"Captain Zhou Haoming, I am Mu Dehao. I have a secret mission for you. You must avoid all surveillance and arrive at this coordinate in exactly eight days."
...
"Captain Wang Ming, I am Mu Dehao..."
...
"Captain Ding Quankun, I am Mu Dehao..."
...
"Captain Tian Sinong, I am Mu Dehao..."
...
In just a few minutes, all the top-ranked Pioneer Corps vehicles of the Azure Dragon Legion received a secret mission, requiring them to head to a remote area of No Man's Land located in the direction of Aosam.
Only Captain Wang Ming, who happened to be on rotation leave at the Azure Dragon Supply Point, knew the specific details. The most important part was that they had to escort one person on this trip: Mu Zhong.
Mu Zhong is not only the Shaman Priest of Wei Huan's vehicle but also the Deputy Captain. He and Wei Huan work in perfect sync. Although only Sequence 4, the assistance he provides on Wei Huan's vehicle far exceeds that of a Sequence 5 "Ancestral Spirit," so he must be present for this mission.
Wei Huan had driven too far out, almost exceeding the farthest distance currently explored by humans. It's not that human vehicles couldn't reach that distance, but simply that the resources closer by couldn't be fully developed. The priority for all nations' Pioneer Corps was city-building, meaning relatively little effort was spent on pure exploration.
Also, the Diamond Treasure Chest—everyone knows it's a good thing, but when even the Gold Treasure Chests cannot be opened smoothly, who dares touch a Diamond Treasure Chest? Wouldn't the monster that emerges from it wipe out the world?
"Do you think the Diamond Treasure Chest will yield a sea beast or a higher-tier Remnant Race member?" Mu Zhong was aboard Captain Wang Ming's vehicle, en route, while video-calling with Wei Huan.
"The probability of the Remnant Race is higher," Wei Huan's vehicle had been coated with an invisibility layer again and was now submerged at the bottom of the ocean. He was currently guarding the Diamond Treasure Chest, with the Butler's radar scanning at full power to monitor any passing vehicles.
"What would a Diamond-tier Remnant Race member be like?" Mu Zhong speculated. "Stronger mental attack capabilities, right? Will they continue to deceive us? Or will this one also be easy to kill?"
Wei Huan shook his head. He wasn't sure either. He only knew that whatever emerged from a Diamond Treasure Chest would be terrifying. Furthermore, the "Profession Training Ground" associated with the Diamond Treasure Chest is also a major assessment and is extremely difficult.
When Captain Fang William acquired the "War Tower," there was a monster guarding the chest. At that time, humans were only Sequence 2, but the monster was Sequence 3. If Captain Fang William hadn't possessed the immense strength to kill monsters beyond his tier, he would have surely died.
When Agris acquired the "Heart of Darkness," she entered a terrifying mental trial. The "Heart of Darkness" was birthed from her abdomen, a risk that is hard to imagine. If anything went wrong, the result might have been a monster that would eat Agrios first.
As for Wei Huan, he was relatively lucky. The first chest he opened after entering the Challenger World was a Diamond Treasure Chest. According to the Challenger World's principle of no monster in the first chest, he fortunately didn't face one, but his face still bears the scar.
Now, looking at this Diamond Treasure Chest, Wei Huan found it hard to imagine what kind of trial awaited him. He wasn't entirely confident he could open this Diamond Treasure Chest. His strength in this world had not reached the ceiling, and opening a Diamond Treasure Chest was definitely an adventure.
But time waits for no one. Once other nations discovered the existence of the Diamond Treasure Chest, they would scramble for it, possibly leading to a desperate attempt to open it regardless of the consequences. If he couldn't get it, he certainly couldn't let his rivals acquire it. The act of harming others without benefiting oneself is something humans are quite adept at internally.
"A Diamond-tier sea beast would also be terrifying. It would be second only to the level of Mofidi, and a complete entity. Up until now, we have only been fighting Mofidi's tentacles. It's like we are only fighting its hair, and it's already a life-or-death struggle."
Mu Zhong had many reservations, but this Diamond Treasure Chest couldn't be ignored. A Diamond Treasure Chest concerns the prosperity and decline of a profession. In the Challenger World to date, out of twelve professions, only five Profession Training Grounds have appeared:
[Steel Factory]
[War Tower]
[Undead Ranch]
[Beast Stable]
[Heart of Darkness]
And the suspected Profession Training Ground, [Dome].
