The assessment had reached a point where the next steps were relatively simple. They had brought the ancient sailboats of the Sun Herders and Moon Herders, and given the powerful purification ability of these vessels, their immediate task was clearly to purify the sapling.
The overall assessment mission was straightforward, yet fraught with immense danger. If they had chosen to kill each other from the start, the solution to this mission would likely have been entirely different.
Wei Huan was unsure if slaughter could lead to a better outcome, but he preferred the current result: humanity's living strength was preserved, and the participants each had more or less fortuitous encounters, while he himself seemed to have acquired some unique items. A clear conscience and a happy ending for all.
Wei Huan and Captain Fang together dug out the sapling.
Having seen the full-grown Sacred Tree, Wei Huan was certain that the sapling and the extraterrestrial object were not one and the same. The sapling, in its early stage, was surviving on only a little floating soil. One of its roots was gingerly touching the black stone etched with magic patterns, as if testing it. It was this root in contact with the black stone that was contaminated and turned purple. The purple spread from the root to the lower half of the trunk but was then stopped. Furthermore, due to Captain Fang's continuous purification, the purple had faded significantly compared to his memory.
In his memory, the fully grown Sacred Tree, likely trying to survive, had been attempting to absorb nutrients from the black stone while simultaneously fighting the contamination, until an unbearable tipping point arrived, and it was ultimately contaminated. Yet, even when contaminated to the point of resembling a ghost tree, the tree core still retained the purest natural energy, striving to protect the Sun Herders and Moon Herders.
Thinking of the frenzied Moon Herder Great Priest, Wei Huan felt a little heavy-hearted.
Captain Fang seemed to know what Wei Huan was thinking and said: "When a person loses everything, they may go from one extreme to another. The fate of the Sun Herders and Moon Herders was sealed from the beginning. The existence of this tree and this extraterrestrial object clearly predates both tribes."
Wei Huan nodded. He knew this, but having witnessed it firsthand always left an impression.
Not wanting his thoughts to sink, Wei Huan saw Captain Fang had picked up the sapling and was continuously purifying it with his aura. He looked around and asked: "Where is Yake?"
At the mention of this, Captain Fang frowned slightly: "Just a while ago, Yake came to me saying he discovered an anomaly and had tracked it down."
"An anomaly?"
"Some newly left traces. Everyone is accounted for here, so those traces were very deliberate."
Wei Huan nodded. He was curious, but salvaging the Sacred Tree sapling was more important right now. He summoned a Facehugger for Captain Fang to step onto. Captain Fang was a little unaccustomed to it, but the distance to the exit was too great, and the route was steep and narrow. The Facehugger was indeed the best mode of transport.
They sat cross-legged on the Facehugger's shell, traveling in silence. It took a long time to reach the exit.
However, the exit was deserted.
Wei Huan and Captain Fang exchanged confused glances. This shouldn't be the case.
Initially, everyone knew that cultivating next to the Sacred Tree sapling could yield twice the results with half the effort, but the cramped, enclosed space hundreds of meters underground was too oppressive. Eventually, only Captain Fang remained. When Wei Huan returned shortly before, the first people he saw were these challengers gathered near the exit.
Now, they were all gone. Not only were they gone, but Aglis and the Moon Herder's ancient sailboat she controlled hadn't returned either. Had some unexpected incident occurred?
"I'll go check," Wei Huan said.
Captain Fang nodded. He simply sat down cross-legged on the spot, the Sacred Tree sapling held to his chest. His halo activated with a "clanging" sound, illuminating his face with bright compassion. The divine power made Wei Huan slightly uncomfortable, and he left without another word.
The Ghost Crows were dispatched. Wei Huan flew on the back of the Burrow Beast shell. After searching for only ten minutes, a loud bang suddenly echoed in the distance. Wei Huan looked up and saw the rising dust. No need to wait for the Ghost Crows to report, Wei Huan commanded the Burrow Beast to rush over at full speed.
