air, Liu Long wouldn’t be able to stop her.

Liu Long and Li Hao also didn’t seem to be injured, which made it all the more impossible! A Dominator could not emerge unscathed after fighting a Solar.

The look in his eyes shifting rapidly, Hao Lianchuan looked at Li Hao. “Didn’t Zhang Ting stay out of the city?”

“She went inside.” The young man shook his head. “She said she wanted to take a look after you guys went in since it seemed safe. And then... she didn’t come back out!”

No one had seen anything, so it was up to him however he’d like to spin the story.

Hao Lianchuan was simply curious. So she’d gone inside? Then she might be alive? Those trapped inside the city might not be dead, they were simply unable to come back out.

“Do we go inside again?” Hao Lianchuan asked. There were only five Solars left now.

“I’m not going!” Hong Yitang answered decisively. “I’m leaving as soon as the doors open again!”

Who were they joking?? He wasn’t going inside for any reason whatsoever anymore. It was too damned dangerous. He wouldn’t have made it out just now if he’d been the slightest bit slower. Who knew what would be the consequences then?!

Violet Moon and the Revolution King also seemed to be heavily injured. They might’ve been embroiled in battle after entering the inner city. Li Hao, however, didn’t see anything when he swept a gaze over them. Had they obtained any treasure, or had they hidden their gains in something like a storage ring?

That was very possible as ancient records mentioned such things existing in the ruins. There also seemed to be a space attribute when it came to supernaturals. Since such properties existed, there was a hope of producing them in modern times. Thus, the local leaders of these factions might really have such artifacts. They didn’t seem to have returned empty-handed from the looks on their faces. They simply hadn’t laid hands on the most critical treasure.

Li Hao wordlessly observed the crowd—five Solars and eleven Sunflares. Two of the Solars were from the Night Watchers. There were only nine Sunflares left of the three great organizations, one for Yama, three for Red Moon, and five for Celestial. However, losing their two Solars was the greatest loss for Celestial.

The expedition team had shrunk once more. Apart from the twenty that’d left earlier and the nineteen present in front of the gates, less than forty had survived from the original team of two hundred. This wasn’t to say that all nineteen here would make it to the exit, either.

Can Hao Lianchuan and Hu Dingfang take care of the Revolution King and Violet Moon? If Hong Yitang doesn’t interfere, then chief, Wang Ming, Director Zhou, Zhao Huan, and I will be five against nine...

The thought popped into Li Hao’s mind. Could they consider eliminating all of the rest? Violet Moon’s origin weapon was damaged while Hao Lianchuan had his Flaming Phoenix Spear. The deputy director stood a very real chance of overcoming his opponent. As long as Hong Yitang stayed out of things, Hu Dingfang possessed sufficient strength to handle the Revolution King.

The young man quickly dismissed the idea. They didn’t have to eliminate all of their enemies! There might be more trouble if Violet Moon and the Revolution King died; it would be better if they lived. There would certainly be representatives of the three great organizations once the team left the ruins. Would they let the matter rest upon seeing that their entire delegation was wiped out?

It would prove that Celestial’s Solars didn’t die to the Night Watchers if the other two Solars still lived. That would avoid certain troubles.

Many considerations ran through Li Hao’s mind. If he was here alone, he would kill everyone present. He had the strength and means to. The Night Watchers, however, needed to put down roots in Silver Moon.

The young man exhaled gently when his thoughts traveled here. He was a little too bloodthirsty these days! That killing fiend must be impacting him—he wasn’t so murderous before. He’d only taken a quick look in the illusion, but the other affected him even now.

“They wouldn’t obey when I told them to commit suicide, so I had to raise my blade instead” reverberated in his mind. Was this the sentiment from anyone decent?

No! Only serial killers say that! Li Hao condemned inwardly. I’m no one like that, I barely even killed chickens as I grew up! I’m a genteel, refined person!

That man was indeed terrifying. Just a scene in someone else’s memories eons ago still proved sufficient to impact him even now!

Hu Dingfang suddenly looked at one of Celestial’s Sunflares as Li Hao’s thoughts ran wild. “What... are you holding?” he asked with a strange look in his eyes.

The cloaked figures tensed with nervousness. One of them clutched a very big bag. It’d been shoved into his cloak before, but could no longer remain hidden at this stage.

“I... seem to sense something as well...” Hao Lianchuan said slowly. Violet Moon and the Revolution King turned around as well, all of them with bizarre looks on their faces.

Li Hao could already see the contents of the bag. The Celestial members seemed to have discovered some mysterious power stones, much like the ones that the Yama member had found. The organization’s Sunflares floundered in dread and apprehension. The late Sunflare threw the bag out. “We picked these up... Please take them if the venerated ones have use for them!”

He chose to give up his bounty in this moment because his two Solars were dead. Ding Chen’s death made sense, Kong Qi’s had come about from pure nerves. He took to the air even though he hadn’t gone through the second passageway. Did he think he was Violet Moon and had the protection of the Armor of the Thunder God?

The bag spilled its contents on the ground. The Solars’ eyes widened when rocks tumbled out. It really was mysterious power stones!

Hao Lianchuan wasn’t in a hurry to pick them up. “There are... mysterious power stones inside the city?” he asked with a peculiar tone.

“Yes!” answered the Celestial member. “Some ancient houses have their front doors open. When we went inside, we discovered that some houses had stones in them. There’s not that many—some hold only one, some have three to five.

“Other than us and the venerated ones who went to the pagoda, the others should’ve collected a few as well. This is why we stayed in the city—to look for more.”

Violet Moon glanced at her remaining members—they nodded back at her. Plainly, they’d also found some. They weren’t afraid of anything since their Solar was still alive.

Mysterious power stones!

These items were the key to faction strength! The Night Watchers possessed some as well—they typically appeared only in ancient ruins and in very few quantities, unless it was a special ruin. But just Celestial alone had collected almost sixty from the inner city! It was an astronomical sum!

“These are Celestial’s findings,” Hao Lianchuan chuckled. “We’d be bullying you if we took them. You should put them away...” He glanced at Violet Moon and the Revolution King. “I am sure that you two are in agreement as well, correct?”

Violet Moon snorted and the Revolution King agreed faintly, “Ding Chen and Kong Qi died in accidents. The three great organizations are of the same breath and branches...”