Nighttime hunting, changes in those at the top

They had no eyes, only huge mouths filled with sharp teeth that opened and closed repeatedly, frantically biting at the crowd.

Its scales made it extremely defensive, so the team had to gather the monster together from the front and then attack it together.

Zhang Mingzhen glimpsed that the Spirit Seed had completely detached from the ball of light and was about to fall to the ground.

A support player who had been standing nearby was about to step forward to pick it up—he had been assigned the responsibility of both healing and collecting Spirit Seeds.

However, before that person could make a move, a figure suddenly darted forward, preemptively taking the Spirit Seed into his palm. It was Zhang Mingzhen who had flashed out from the flank.

"What are you doing...?" the man asked, puzzled.

After successfully obtaining the Zhang Mingzhen did not linger but quickly returned to his original position. "My cultivation is shallow, and I cannot be of much help. I will temporarily collect the Spirit Seed on your behalf. You should assist everyone else."

That makes sense.

Logically, he should have been the one to collect the Spirit Seed, but Kun Xiong wary of him and chose someone else instead.

At this moment, Kun Xiong was engaged in fierce fighting at the front and had no time to pay attention to the rear. The others, unaware of what was going on, naturally did not notice anything unusual.

After all, it's not a big deal.

Once you're out, you'll still be assigned to the same group; don't even think about keeping anything for yourself.

Just like bank tellers who handle tens of millions of dollars every day, it's impossible for them to take a single bill for themselves. Of course, some people are audacious enough to do so, but they will almost always be caught in the end.

Zhang Mingzhen insisted on collecting the Spirit Seed himself because he was worried that once the Spirit Seed fell into someone else's hands, it would be impossible to retrieve it again—he had previously killed many Kunyu Tribe, but none of them had dropped any items.

It seems that his status as an outsider has not been recognized by the laws of this world, and he has not even received the most basic reward for killing someone.

Although the primary goal of this trip is the "Power of the Origin of Life," obtaining Spirit Seed would be an unexpected bonus.

I don't know if the Spirit Seed is an exception, but just in case, it would be safer to collect it myself.

The operation to obtain the Spirit Seed will continue all day, so let these people fight on the front lines for now, as if they are serving him.

Zhang Mingzhen also feigned a brave stance and fought on the front lines, while keeping an eye out for Spirit Seeds that might appear behind them at any time, which earned him a lot of goodwill among the crowd.

They never imagined that Kun Ling, a woman, would put in such effort.

Despite their limited capabilities, their dedication and willingness to give their all are truly moving.

Besides, she's a rare craftswoman in the clan; perhaps we can get to know her better in the future...

Zhang Mingzhen was unaware that some people in the team were already "looking at him differently," and he continued to diligently play his role, collecting all the Spirit Seeds that fell along the way.

Because their teamwork was fairly good and the monsters they encountered were not strong enemies, their situation was somewhat stable for a time.

But he could vaguely hear distant roars and shouts of battle, indicating that the fighting was even more intense elsewhere.

Those strategic locations are usually guarded by the clan's elite troops, so it's not their place to worry about them.

After nearly a day of fierce fighting, Kun Xiong realized that he had taken Spirit Seeds obtained by the team for himself.

However, Kun Xiong was not worried about this matter—all Spirit Seeds, no matter where they were hidden, would be detected.

Because the Spirit Seed itself possesses extremely domineering spiritual energy, it can only be completely dissipated after a long period of absorption. Otherwise, those who possess the Spirit Seed will inevitably exude a rich spiritual energy, which no one can hide or conceal.

"Please hold on a little longer, everyone. Night will fall soon, and then we can rest."

"Please, everyone, give it your all for the greater good!"

Having not slept well last night, the entire team is still not fully recovered, and some are already showing signs of fatigue that make it difficult to continue.

Meanwhile, the Bloodthirsty Tribe Clan on the other side remained arrogant and domineering. Seeing this shift in power, the team leader Kun Yuqing felt a burning anger in his heart.

These despicable scoundrels used underhanded tricks to prevent them from resting, and now the entire group is exhausted.

This grudge must be avenged—when I get back, I will definitely ask the elders to make sure they remember it!

The Bloodthirsty Tribe, however, were also puzzled: Why were these Kunyu Tribe members so ineffective during the day?

Didn't the clan warn us that we must conserve our energy at night?

Did they do something despicable at night?

"Ignorance."

"It must be because he didn't rest properly in the dark last night, and now he's exhausted."

"Should we seize their stronghold now? I think taking Kun Yuqing's stronghold is a sure thing."

Seeing that the Kunyu Tribe was showing signs of weakness, some members of the Bloodthirsty Tribe indeed had their own ideas.

"No need." The Shi Chenlong, who was leading the team, waved his hand. "Let's put away the Spirit Seeds we have first."

"The darkest hour of the new night is approaching. Since they are so vulnerable, let them continue to collect—in the end, it will all be ours."

A hint of arrogance flashed in his eyes.