As he got closer, he saw that everyone had gathered here. And this place... Wei Huan looked from afar, finding it somewhat familiar. After thinking for a moment, he realized this was the gate the Sun Herder Giant had led them through!
But now there was no gate, only a deep, huge crack, like two ten-thousand-meter-long boulders leaned together, forming an inverted 'V' shape. With a little repair, it would be just as he remembered.
Aglis was with Yake, and behind them were the five people from Aosam. The four captains from Daxia stood in one place. The others stood opposite, looking as if the three parties had fought several rounds and were all somewhat disheveled.
The commotion of Wei Huan's arrival startled them. Aglis was the first to shout: "Wei Huan, you be the judge! Everyone watched the fruit disappear right before our eyes, yet they say I took it!"
Liyav frowned and retorted: "The fruit doesn't vanish for no reason. You were the only one nearby. If it wasn't you, who was it?"
"I told you it wasn't me! Isn't my name, Aglis, enough of a guarantee? It disappeared before my eyes, and I didn't get a single one. That's an insult!"
"What if you are Aglis? We all know what these six fruits represent. I don't believe you wouldn't want to keep them all."
"Who wouldn't want them, but I..." Aglis suddenly realized and stomped her foot in anger. "I said I didn't take them! If you don't believe me, come fight! If you have the guts to kill me, the thing is yours."
"Wei Huan, she admitted it! She took them!"
Wei Huan finally looked at Captain Liu. Captain Liu and his four comrades merely circled the two clashing parties and walked toward Wei Huan, saying: "We were too far away at the time. We didn't see anything."
Wei Huan chose silence. This kind of dispute couldn't be mediated. Without witnesses or evidence, it was a dead end. However, Wei Huan thought of himself traveling back through time. They, too, had clearly traveled through time. Considering the so-called vanished fruit, was it possible...
"Aglis, can you still see the ship?" Wei Huan didn't want to get involved in this dispute. He wanted to complete the assessment now.
Aglis was momentarily stunned, as if just realizing: "Where is this?"
Wei Huan said: "We have returned from the future to the present. The Moon Herder ship can purify the Sacred Tree. I need you to go back to that ship."
Aglis's face paled slightly: "We've already returned. What do we do now?"
Wei Huan said: "Perhaps by walking back from here to the Sacred Tree, you can enter the correct time point."
"Alright." Aglis turned to leave.
"Stop right there." Liyav wouldn't let her go. "Don't think about keeping the fruit for yourself."
"Get lost!" Aglis finally erupted in rage. Her body suddenly turned red, and streaks of blood shadows burst out of her, slicing toward Liyav like sharp throwing knives. Liyav frantically responded, his Fire Evasion skill appearing around him, blocking the blood shadows' cuts. He just managed to shout: "Aglis, you..."
"Bang!" Then, all the blood shadows instantly merged into one clear figure of a man. He kicked Liyav's blood shield into pieces and sent him flying over a hundred meters away, crashing into the black stone, causing a loud rumble and a cascade of rubble.
Wei Huan's gaze landed on the man who had suddenly appeared. The man wore a tuxedo, with a crimson cape draped over his shoulders, flying without wind, billowing behind him. Wei Huan felt a sense of threat from this man.
This must be the rumored "Vampire Count" of Aglis—an extremely powerful individual fighter, also possessing the trait of immortality, condensed from Aglis's abilities. His appearance was unlike Yake; he was so handsome that even a man couldn't find a single flaw, a face that only existed in human imagination.
The enraged Aglis almost instantly defeated Liyav, immediately shocking the others. Then, when Aglis had the Vampire Count "princess carry" her and fly away, the others dared not utter a word to stop them.
Yake smiled lightly, summoned his Nightmare, and rode after them. Following him were the few Aosam leaders, and close behind them, Wei Huan and the others.