Excluding the [Heart of Darkness], the others are all currently held by Daxia. This is normal; Daxia has always been the strongest nation in the Challenger World. The strong stay strong. They can explore more areas, and naturally, their harvest is greater. This includes the [Beast Stable], which originally belonged to the War Race Holy Lord. It was because Daxia was strong enough that they directly suppressed this "cult" and seized the item. In contrast, Aosam, which had been coveting it and even provided convenience to the War Race, lost the [Beast Stable] and suffered significant losses because they lacked the confidence to win.
Currently, Ding Qi's six summoned beasts have been sent to the Beast Stable for training. Ding Qi is only Sequence 4, yet her combat power is stronger than most Sequence 5 individuals. The "Summoner" profession has finally demonstrated its powerful side. Ding Qi is just one example, and with so many Hunters on Blue Star, this boost is akin to a new version making one profession god-tier. The Hunter profession is poised to move to the forefront, surpassing the Scholar and becoming the strongest ranged damage dealer.
Therefore, a Diamond Treasure Chest, which relates to a Profession Training Ground, is always worth driving the discovering nation mad. To cite a local example, even Mu Dehao dared to commit an entire legion to securing such a huge treasure. Although Wei Huan's superhuman combat strength is the biggest reason, the overall increase in combat power of the Azure Dragon Legion after acquiring the [Beast Stable], and its visibly rising status, makes it difficult for anyone to hand over this chest to someone else.
Whether it can be done or not, let my people set off first, was the prevailing thought.
Only after organizing the mobilization did he arrange for someone to report the discovery of the Diamond Treasure Chest.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Daxia Challenger Army has remained vacant to this day. The current government is only responsible for managing Blue Star's civilian life and construction. Any matter concerning the Challenger World is discussed and decided by the Commanders of the Four Legions.
Thus, the first person Mu Dehao informed was his immediate superior, Commander Chai. Commander Chai and his vehicle had long followed the main force to the Tier 5 world, but his primary responsibility was managing the Blue Star Azure Dragon Legion and defending against Dark Beast Lords on the main battlefield.
The main battlefield is the most brutal area. On that vast, corpse-strewn land, humanity and the Dark Beast Lords have been in a seven-year standoff. Every inch of lost territory directly projects onto Blue Star. Blue Star is humanity's home and can absolutely not be abandoned, so every loss of Blue Star territory causes anger and pain.
However, recently, humanity's performance on the main battlefield has been improving. They have even dismantled six Dark Beast Royal Family territories. Although they didn't kill the Royal Family, they reclaimed thirty li of land, restoring 300,000 square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean on Blue Star. The Haisang Nation used to be very far from Daxia, but due to the significant reduction of Blue Star's land, Wei Huan could reach it in just over an hour aboard Mu Zhong's mech.
The main reason for achieving such results on the main battlefield was the Azure Dragon Legion seizing the [Beast Stable] from the War Race and openly sharing it with the world. Frontline Hunters, relying on the attribute boost of their summoned beasts or their powerful combat ability, became the number one damage dealers among ranged professions, directly destroying the Royal Family's territories from their vehicles.
It was during this time of excellent combat performance that Commander Chai received the message from the Challenger World. Although the Challenger World is cruel, compared to the meat-grinder-like main battlefield, it is more like a training ground. Whether in terms of pioneering or training, whoever develops better—humanity or the Dark Beast Lords—will gain a greater advantage on the main battlefield.
Mu Dehao is exceptionally skilled in management and Challenger World pioneering. The former Commander Hong relied on Mu Dehao, and the current Commander Chai also found him to be a "true gem." Handing over the rear management to Mu Dehao meant complete peace of mind. They had manpower, points, and weapons. Whatever other legions possessed, the Azure Dragon Legion would not lack. Now, with the [Beast Stable], their status within the allied forces is different.
Not to mention, Wei Huan has suddenly emerged. Mu Dehao is Wei Huan's father-in-law. Through the efforts of this family, the Azure Dragon Legion is clearly poised to return to its rightful position as the "Eldest Son of Daxia."