In this battle for the Secret Realm, he wants all the Spirit Seeds, not the small-scale skirmishes of the past.

He was confident that he could seize everything from the Kunyu Tribe.

Once the people are dealt with, the stuff will naturally be theirs.

"In this battle, we must strive to collect every single Spirit Seed from the Secret Realm."

"I want all those Kunyu Tribe to perish here."

"Brother Chenlong, rest assured, you don't need to lift a finger to deal with those good-for-nothings. We can crush them ourselves!"

The Kunyu Tribe, seeing that the Bloodthirsty Tribe had not seized the opportunity to take advantage of the situation, were not only surprised but also filled with resentment. "They're clearly guilty! What happened last night must have been their doing!"

This is the wisdom of a person who doubts their neighbor.

Zhang Mingzhen looked up at the darkening sky.

A new night is approaching, and it's time for these "laborers" to retire.

He was always adept at discarding his bow after the birds were all gone, and remained completely unperturbed by it.

He was naturally unaware that by doing so, he had actually violated the taboo of the Lord Heaven's Will.

Gao Linzhi detested ingratitude and the act of discarding a useful tool after it has served its purpose.

This is precisely the best manifestation of the alienation of people by Quanli.

Once they reach high positions, they lose their humanity. In their quest for monopolistic power, they stop at nothing, resorting to all sorts of fault-finding, attacks, suspicion, and moral decay...

Finally, it gradually led to its demise.

This is how the principle of "things reaching their extreme will reverse" comes about.

The Kun Tribe's squad members were already doing their utmost to deal with the monsters, so they had no energy left to worry about anything else.

Therefore, when the attack came from behind, they were first stunned, then horrified—several support members of the team fell one after another.

Those support characters were already more vulnerable, and after a day of exhaustion, they were nearly worn out and could only struggle to stay in place.

Faced with Zhang Mingzhen attack, they had no way to resist and were instantly reduced to scattered fragments of their souls.

The survivors looked around in panic, fighting off the monsters while searching for any trace of the enemy.

When they discovered that the person who had attacked them was actually their supposed "comrade" who was supposed to be standing shoulder to shoulder with them, everyone's eyes widened in fury.

"Kun Ling! Are you crazy?!"

"You want to keep the Spirit Seed for yourself? Don't forget, without us, you won't survive tonight either!"

They will stay in the Secret Realm for two days, and the place where they were initially teleported to is indeed the "sanctuary" provided by the Secret Realm.

But that shelter could only last for a day.

After a day, the barrier disappeared on its own, and the same was true for both races.

This means that tonight, they must rely on their own strength to fight off the monsters in the Secret Realm.

If a suitable place to stay cannot be found, the energy bar that was depleted during the day on the data panel cannot be restored.

Without an energy bar, you cannot unleash skills.

When tomorrow's final daylight arrives, they will be like lambs to the slaughter, destined to become victims of the Bloodthirsty Tribe.

Since there is no fixed shelter, we cannot act collectively tonight as we did last night—being too conspicuous would only attract trouble.

The only way to survive is to disperse and work in small teams.

Therefore, the strength of each team directly determines whether they can survive the night.

Kun Ling couldn't possibly be unaware of this principle.

If she still resorts to such cruelty to her companions, then there is only one possibility left—she has betrayed them.

This scoundrel must have betrayed his comrades and become an inside agent for the Bloodthirsty Tribe!

Otherwise, how can such behavior be explained?

"If the clan finds out you've betrayed them, they will never let you go! You are doomed!"

The few survivors were powerless to retaliate, and could only curse and endure Zhang Mingzhen's attacks.

"Don't worry. Since you're all dead, no one will know," Zhang Mingzhen said calmly. "As for how I spend the night, that's none of your concern."

"Rest in peace."

A moment later, only Kun Xiong remained on the field.

He was also at his last gasp, staring intently at the person in front of him with a sinister gaze.

"You're not Kun Ling... The elders warned me to keep an eye on you, and you really are suspicious!"

"Kun Ling has no such strength, and none of the skills you use belong to my Kunyu Tribe —who exactly are you?"

Although players of the same race use different skills due to their different class, it is impossible for him to be completely unaware of them.

In fact, he has a thorough understanding of most of the skills of players of his own race, which is a basic requirement for becoming Captain.

This person is definitely not from the Kunyu Tribe —but how did they manage to sneak in?

Which one is the real Kun Ling?

His question was destined to remain unanswered.

The angry roars faded into the empty battlefield, leaving Zhang Mingzhen alone in sight.

"You wicked demon, executioner, you'll get what's coming to you!"

"Perhaps, but you're destined not to see it."

Zhang Mingzhen sent this unfamiliar player from another race away with a single gesture.

Gao Linzhi neither confirmed nor denied this.

After all, this is a kind of racial war.

When Homo sapiens eliminated other human Human Stock, they had no moral compass whatsoever.

It's all about survival.

Moreover, natural selection plays a larger role.

