Soon, several small drones flew out from the base. They reached Lin Chen's location, but instead of flying close, they veered in different directions, completely surrounding it. They lowered their height until they touched the ground and began releasing condensed fog that I had prepared and stored in containers. A dense fog quickly filled the forest. The trees provided natural protection against strong winds that could disperse it, so no one would suspect anything unusual.
Now, with thermal vision, my disciples and I were ready for the next part of our mission. It would be hell for our enemies, not for us.
Pov: Third person
In the center of the base created by Lin Chen and his men, there was a large tent acting as the headquarters for this operation. Several men waited for Lin Chen's command, armed with swords, bows, and axes. A monitoring room was set up, equipped with several cameras powered by electricity and pole lights around the base and mining area. They were primarily keeping an eye on the mining site, watching the villagers digging the ground. Lin Chen himself sat in a chair resembling a throne, with his dragon partner Silver standing beside him. In front of them stood four people, all dressed in identical black robes resembling those of Sword One.
One of them spoke up, "Young master, we are Swords Three, Four, Five, and Six. Sword Two is patrolling the outside of the base. You've already met Sword One. We are personal servants to your father. We received orders from headquarters to come here immediately due to an emergency."
Lin Chen asked, "What happened?"
Sword Three replied, "Master, someone killed Sword One and Silas. We don't know who, but he is incredibly strong. Sword One didn't have time to fight back and died in seconds. We estimate the attacker has the combat strength of at least the Body and Soul Integration realm."
Lin Chen frowned deeply. For a city like Azure Mountain City, a Nascent Soul expert was already the highest level, but now a Body and Soul Integration realm expert was loose in the city. He worried that this person might be after the treasure he was just minutes away from unearthing.
But Sword Three smiled and assured him, "Young master, there's no need for concern. We Swords Two to Six are all Void Traveling realm experts, stronger than Sword One. If things go south, our master, your father, will come with family reinforcements. We are safe in this Heaven Suppressing Zone."
Lin Chen raised his hand to command them. "I don't want to be careless. I already have enough enemies to deal with, and I don't want to underestimate a new one. I need all of you to patrol the area."
They all nodded and left to patrol the base and mining area, leaving Lin Chen and Silver alone in the tent. Lin Chen then noticed a pile of equipment in the corner and said, "Come out if you're there; don't hide behind those things. There are spiders."
At the mention of spiders, a girl with blue hair emerged from the pile. She approached Lin Chen, who smiled at her. "Xia Yang, I told you to go back to the city. Why are you still here?"
Xia Yang, the ex-fiancée of Lu Xiaoran and Lin Chen's current lover, pouted. "Lin Chen, I told you I'm not leaving you in danger. I heard you were in trouble, so I'm staying and fighting alongside you."
Before Lin Chen could persuade her otherwise, one of his men rushed in from the monitoring room. "Master, we found the entrance to the catacombs."
Without hesitation, Lin Chen walked out of the base toward the location, with Silver and Xia Yang following him, exchanging meaningful glances.
Upon arrival, they saw a large pit dug by the miners. At the end of the pit was a massive gate-like structure adorned with stone statues resembling elephants, tigers, and other animals, all gazing skyward at a large eastern dragon with a serpent-like body.
As they viewed this, an invisible weight pressed down on them, but Lin Chen stood firm. He approached the tightly closed gate with some kind of lock. Upon touching it, something clicked, as if fate guided him. A gap opened in the gate, sucking him inside. Silver and Xia Yang quickly followed, also being drawn in.
Lin Chen's men and the black-robed figures watched. Lin Chen's men looked worried, while the black-robed ones appeared unconcerned. One pulled out a jade token, crushed it, signaling someone about their successful entry.
Unbeknownst to them, thick fog began to envelop everyone. Some of the men started disappearing in the fog, or falling dead from being struck by a high projectile.
Pov: Vik
Currently, I am shooting the men patrolling the perimeter of the base using my Kar98, while Lu Xiaoran and Roman are making their way toward the main base. I aim to reduce their numbers, making it easier for them to rescue the villagers.
I focused on avoiding the black-robed figures, unsure if they could be killed by bullets or had the strength of Foundation Establishment. Instead, I targeted the normal guards, planning to handle the black-robed ones once I was sure I could kill them. The fog helped conceal my actions, allowing me to take down dozens of their men without detection.
Then, Lina's voice came through. "This is Robot. The main target is heading toward a mine with a gate. I'm sharing video footage."
She sent live footage from a scout near the mine, hidden by the fog. I saw Lin Chen with two girls, one of whom was Xia Yang. They were at some kind of ancient gate. Just as Lin Chen touched it, a gap opened, pulling all three of them inside.
I cursed under my breath. They had already entered the treasure's location. I had only a few minutes before Lin Chen emerged with some incredible ability. I said over the radio, "Tiger and Thunder, act fast. We need to neutralize the Raven and leave everything else to me."
With that, I climbed down from the tree where I'd been hiding. I stowed my sniper rifle; it was time to move quickly. While Lu Xiaoran and Roman dealt with the normal guards, I would take on the black-robed figures directly. I didn't have time to play sniper anymore.