They chose to re-enter the passage, attempting to replicate the route they had taken in the future to return to that time point. However, the tunnel had just collapsed, and there were too many falling rocks. The further they went, the harder it was to find footing.
"They're gone?"
When they came to their senses, they found that Aglis, who had been walking in the lead, had completely vanished.
Wei Huan speculated: "She might have stepped onto the future timeline and will return soon."
Captain Liu said: "In that case, we are also in the future? Well, see you later."
Wei Huan nodded: "Don't create unnecessary trouble. Captain Fang is waiting for us."
"Good."
Indeed, under the gaze of Wei Huan and Yake, Captain Liu and his four comrades walked directly into the pile of rubble and disappeared.
Now, only Wei Huan, Yake, and the five Aosam leaders remained. The expressions of two of the Aosam leaders, in particular, seemed to brighten up again. But ultimately, they were deterred by Wei Huan's reputation and did not dare to make any moves. They merely tried to beat around the bush to inquire about Wei Huan's gains.
Wei Huan ignored them. He only asked Yake: "You said you found some special traces. Is it here?"
Yake shook his head: "Not here, but nearby. Let's go check."
"Good."
They flew out of the passage. The group at the entrance was still gathered. Liyav had been rescued, and a Druid in Tree Man form was treating him. Seeing them emerge, this group's expressions were displeased, seemingly unable to understand why Wei Huan had returned and was now walking with the Aosam group. Everyone here knew that Wei Huan had tormented Aosam quite a bit over the past six months. Whether it was the three hundred captives on Blue Star or the reputation Wei Huan had built with blood on the Five-Star Island, it was all at Aosam's expense. Theoretically, Aosam and Wei Huan should be blood enemies.
Those looks were bearable on Wei Huan, but they made Yake and the others very uncomfortable. Finally, the five Aosam leaders said with strained faces: "We are going to meet Major General Flangering. They should be back soon."
Wei Huan thought that by the time they got there, Captain Liu and his four men would also be returning together, so he didn't need to worry about Captain Fang's side and didn't say anything.
Yake, however, offered a meaningful piece of advice: "This is an assessment that tests the unity of humanity."
The Aosam leader's face subtly twitched. In the end, he finally gave up and nodded: "Understood."
Now, only Yake and Wei Huan remained. This was the first time the two had been alone during this assessment. In his interactions with these powerful human experts, Wei Huan had the most contact with Yake and paid particular attention to his movements.
Wei Huan said: "Since you appeared in this assessment, Aosam will definitely look for you after you leave. What are you planning?"
Yake looked at Wei Huan: "What are you suggesting?"
Wei Huan said: "I'm a Tier 6 vehicle now."
Yake pursed his lips and fell silent.
Wei Huan didn't want to pressure Yake. He said: "You go do what you need to do first. I'll stay in the Tier 5 world for about three more months, then I should be heading to the Tier 6 world. You can come find me anytime before then."
Yake sighed in relief: "Thank you for the invitation. I do have something I absolutely must do. If there's still a seat on your vehicle after I'm done, I'll follow you to see the sights of the Tier 6 world."
"Good."
The conversation stopped there. There was no point in discussing uncertain things further. As Wei Huan said, he was willing to wait three months for Yake—a sign of respect for a powerhouse, a hero—but he wouldn't wait forever, as he had his own responsibilities.
The two then discussed their experiences in this assessment. Before they finished talking, they arrived at the anomaly Yake had discovered. This was another crack, so narrow on the outside that it was almost unnoticeable, but perfectly fine to crawl into. Yake used his Eagle Eye and saw footprints and crawling marks inside.
Yake asked: "This is it. Shall we go in?"
Wei Huan nodded. Of course, they had to go in. This building had just collapsed, so any footprints left here must be new. It was highly suspicious that someone would drill into a hole instead of regrouping with the main force after the change occurred.
The "Facehugger Engineering Team" went to work again. The black stone should have been very sturdy when the magic patterns were intact, but now the patterns were shattered, making excavation very easy.