So, facing Mu Dehao's information and inquiry, Commander Chai simply said: "Tell Commander Mu to do what he believes is right. I'll take the responsibility if there's a problem."
The messenger nodded and left. Commander Chai thought about the matter again and felt that Mu Dehao's decision was correct. If the Azure Dragon Legion could open the Diamond Treasure Chest independently, there would be no need to ask Fang William and others for help. Not only would resource allocation be complicated, but Daxia's prominence in the Tier 5 world has led to targeted opposition spearheaded by Aosam, making the situation somewhat complex. Specifically, if Fang William, the world's strongest, suddenly left, it would be hard not to attract attention, and the secret of the Diamond Treasure Chest would be exposed.
Mu Dehao's request for instructions was simple: What if their attempt to open the chest unexpectedly failed, leading to casualties? Yes, the carefully trained soldiers of the Azure Dragon Legion. If they were injured or killed due to this operation, it would be a major incident. It would not only be a leadership misjudgment, but the lost lives would be irreplaceable. In the past, the mere thought of this would make Commander Chai cautious, preferring inaction over a small risk.
But now...
"Am I being too reckless? Daring to take on even this level of responsibility?" Commander Chai asked his aide, half-jokingly.
The aide thought for a moment and said: "Commander Mu has staked his entire family's life on this vehicle. He is not a reckless person. If he thinks it's feasible, it should be feasible."
"Yes, I trust Old Mu, and I believe Wei Huan can do it. The best thing I've done so far is trusting Old Mu and cultivating Wei Huan. This time, I believe I can gamble correctly too."
No one's assessment has ever been accompanied by two thousand escorting vehicles. Even the Commanders of the various legions, when advancing to higher worlds, merely move with the main army, rather than having people specially arranged for escort. When Wei Huan advanced to the Tier 4 world, Daxia arranged two thousand vehicles as escorts—an unprecedented and unparalleled feat. This demonstrated both the Azure Dragon Legion's expectations for Wei Huan and Commander Chai's effort in persuading other legions to contribute some forces. This is what ultimately deterred the secret forces, who had initially colluded to strike at Wei Huan, from taking action.
Commander Chai genuinely put his heart into cultivating Wei Huan, believing he would restore the Azure Dragon Legion as the strongest legion, and further believing that humanity's decline would be reversed by his emergence.
...
Mu Dehao quickly received Commander Chai's reply, putting his mind at ease. However, to divert attention and prevent their current operation from being discovered, Mu Dehao also made other preparations.
For instance, the next morning, Daxia suddenly released a shocking piece of news:
[There is a continent in this world!]
[Not just islands, but a continent large enough to comfortably accommodate ten-plus nations for city-building!]
[The continent's coordinates are at...]
With the publication of the coordinates and the exciting word "continent," the attention of Pioneer Corps worldwide shifted to this location. They dispatched vehicles for reconnaissance one after another.
Aosam, however, felt like the sky was falling.
"How did Daxia know this news?"
"Damn it, they even published the coordinates."
"I said we shouldn't have touched that Gold Treasure Chest! If we hadn't failed to kill the Gold monster and let Daxia get involved, they wouldn't have tracked down the existence of Five-Star Island."
"When I proposed opening the Gold Treasure Chest, it was put to a vote, and you all voted in favor! Now you're being a Monday-morning quarterback?"
"Our agreement was conditional on your solemn promise that you could deal with the Gold-tier monster! Now look, we lost so many people, the resources were split in half with Fang William, and even Five-Star Island has been exposed! Damn the voting! If anyone encourages voting again, I'll kill them first!!"
Aosam's internal factions were nearly at war, with the leaders of the various Pioneer Corps blaming each other, just short of deploying troops to fight. What was even more frustrating was that they hadn't finished arguing here, yet they had to put on a brave face to deal with the unwelcome guests who were storming the island. Facing a massive seamount comparable to a continent, filled with abundant resources, who would be willing to leave once they saw it? A difficult and chaotic diplomatic war began.
If Aosam had first built a city on Five-Star Seamount, the ownership of the seamount could have been debated. But now, since it was entirely a "wild," uninhabited island, anyone who saw it had a right to a piece of the pie.
