The explosives, mixed with the poisons of numerous aberrations, detonated, erasing their traces around the ruins and creating vast clouds of toxic contamination. Mixed within were also the ashes left behind after Disintegration Art destroyed alchemical items—enough to lead the Aether Chosen tracking their trail astray for quite a while and save Xu Guan a great deal of trouble.
They remained silent the entire way.
The vehicle traveled onward until, after a long while, it stopped in a corner of the ruins. Ji Liu got out and covered it with camouflage cloth, making it nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding pile of rubble.
Only then did Tong Shan slowly sigh in relief.
He let out a long, quiet sigh.
"Is this place safe?" Tong Shan asked.
"Yes. After the latest shift, it's a fork that overlaps with the one from last time. You can only enter by following a specific route," Xu Guan said. "It hasn't been reported."
Tong Shan nodded lightly. Then, the tension gradually drained from his body. In the deathly stillness, a horrifying sound of cracking rang out.
Scarlet fissures rapidly spread across his skin like a spiderweb.
Before anyone else could speak, Ji Jue moved with lightning speed and drove a blade into him.
The Bone Blade pierced his heart.
The cracking stopped abruptly. Even a trace of color emerged on his rapidly paling face.
His condition had been forcibly stabilized.
Tong Shan's lips curled slightly. "After you stabbed Da Liu in the ass last time, did you disinfect it?"
"Don't talk."
Ji Jue waved for the others to move aside. Mercury tentacles sprang from his back and swiftly cleared out a space inside the vehicle. After laying Tong Shan flat, he wiped away his sweat and carefully stripped off his protective suit.
The penetrating wound across