Soon, the Facehuggers had dug over ten meters, and the front suddenly opened up. Wei Huan and Yake looked at the wide passage ahead, both with solemn expressions, and then accelerated their speed toward the depths.
They walked for half an hour. There were some collapsed areas in the middle, but the Facehuggers easily cleared them. After an unknown depth, Crow Sister's "caw-caw" suddenly rang out overhead.
Wei Huan abruptly ordered the Undead army to stop. Before Yake could speak, Wei Huan raised a finger, signaling him to keep quiet. Then, in a very low voice, he said: "There's someone ahead."
Simultaneously, Wei Huan's vision descended onto the Elite Demon Eye Lord. He flew forward a little, stopping just short of the Ghost Crow's scouting position. The muscle and blood vessels behind the Elite Demon Eye Lord's head acted like signal receivers, allowing it to see and hear things beyond human capability. In addition, its sense of smell was hundreds of times more acute than a human's.
Wei Huan smelled fresh, warm blood in the depths of the tunnel. Mixed with the thick, sickening smell of blood was a hoarse, rapid breathing sound, followed by sounds of "cough, cough, cough." It sounded as if blood was clogging a throat, with a violent, muffled cough and a groan occurring simultaneously.
The green flames in Wei Huan's eyes flickered. He distinguished the groaning sound as coming from a woman. For some reason, he immediately thought of Cynthia. Frankly, this woman was quite a character. If this were a chaotic apocalypse assessment, people like her would definitely thrive. Unfortunately, although humanity was constantly engaged in infighting, the higher-ups consistently adhered to the principle of unity, with all efforts focused on the Great Battlefield war.
Wei Huan listened for a while. Apart from the increasingly slow exhalation, there was no other movement. He was curious and wanted to move closer.
Suddenly, new footsteps rang out, followed by the muffled sound of a kick hitting a heavy object. Someone said: "Just wait to die. Don't struggle anymore. No one can save you. If you hand over all the fruit, I can at least guarantee you a quick death."
The speaker was a man. Wei Huan found his voice familiar but couldn't recall where he had heard it.
"Heh, cough, cough, cough!" The woman coughed heartbreakingly, but then laughed, speaking more clearly: "I won't give it to you even if I die! You demon, your hideous, vomit-inducing face suits your filthy heart!"
Wei Huan knew who this person was. Denton. The crippled and disfigured man. He had indeed survived the collapse and seemed to know something.
"Damn it! Woman! Woman! Woman!" Denton seemed suddenly provoked. Amidst Cynthia's wails, he violently vented his rage. Muffled thuds echoed continuously, accompanied by his gritted curses: "Vipers, all of you disgusting women, die! Die! Die!"
Cynthia must have been beaten too severely, finally falling silent, but the sound of the beating continued, having turned into pure venting. Wei Huan did not reveal himself. He wasn't a saint to that extent, and given the thick scent of blood, Cynthia was probably beyond saving.
He was more curious about what Denton would do next. So, the Elite Demon Eye Lord slowly moved in the direction of the sound under his control. However, before Wei Huan could get closer, "Who is it!" Denton spoke with unusual alertness.
Wei Huan heard the sudden sound of running and didn't bother to hide his tracks anymore, ordering the Demon Eye Lord to give chase. He saw Denton in the passage ahead. His body had ballooned to two meters tall, and his limbs had solidified into black forms. Bone spurs grew from his joints, and his hands and feet resembled claws, looking exceptionally sharp. His running speed was very fast. The Demon Eye Lord had to accelerate its flight to keep up, while tentatively firing a black beam of light.
"Boom!"
The black beam hit Denton's back. He stumbled but sprang back up seemingly unharmed and ran even faster. Wei Huan was surprised. This was an attack from an Elite Demon Eye Lord, and Denton was only Sequence Four, yet he could easily withstand the damage. He had indeed become powerful after being eroded by dark energy.