Consequently, confrontations between one-side and multiple-sides, including forced landings, violent evictions, and other chaotic incidents, occurred. Daxia even feigned participation. Watching this commotion, they were extremely pleased that their true intentions were being obscured.
They had been curious about why the main forces of the Azure Dragon Legion were all deployed. But after the existence of Five-Star Seamount was exposed, no one bothered to think about the Azure Dragon main forces who had left a day earlier. Meanwhile, the Vermilion Bird Legion took advantage of Aosam's self-preoccupation to quickly build a city on Vermilion Bird Island. Black Tortoise City was largely repaired, and Aosam people and related nations within the city were completely cleared out. There would be no beast tide crisis for the time term. The remaining White Tiger Legion had a Gold Treasure Chest on the island they flagged. After learning about the possibility of the "soft-spoken, physically weak, and easily toppled" Remnant Race Gold monsters, they were already planning to open it.
The various legions of Daxia were all busy.
Simultaneously, Wei Huan's side was also fully engaged. It would take seven or eight days to travel from the Azure Dragon Supply Point to his location, by which time Wei Huan's sealed power would be unlocked. The return of half his power was Wei Huan's confidence in facing the Diamond Treasure Chest. However, this was still not safe enough. For this battle, he needed to continue expanding his forces over the next few days.
Additionally, the specially cultivated Flying Monkeys and Green Wisps of Light had successively produced Elite-tier variants. When the Flying Monkey reached the Elite tier, its Stamina attribute doubled. Hanging on Big Bear's neck, Big Bear could start with 23,000 Stamina. For the Elite-tier Green Wisps of Light, if they previously healed 1 HP per second, they now healed 2 HP per second. Although this increase doesn't seem like much, in a high-level battlefield, being instantly killed and surviving one hit before dying are two different concepts.
Wei Huan hoped Big Bear could become the strongest "meat shield." Only if it withstood the attacks could it create an opening for Xu Qingqiang and the others to deal damage. It didn't matter how many Undead died; not a single human could die.
Therefore, in these waiting days, Wei Huan spent all his remaining cultivation time thinking about how to cultivate Elites, besides exhausting his Nether Force to manufacture Netherfire Bombs. Big Bear, in particular, was already a 10x attribute "Epic Hero" and possessed up to 23,000 HP. If he could cultivate it to a "Legendary Hero" before the battle, the 30x attribute boost would give it over 70,000 HP, enough to withstand a full-strength blow from a Diamond-tier monster.
The core of the "Psychic" sequence is to project one's mind into the depths of the Undead souls to perform attribute adjustments akin to "genetic recombination." Now, facing the various colored wisps of light floating in the soul fire, Wei Huan could very accurately capture them for targeted cultivation.
Day after day passed, and the World Channel remained bustling. The controversy over Five-Star Seamount was escalating. Aosam couldn't stop the Pioneer Corps of various nations from landing on the island. Everyone wanted a good location to build a city, resulting not only in clashes between various Pioneer Corps and Aosam but also in chaos among the various Pioneer Corps themselves.
Wei Huan and the members of his vehicle, however, remained steadily focused on preparing for the upcoming battle. During this time, Mu Dehao even traded three sets of ranged advancement materials to Wei Huan. Even a slight edge was worth it. Exploring treasure map dungeons has a chance to yield Gold equipment or advancement materials. Since Gold-tier treasure chests couldn't be easily touched, advancement materials have always been precious. It's safe to say that these materials, handed to Mu Dehao, hadn't even cooled in his hands before being traded to Wei Huan.
Finally, on the afternoon of the eighth day, the first vehicle arrived. It was Captain Zhou Haoming's vehicle. He had already been in the No Man's Land for reconnaissance and pioneering. After receiving the order, he rushed toward the location, but due to his vehicle's speed and various unexpected circumstances, he arrived nearly a day later than planned.
However, when Zhou Haoming saw the Diamond Treasure Chest, he was stunned. He was video-calling with Wei Huan and exclaimed in surprise: "Are we going to open this chest? My goodness, in seven years in the Challenger World, this is the first time I've seen a Diamond Treasure Chest with my own eyes."
