The curtain of the night's starry sky was torn apart.
The sky suddenly became clear, a dazzling light streaming down.
Once again, the unchanging daylight descended. Aside from the drifting clouds, it was indistinguishable from countless other days.
The sun hung eternally in one spot.
Below, the fortress's gate.
Alka and the others had already arrived. Besides them, everyone who had attended yesterday's meeting had also arrived.
Those who had arrived were those who had confirmed their participation in this operation.
Rekai, Taluen, and Chanaris.
These three powerful beings, each reaching the fifth stage of strength, stood at the gate, watching the others.
Ruikai took a step forward, looked at the crowd, and said, "I believe you should have seen the information yesterday. There are three target points, from right to left.
We will each lead a team there."
"Let me introduce myself. I am from the Holy Machine Church. In battle, I can bring sufficient combat power. I am adept at fighting one against many, and I have sufficient means to delay powerful enemies.
However, in a one-on-one fight of the same level, it is best not to approach me, as I may not be able to stop myself in that situation."
After saying this, he pointed his right hand at the Silent Saint and introduced:
"This Taluen is from the Church of the Holy Mother. She's mute, making communication difficult if you're unfamiliar with her. She's incredibly powerful, using the power of Holy Light to target those special undead with half-necromancy.
She can also protect others during battle.
The last one is a mermaid from the Seed of Life, a cultivator. In this sea-covered swamp, she's capable of unleashing powerful combat power and providing buffs to teammates in battle."
Rikai briefly outlined the strengths and abilities of the three of them.
"Now, you can choose your captain based on your abilities and strengths.
Each captain needs two Stage 4 and one Stage 3."
"Choose now."
Rikai didn't question anyone's privacy, instead leaving the choice to them, allowing them to choose a captain based on their individual circumstances.
It was a truly excellent approach.
During this operation, there was little coordination between them.
They didn't really know each other well. Since continued cooperation wasn't guaranteed after the operation, they didn't rashly inquire about any confidential information.
However, everyone needed to be rational. No one would recklessly put their lives in danger at a time like this.
Chanaris gazed at Julia eagerly and waved.
Julia thought for a moment, then walked towards her. Seeing this, Chanaris smiled and reached out to shake Julia's hand.
Alka turned to Sofia and said, "Let's go to the Saint's team."
Sofia nodded, and the two of them came up behind the Silent Saint.
The Silent Saint smiled and nodded at them.
Traveling together with people of the same faith and church clearly provided a much greater sense of freedom.
Pororo naturally had no choice but to join Rikai.
Looking at Pororo, Rickey couldn't help but reach out and pat his arm.
After all, Pororo was so tall, so he could only pat him there.
"You're quite strong. You must be the Storm Champion under the Sea God, right?"
Pororo nodded, then flexed the muscles of his right hand.
As his muscles flexed, electric lines appeared on his shoulder.
Watching this, Rickey nodded with great satisfaction.
"What a great team."
You must know that the Church of the Sea God is the largest church in this world. After the world shattered, it relied primarily on the Sea God's ocean to connect the broken pieces.
Naturally, his followers, and himself, possess a tremendous advantage in such a world.
This is a world of the ocean.
The so-called Storm Champions are, naturally, the church's extremely powerful fighters.
They must be powerful individuals of the same level.
Gilliana also joined Alka and the others: "We're teammates again this time."
Sofia smiled at Gilliana, and the two hugged.
With Sofia and the others already acquainted, and members of the Holy Mother Church who had a good relationship with the Flower Fairies, Gilliana naturally chose their side.
Furthermore, they had worked together before and already had a basic level of trust. Forming a team would allow them to better assist each other.
With everyone chosen, the three teams were formed.
Julia's team, in addition to her fellow mermaid, consisted of the young man who presided over the meeting yesterday and another relatively unknown member of the Holy Machine Church.
On Pororo's side, besides a member of the Holy Mother Church, there was also another member whose identity was unclear, as his attire didn't seem to be a distinctive feature.
But one could tell from his demeanor that he was a skilled fighter, albeit a bit gloomy. He was also very silent; he was rarely seen speaking.
"Now that we've been divided, each of us should begin our actions. Once we've completed our objectives, we'll return immediately.
A team will be assigned to meet us at the border."
The gardener, Furna, standing on the city wall, nodded to the special team below.
He picked up his flower staff and gently waved it.