He easily eliminated the remaining monsters.

At the same time, the aura that nurtured the Spirit Seed was gradually dimming and shrinking, slowly sinking into the depths of the earth.

It seems that the only way to see him reappear is to wait for the Secret Realm to open again—by then, he will most likely no longer be here.

As dusk settled, the faint aura of powerful beings awakening could be heard in the surroundings.

Zhang Mingzhen had no intention of lingering here; fighting these demons would be neither rewarding nor interesting.

Previously, he had seen that the Kunyu Tribe could gain experience by killing monsters, but this had no effect on him.

He never bothered with anything that wasn't profitable.

He moved swiftly, disappearing into the nearby Missouri like a shadow.

Before entering the Secret Realm, Kun Ling mentioned that during the night, players would often choose to hide in secluded places such as forests or caves.

He doesn't need to be limited by his energy; at night, he only needs to avoid pointless battles and focus on searching for other teams, especially the Bloodthirsty Tribe players, and eliminating them.

He hadn't forgotten the True Word Contract he made with Kun Ling: he had to kill at least a hundred Bloodthirsty Tribe.

People should always keep their word.

To date, he has dealt with over a hundred players, all of whom are members of the Kunyu Tribe.

Favoring one over the other is ultimately inappropriate; one should always show impartiality.

So tonight, let's start with the Bloodthirsty Tribe again.

Deep in a dense forest, a natural cave was occupied by Kun Yuqing and his clansmen.

The daytime battles are exhausting and draining, especially the stamina bar. One must get plenty of rest at night, otherwise it will be difficult to gain the upper hand in the competition for Spirit Seeds the next day.

Because the stamina bar determines how many times a skill can be used.

This is actually a limitation of the Secret Realm, designed to prevent powerful individuals from engaging in unrestrained killing.

Even the strongest person becomes useless after unleashing their skills.

No matter how strong your base stats are, it's normal for someone to control you with a few skills in turn and eventually kill you.

After all, base stats can't be high enough to grant immunity to all crowd control abilities.

"How many Spirit Seeds did our team harvest today?" Kun Yuqing asked.

"Reporting to the Captain, fifty in total!"

A member of the tribesman said with suppressed excitement, "After deducting the fixed share that each person has to pay, there's still a surplus!"

Their 20-person team was quite strong and successfully occupied a large Spirit Seed production point.

Although some Bloodthirsty Tribe came to harass them, they were eventually repelled.

Only by monopolizing this point can one reap such rewards.

If each person only needs to hand in two, the team will still have ten left over.

Even if it can be used to exchange for clan resources in the future, it would still be tempting enough.

Upon hearing this news, Kun Yuqing's expression softened slightly.

However, while the team's achievements were cause for celebration, the fact that the entire group had been ambushed by the Bloodthirsty Tribe was undeniable.

The thought that some of his fellow tribesmen might have been unable to persevere to the end due to exhaustion, resulting in a sharp reduction in their harvest of Spirit Seeds, ignited a Wuming rage within him.

"This matter must not be left unresolved!" he muttered through gritted teeth.

Most of the Spirit Seeds acquired by all clan members will eventually be deposited into the clan's treasury, and the quantity of Spirit Seeds in the clan directly affects the treatment and resources of each member.

Thinking about it this way, the actions of the Bloodthirsty Tribe are no different from robbing each of them of what they have.

"If they can launch a sneak attack, why can't we retaliate?"

One of the tribesmen made a suggestion in a low voice, which was immediately echoed by the others.

Since the other party is unkind, don't blame them for being unjust.

"Alright!" Kun Yuqing said decisively, "Let's hurry up and recover."

"I'll try to use a secret method to contact other tribesmen nearby, and then we can act together."

It's best not to have too many people, lest it attract the monster's attention.

"Those who still have energy and reserves, come with me!"

Thus, before the Bloodthirsty Tribe could even realize it, Kun Yuqing's revenge had already quietly begun...

Elsewhere, a ten-man squad of the Bloodthirsty Tribe was huddled in a huge tree hollow, resting.

The daytime battles had decimated their numbers, with some dying while vying for Spirit Seed points with the Kunyu Tribe, and others falling victim to powerful monsters they encountered.

"We are short-handed, so we must keep a low profile and avoid attracting the monster's attention."

The Captain ordered in a deep voice, "The safest course of action is to wait until dawn before seeking out other teams to join us."

Seeking help from others may inevitably lead to a loss of face—the younger generation in the tribe are mostly proud and arrogant, and seeking assistance will inevitably result in being looked down upon, and their voice will be weakened after joining another team.

But compared to their lives, these are insignificant.

As long as the Spirit Seed can be brought back to the clan and its strength increased, everything will be worthwhile.

"Something's approaching!" the team member on guard suddenly warned in a low voice.

Everyone inside the tree hollow tensed up instantly, no longer sleepy, and focused intently on discerning the approaching presence.

If it's a monster, that's fine; a quick battle will suffice.