Wei Huan didn't think he was exaggerating. It was the normal experience for the vast majority of Challengers, like Captain Zhou, not to have seen a Diamond Treasure Chest in seven years. They wouldn't wander into dangerous areas without a mission. Most of the time, they acted collectively within the legion and, although occasionally performing scouting missions, wouldn't go too far. Furthermore, the Challenger World is truly vast, and the small area scanned by the AI in this immense world is negligible. Strictly speaking, Wei Huan himself only managed to see a Diamond Treasure Chest three times thanks to the experience of two lifetimes combined. Or, rather, discovering this particular Diamond Treasure Chest was truly his luck in this lifetime.
The two vehicles sank to the bottom of the sea, their noses pointed directly at the chest, as if quietly admiring it. Soon, two vehicles became three, four, five... No one could face a Diamond Treasure Chest calmly. Under the halo bestowed by the Challenger World, this Diamond Treasure Chest possessed a demonic allure.
On the tenth day, Captain Wang Ming's vehicle finally arrived. Wei Huan's vehicle, which had been floating in the deep sea for ten days, started up for the first time. He intercepted Wang Ming's vehicle halfway, as if unable to wait a moment longer, and brought the people back to his own vehicle.
Wei Huan looked at Mu Zhong. They had been separated for 22 days, and the brief separation only intensified the reunion. He hadn't felt it before, but starting from last night, he couldn't concentrate on anything.
The two embraced. Then, holding hands, they were led back into the vehicle by Wei Huan. Mu Zhong's eyes were constantly curved in a smile. Even the aura around Wei Huan didn't show the appearance of the ruthless Captain anymore.
Liu Chengzhi was the first to rush over, shouting enthusiastically from afar:
"Boss Mu, you're finally here! We missed you terribly!"
Next, Dou Lin squeezed through the crowd, ran up to Mu Zhong, stopped, and looked at him eagerly. Mu Zhong laughed, hugged him, and lifted him up. Dou Lin smiled, both shy and happy.
"You say the vehicle is home, but when someone's not here, a certain person treats it like a military camp. The atmosphere is low all day; no one dares to get close to him." Xu Qingqiang's voice came from the side. He glanced sideways at Wei Huan while speaking, making Mu Zhong laugh.
Finally, Mu Zhong looked at everyone who had come to greet him, respectfully saluted, and said: "Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Mu Zhong has returned to the team."
Mu Zhong is approachable, good-tempered, and loves to smile. Everyone dared to say things to him that they wouldn't dare to say to Wei Huan. They were extremely happy to see him return and gathered around, chatting endlessly. It was only when Wei Huan spoke that the lively crowd dispersed.
Finally, Mu Zirui, Captain Xue, Li Xue, and others remained. Li Xue hooked her arm around Mu Zhong's shoulder and said, "Come on, come on. You must be tired from the journey. Let's go grab something to eat."
Mu Zhong wasn't tired at all. The advanced vehicle was like a mobile castle, and each room felt like home. No battles occurred during the trip, and Mu Zhong felt he had even gained weight during those ten days on the vehicle. But everyone was too concerned about him, so they ushered Captain Wang Ming and Liu Xiaotian to get some food.
Captain Wang Ming's gaze fell on Liu Chengzhi's face: "I heard that Vice-Colonel Wei's vehicle has a master chef whose food can boost attributes and is exceptionally delicious. We are in for a treat."
Liu Chengzhi, hearing himself praised, smiled like a Buddha. Although he wasn't good at combat, he was finally able to shine in his own field and not embarrass the Boss.
Wei Huan accompanied Mu Zhong to the dining area. As they chatted and laughed, the vehicle returned to the bottom of the sea. When the Diamond Treasure Chest appeared on the projection screen, Liu Xiaotian was eating the delicious food, and saliva dribbled down his chin: "My dream chest!"
Captain Wang, however, asked: "For this chest, who are you planning to send to open it?"
It wasn't 100% accurate, but based on previous speculation, the Profession Training Ground of the person who opens the chest is likely to appear first. If that profession already has one, it will be randomized. Captain Wang's question cut right to the core issue.
Suddenly, all the joking ceased. Everyone looked expectantly at Wei Huan. As the strongest person here and the Captain who discovered the Diamond Treasure Chest, he certainly had the right to decide which profession this chest would benefit.