The Stone Gate, wreathed in Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke, did not hold them back for long. Fang Hansong, whom the officials had hired as an instructor, stepped forward. Having cultivated the Human Immortal Martial Dao Five Organs Chapter, he had already begun to develop Qi and Blood Power.
The two powers shared the same source, so he easily dispersed the Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke clinging to the gate. Fang Hansong reached out and pushed the tightly shut Stone Gate open.
The official expedition numbered more than a hundred people. Captains who had reached the Hidden Strength level led their teams inside in single file.
Only after all the official explorers had entered was it finally the Civilian Faction's turn.
Led by several Hidden Strength practitioners, the civilian explorers at the Manifesting Strength level charged in with all they had, setting their sights first on the Rare Medicine and Precious Grass in the ruins.
They could consume it themselves, exchange it with the officials for Peiyuan Pills, or sell it directly to wealthy buyers. It was as good as cash. Finding even one plant would mean a profit.
This expedition had far more people than the last, including quite a few Hidden Strength practitioners. Their combined strength was at least several times greater.
Even if they encountered a stronger, Centurion-level Blood Qi Puppet, they dared to swarm it. Hidden Strength experts could keep it occupied while the rest overwhelmed it with numbers. At the cost of a few minor injuries, they could still win.
Ordinary Blood Qi Puppets fared even worse. Surrounded by five or six Manifesting Strength explorers, they were finished off in no time.
Some Manifesting Strength streamers were even broadcasting their exploration of the ruins live. Judging by their audiences, they were doing well. Every so often came a cry of "Thanks to our top supporter for the rocket!" They seemed to be making quite a haul.
Gu Chen strolled through the ruins, watching the Manifesting Strength and Hidden Strength explorers eagerly search for Rare Medicine and Precious Grass. He could not help shaking his head.
More than a hundred members of the Official Elite Special Operations Forces had already gone in first and scoured the place. As time passed, more and more Manifesting Strength and Hidden Strength explorers joined the search. The Rare Medicine and Precious Grass dwindled visibly, and before long, it had all been picked.
With that in mind, Gu Chen had no interest in wasting time alongside the civilian explorers. With a thought, he linked his mind to his duplicate, Li Hansha.
Li Hansha soon appeared nearby, his body visibly covered in Qi and Blood Power. Each stride carried him forty or fifty meters. He became a red blur and shot straight into the ruins, setting off a string of startled cries.
"Is that what a Pillaring Grandmaster who's cultivated the Human Immortal Martial Dao Five Organs Chapter is like?!"
The Colonel commanding the Central Province Official forces also looked astonished. He had seen Hidden Strength martial artists in the army. They were impressive enough to take on ten men alone, but this was his first time seeing a Pillaring Grandmaster who had cultivated the Human Immortal Martial Dao Five Organs Chapter.
His movements were dazzling, his speed unbelievable, and fierce, overwhelming Qi and Blood Power swirled around his body. He was like one of the extraordinary figures from old legends, appearing and vanishing without a trace. No wonder the Central Province Official was so wary that it had devoted enormous resources to research. In a city, dealing with someone like him would be nearly impossible without paying a terrible price.
Gu Chen kept his mind linked to Li Hansha. Not long after his duplicate entered the ruins, Gu Chen used the system's power to open a passage leading straight to their deepest reaches.
Sensing the disturbance, the explorers in the ruins saw the newly opened passage and entered without hesitation. They soon found the enormous Stone Stele erected by Pei Canghai, the Human Immortal Martial Dao Ancestor, and the Human Immortal Martial Dao Marrow Cleansing Chapter carved into it. Their faces lit up, and they pulled out their phones to take pictures.
Before long, Li Hansha arrived at the Stone Stele as well. The other explorers' expressions shifted. None had expected him to get there so quickly.
Some experienced explorers immediately turned and left. They had no desire to face the demonized remains of Great Yuan Imperial Advisor Basiba sealed within the ruins. They would leave that monster to the Pillaring Grandmaster before them and the firepower the official troops had deployed outside.
At a thought from Gu Chen, the fierce, overwhelming Qi and Blood Power around Li Hansha erupted. It quickly stirred the remains of Great Yuan Imperial Advisor Basiba, sealed beneath the innermost Stone Stele.
Crack, crack...
The upper part of the Stone Stele broke apart. Weblike cracks spread across it, and traces of black blood seeped through. Basiba's demonized remains burst free of the seal beneath it.
Gu Chen deliberately held back. Li Hansha exchanged only a brief clash of Qi and Blood Power with him before breaking away and racing out of the ruins. Driven by instinct, Great Yuan Imperial Advisor Basiba's demonized remains also began to move. He found a Legionary Commander-level body within the ruins and used it to make himself whole.
The official troops outside the ruins received word that Basiba's demonized remains had appeared. The Colonel in overall command swept out a hand. The deployed Armored Vehicles, Large Caliber Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifles, infantry rocket launchers, and other heavy weapons were readied at once, all aimed at the area within nearly three hundred meters of the Stone Gate.
The explorers and onlookers pulled out their phones, switched on their cameras, and pointed them at the scene. Their expressions were tense.
Gu Chen stood among the crowd like any other onlooker, anticipation growing in his eyes.
As silence settled over the scene, a streak of Dark Light suddenly shot out of the Stone Gate. It was the complete body Great Yuan Imperial Advisor Basiba's demonized remains had pieced together from Blood Qi Puppets in the ruins.
"Everyone, listen up! Open fire according to the battle plan!"
The Colonel in charge at the scene spoke into his communicator and swept out a hand. The assembled weapons roared to life. Gunfire and explosions mingled, marking the start of the clash between modern technology and Supernatural Power brought forth through Refine Falsehood Into Truth.
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