Vines immediately began to spread from beneath their feet. Then, three flowers sprouted. The enormous blossoms enveloped the members of the three teams.
The flowers, completely enveloping the three, regrouped and retreated back into the water, beneath the vines.
Under the water beneath the vines, the vines connected and moved rapidly forward.
Alka and Sofia leaned against the petals.
The Silent Saint sat silently nearby. Neither of them thought of chatting with her, so they just looked at Gilliana beside them.
"What is this thing? It should be able to take us directly to the border of life and death, right?"
Gilliana nodded at Alka's question. "Only gardeners can do this. It's a blessing from the flower fairies. They can use plants to quickly travel through the land of spirits."
After hearing his explanation, the two nodded.
"How long will it take?"
Traveling the normal distance from the fortress to the edge of life and death would take about two to three days.
Gilliana said, "Probably only half a day."
"That's pretty fast," said Sofia.
After a few words, they leaned against the edge of the flower, feeling the swaying motion of the flower as it moved.
After an unknown amount of time, Alka suddenly asked.
"I've been having a question for a while now. If you don't mind, could you explain why the Flower Fairy had to be resurrected at this time?
It seems like you're all unprepared. This must be a very significant event, right?"
Arka hadn't figured it out, nor had she received any relevant information.
You have to remember that this is the resurrection of an ancient god.
But it feels like the entire Land of Spirits isn't fully prepared, not even the Flower Fairy herself.
It seems some force majeure forced the hasty resurrection at this stage.
Hearing this, Gilliana fell silent.
She glanced at Sofia and the other two, then at the Silent Saint.
"Fortunately, this place is now ours. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to answer you."
Gilliana said a few words casually before answering Arka's question.
The Silent Saint seemed unconcerned, clearly understanding the reason.
"Before you left, my god had already met the conditions for revival."
Hearing this, Alka's mind raced with memories.
According to what he had seen, he should have been missing a Holy Grail-level treasure.
No, that didn't seem right after thinking about it.
What he had seen were points of light that appeared in descending order of strength, corresponding to the treasures.
So, after he finally saw the golden light, it suddenly stopped.
Thinking back, he probably hadn't had time to fully see the end before the Flower Fairy had already retracted the revealed runes.
So, the divine essence of the Heavenly Flower he had obtained was actually the final piece of the puzzle for the Flower Fairy's revival.
After briefly pondering it, Alka continued to listen to Gilliana's story.
"But at the time, our god said it would take about two years to slowly prepare the ritual, and he wouldn't begin to revive until it was completely safe."
At this point, Gilliana looked at Alka and the others. "That's why we later spent so much money to invite you to join us in clearing out the cultists within our ranks.
And, by the way, help us clean up those cunning rats outside."
Hearing this, Alka suddenly understood.
Indeed, the Fragrance Land had been unusually generous at the time, even a touch eager.
Thinking back, they must have been eagerly awaiting the revival of their god.
"Everything proceeded smoothly, even deliberately showing a hint of weakness to draw attention to those cults harboring ulterior motives.
However, not long after, for some unknown reason, the God became somewhat serious and told us to begin the resuscitation immediately.
As a result, everything was prematurely prepared, leading to the collapse of half the area and internal chaos. Furthermore, the cultists, as if on cue, rushed in simultaneously.
Even before the God began to resuscitate, the undead at the border of life and death were already preparing for a large-scale, all-out attack."
After listening to Gilliana's account of the entire incident, Alka nodded. It seemed they didn't fully understand the details of the entire incident.
Perhaps only after the flower fairy fully revived could the cause be known.
As everyone chatted,
half a day passed quickly.
Those resting in the buds felt the flowers sway violently. The flower's swaying direction changed, evidently reaching its destination.
Then, it slowly rose upward.
A gigantic flower emerged from the water, blossoming.
Alka and the other four emerged from the flower's core.
"Hmm, are we the only ones here?"
"The others should be closer to their target."
Alka spoke, suddenly feeling Sofia's touch beside him.
Turning to look behind them.
They were now perched on a cliff, vines draped along the base, cascading down into the swampy waters below.
They were at the edge of an island.
Because of the cliff, their location was relatively hidden. From their high vantage point, they could see below.
At the limit of their vision.
About three or four kilometers from their position, they could see a large group of undead gathered in a long line, marching off into the distance.
That vast swarm of undead, of every kind, flowed endlessly like a pipeline connecting the Border of Life and Death.
"What a... massive army!" Sofia muttered.