The Demon Eye Lord chased. The pursuer and the pursued were moving at similar speeds, so it could only fire black beams occasionally to knock Denton down and close the distance.
Meanwhile, Wei Huan's main body gave chase without hesitation. Passing a spot, he saw Cynthia lying in a pool of blood. Wei Huan didn't have time to think and commanded the Burrow Beast to hook her up and toss her onto its shell to carry away.
Yake saw Cynthia and exclaimed in surprise: "What's going on?"
Wei Huan quickly explained everything in a few brief sentences.
Yake frowned tightly: "It really is Denton? I always felt uneasy about him. Aglis also warned to be careful of those who sell their souls to demons."
Wei Huan didn't answer. His attention was mostly ahead. Finally, after being knocked down once more, Denton was completely enraged by Wei Huan. He violently turned his head, revealing his tattered, terrifying face, more hideous than a demon, and gnashed his teeth: "Wei Huan! I'm going to kill you!!"
Intense hatred surged like a roaring tide. Following this, Denton's body suddenly swelled, growing from two meters to three. His muscles bulged and tensed. He roared and charged toward the Elite Demon Eye Lord that Wei Huan was possessing.
Wei Huan frowned. He quickly lost his vision. He hadn't expected Denton's attack to be so fierce. Although the Demon Eye Lord was only a long-range artillery platform with weak melee defense, it didn't last even a minute in Denton's hands.
"What happened?" Yake noticed the green flame in Wei Huan's eye disappear.
Wei Huan shook his head, saying flatly: "Nothing."
Then, the portal behind Wei Huan opened, and the resurrected Elite Demon Eye Lord flew out. However, the Demon Eye Lord's flying speed was not as fast as the Burrow Beast's. It could only stop next to Wei Huan, its large eyes rolling around, looking somewhat wronged.
Yake did not ask this time. Instead, he opened his golden eyes and spotted Denton, who was surrounded by Ghost Crows. The Ghost Crows had scored another victory. While the Ghost Crows were becoming increasingly useless in the current world, that was only because they were merely Sequence Four. Naturally, they struggled against Tier 5 world monsters and challengers.
But what a coincidence! Denton was only Sequence Four.
Under Wei Huan's command, the Ghost Crows continuously transformed into black arrows, bombarding Denton's mind. Denton could resist some of the Ghost Crows' soul shrieks, but not many. He stumbled along, clutching his head in agony. At the same time, he cried out painfully: "Wei Huan! Wei Huan! Wei Huan!"
The echoes resonated in the empty tunnel, like a malicious curse. As he continuously shouted Wei Huan's name, his body visibly emitted black mist, as if something was clinging to his back, about to tear its way out.
Yake's Eagle Eye had no hearing and didn't know what Denton was shouting. He simply locked onto the target and, with a flick of his wrist, summoned a sniper rifle, about a meter and a half long, into his hands. The caliber of the sniper rifle was huge, almost like a small cannon barrel, yet Yake easily raised it to his eye. He then took aim and pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
A deafening sound reverberated in the tunnel. Yake's shoulder subtly shifted, easily dissipating the sniper rifle's recoil. Immediately afterward, the bullet, the size of an adult's palm, traversed space and appeared ten meters from Denton.
"Whoosh!"
It accurately struck his brow.
"Ah!"
Denton was sent tumbling backward, falling heavily to the ground. Denton, whose defense the Elite Demon Eye Lord couldn't break no matter how much it attacked, now climbed back up, his face covered in blood. But he was not dead. The powerful bullet had only pierced his skin, embedding itself in his forehead bone.
Yake raised an eyebrow at the sight and immediately pulled the trigger again. This time, Denton was prepared. The second the gun fired, he executed a dodge roll. A splash of blood burst open on his shoulder.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The subsequent shots were all dodged, leaving only minor flesh wounds on Denton. However, whether Yake could kill Denton was no longer important. Because of this delay, Wei Huan and his Undead army had finally caught up.