Saint Tier!

After Su Ze finished constructing the Regeneration Core, he swallowed two Body Conditioning and Digestion Tablets to speed up the digestion of the remaining Immortal Salamander extract within his body.

Evolvers always needed time to fully digest the Evolution Substance and energy from extracts, and some medications could accelerate this process, saving valuable time.

By this point, the sky was beginning to lighten.

Most people had rested sufficiently. Aunt Yun called everyone to move out, preparing to continue their journey.

However, more and more people began to voice their desire to withdraw from the team and abandon this Escort Mission.

Su Ze wasn't surprised by this. After the fierce battle the previous night, the Hunters had realized the mission's inherent danger, and it was natural for many to falter.

Besides, everyone had taken the mission for the money. The spoils distributed last night had already earned them more than they expected, making it unnecessary to risk their lives for meager commission fees.

Moving forward meant entering the summit area of the Black Rock Mountain Range, where Tier 3 Exotic Beasts roamed.

Stopping and returning now was a wise choice, allowing them to earn money while avoiding greater risks.

Liu Wenyin and Aunt Yun didn't force anyone to stay. Those who wished to return were allowed to do so.

"The Beast King's Roar skill has a two-day cooldown. By the time it's ready, we might have already left the Black Rock Mountain Range. So, after surviving last night's wave, we shouldn't face another attack. There's not much point for them to follow us anymore," Liu Wenyin explained to Su Ze, seemingly trying to comfort him.

"No matter what dangers lie ahead, I will definitely escort you, my sister, to Luofan Kingdom with my life!" Su Ze declared righteously. While others could retreat, he couldn't; returning meant death for him.

They watched as Hunter after Hunter departed, and the once nearly thirty-strong team became sparse.

The Pupal stage members had almost all left, leaving only four, including Su Ze. From the Cocoon Breaking Stage, six had left, leaving just two.

In total, only eight people continued forward.

Notably, Li Gaojie, whom Su Ze had been wary of, also remained.

Su Ze, Liu Wenyin, and Aunt Yun walked at the very back. Su Ze lowered his voice and asked, "Sister, Aunt Yun, have you thought about how the person chasing you learned about your route?"

"Are you suggesting they had an informant in our team?" Aunt Yun asked calmly, having already considered this possibility.

Liu Wenyin was equally calm. "There's definitely an informant, but we're not sure who it is, or who all they might be."

Aunt Yun added, "It's pointless to try and find out who the informant is now. After that guy's failed attack last night, he missed his only chance. The Beast King's Roar is on cooldown, so he can't launch another surprise attack. The informant has likely already left our team."

"Didn't the person chasing you have any accomplices?"

Liu Wenyin shook her head. "He pursued us all the way from Guan Kingdom to here, crossing the entire Mu Kingdom. To avoid alerting the Mu Kingdom authorities, he couldn't have brought too many people."

Aunt Yun agreed. "I've clashed with him several times along the way. If he had any helpers, they would have made their move by now."

Su Ze nodded, then glanced at Li Gaojie ahead, wondering if he was being overly suspicious and if Li Gaojie wasn't the informant after all.

Noticing Su Ze's gaze, Aunt Yun said, "Li Gaojie, whom you've been watching, is indeed a bit suspicious. However, during his period of disappearance, he did kill two Tier 1 Exotic Beasts, including an A-grade one. And according to his account, I did find human feces near the camp."

"If he were truly an informant, he would have planned things too meticulously. Coupled with his decision to continue with the team today, I'm more inclined to believe he's not the informant."

Su Ze exhaled. "I hope I'm just being paranoid."

Upon entering the summit area, the temperature plummeted.

Fortunately, everyone was an Evolver and could withstand the cold better.

"Full speed ahead! We need to leave the summit area before dark!" Aunt Yun commanded, and everyone picked up their pace.

Perhaps it was a blessing after surviving disaster. By dusk, they had crossed the summit and were nearly halfway down the mountain, yet they hadn't encountered any Tier 3 Exotic Beasts.

Or perhaps their luck wasn't exceptionally good, just not bad. Although Tier 3 Exotic Beasts were active in the summit area, their numbers were scarce. Some hunting teams specifically searched for them and couldn't find any, so not encountering them was quite normal.

"It's not dark yet. How about we travel through the night and reach the foothills by today?" a Hunter from the Cocoon Breaking Stage suggested.

His proposal was unanimously approved by everyone. The descent was different from the ascent. They should be able to reach the foothills before dark, where mostly Tier 1 Exotic Beasts resided, so traveling at night wouldn't pose much danger.

"Let's not rest tonight at all. We'll push through and get out of the Black Rock Mountain Range in one go," Aunt Yun decided.

"Good!"

"Let's move faster. We might even be out of the Black Rock Mountain Range by dawn tomorrow."

Everyone chimed in, agreeing. After the experience of being attacked by a beast swarm last night, they had no desire to camp and rest in the mountains.

But just then, the sky, which had been relatively bright, suddenly turned dark. It wasn't just dim; it was pitch black!

The last rays of the setting sun seemed to have been swallowed by something.

Su Ze's vision went black; he couldn't see anything.

"What happened?"

"It's a skill effect! We're under attack!"

Someone reacted quickly and pulled out a flashlight, but the beam of light lasted only an instant before being consumed by the darkness.

Someone lit a lighter, but the small flame burned stubbornly, failing to illuminate even a millimeter of the surroundings.

All light was being devoured!

"Everyone gather around!" Aunt Yun's voice cut through the darkness, more serious than Su Ze had ever heard it.

Su Ze moved towards Liu Wenyin, his hand soon finding her slender, delicate fingers.

"Sister?" Su Ze called out.

"Mhm," Liu Wenyin replied, taking his hand.

Feeling the cold sweat on Liu Wenyin's palm, Su Ze softly reassured her, "It's okay, Aunt Yun can definitely handle it."

But just then, Aunt Yun spoke again, her voice trembling slightly, "How can this be! How could a Saint-level expert appear here!"

Saint-level?

Everyone's heart sank. A Saint-level expert was an existence they considered absolutely invincible!

How could they possibly deserve to have a Saint-level expert target them?

Immediately after, a green light of evolution shone in the sky, confirming Aunt Yun's words.

A Saint-level lifeform that had undergone four evolutions!

It's over... Su Ze's heart chilled as well. He had calculated everything, but he never expected Liu Wenyin and the others to actually attract a Saint-level expert to hunt them down.

As the Saint-level expert appeared, Su Ze suddenly sniffed the air, catching a familiar foul odor.

A Tainted One!

Could it be people from the mysterious organization?

Don't tell me he was the reason this Saint-level expert was here.