Alka took in the sheer number of troops.
Suddenly, he frowned, turned to Gilliana, and asked, "How many such transport routes are there?"
"Four."
"Are all of them about this size?"
Gilliana shook her head, her expression also somewhat serious.
"The latest intelligence we received not long ago didn't show such exaggerated numbers. Back then, there were far fewer."
"Does that mean the Border of Life and Death has a large force stationed at the border? Damn, could it be..."
Several people had a bad thought.
Turning to the Silent Saint, who was just behind them.
The Silent Saint looked at the three of them, shook her head slightly, and gave them a reassuring look. Then, with a gentle wave of his hand, he walked toward the area bordering life and death.
Observing this situation, the three of them felt a little worried.
However, it was clear that the fortress had likely already discovered and prepared for it, so they didn't need to worry too much.
Following the Silent Saint, they walked forward.
They soon passed through the island's woods. Ahead lay a barren expanse, a stark contrast to the lush greenery here.
The area was filled with gray-black plants, each one looking somewhat dilapidated, as if on the verdant woodlands.
Even the earth was a gray, black, and cracked appearance.
Even on such land, there were surprisingly some dying plants.
It made the environment feel strangely eerie.
Even the sky was shrouded in a dark hue.
As if a wall separated the inside from the outside.
Several people watched in silence.
Then they followed the Saint into the area where life and death met.
As soon as they passed through the membrane, a sweet smell wafted through the air, a strange, eerie odor mingling with the sweetness.
The environment, the smell, and even the sensation on their skin made them extremely uncomfortable.
"Do you feel anything strange, as if something is staring at us?"
The keen-sense Sofia asked, seeming to notice something amiss.
Alka nodded, but the feeling wasn't very obvious to him; only with careful observation could one clearly detect it.
As for Gilliana, she felt almost no such sensation.
The Silent Saint in front turned to look at Sofia, slightly surprised.
She seemed surprised that a Stage Three cultivator could possess such keen perception.
Then she gave everyone a reassuring look.
Holy light energy appeared in his palm, and he gently waved it, wiping it over everyone.
The strange feeling disappeared, along with the unpleasant tactile sensations of the surrounding environment.
Although still uncomfortable, it was much better than before.
The entire island sloped.
Passing through the grayish-white, cracked area, they entered the swamp.
This area truly revealed the true nature of a swamp.
For the entire Zehai, although it was called a Zehai, it was only vaguely similar to a swamp.
It was just a layer of vines that remained beneath the surface.
It was still somewhat different from a swamp.
But the area before them was completely different. The vines
Above the vines, various emerald green grasses appeared.
Even the roots of some short branches could be seen exposed.
Beneath the emerald green, grayish-white roots and a strange smell were exposed.
The floating plants made it difficult for everyone to see what was happening below.
This was a true swamp, exactly like a swamp.
The Saint walked ahead.
Alka and the others followed closely behind. Sofia had already spread out faint silver ripples, constantly monitoring the surroundings.
The swampy area was truly difficult to navigate.
Some of the floating plant roots felt like real land, soft and walkable.
But if you weren't careful, you could miss a step and suddenly fall down.
The water below was extremely murky, making it difficult to see clearly.
As they walked, it was easy to get caught up in the roots and stems of plants below.
After a few steps, Alka frowned in frustration at the various roots and vines tangled around her legs.
Walking in this place truly tested her patience.
And they were already on the path that the Saint and Sofia had sorted out, a path that had been carefully considered.
With one step, she stepped down.
Bubbles of mud rose from the water, gurgling.
Then, a shattered skull floated up, bobbing in the murky water.
Looking at the skull, Alka irritably pushed it aside.
Light suddenly converged on Sofia's fingertips, and with a flick of her finger, it was flung out.
A tragic hissing sound echoed from the bushes.
A thin, emerald green snake, about the length of an arm, writhes. A small hole had been punched into his body, and dark blood oozed out.
The flowing blood exuded a sickly, rancid stench.
A closer look revealed a decaying corpse mixed with emerald greenery.
The Saint waved her hand gently, and a faint holy fire ignited and erupted from the corpse. With a faint sound, it burned to ash.
The incident did not affect the group's progress.
Still silent and vigilant, they continued their advance.
The entire swamp was silent.
Save for the sloshing sound of their footsteps in the water.
And the ripples their movements created.
In the silence, countless undead seemed to have their sights on him.