On the Third Outer-Region Battlefield, at Barracks Base 001, Qin Cang and the others had been resting here for ten whole years.
"Captain, it's about time, isn't it?" Qin Cang asked. Ten years was no short time, and now they had everything they needed. They had the Fire God Source Crystal and could set off to search for the treasure at any moment. With every day they delayed, the chance of someone else taking it grew.
"It's about time. I can leave whenever you're ready," Kailun said with a smile. During those ten years, he had even asked Qin Cang whether he should find an Immortal Level teammate to join them.
After all, this was the legacy of a Marquis Level or even King-level Expert. And it belonged to someone from the Machine Race, whose methods of battle meant its members were all incredibly wealthy.
Worried that the two of them might run into trouble, Kailun had thought about recruiting another teammate, but Qin Cang had refused. Kailun hadn't asked again. Since Qin Cang was confident, there wasn't much more he could say.
"There's just one thing. What about Lan Ying and the others? They've followed me for years, and they know about this, too. If we leave them behind, after all the years we've fought side by side..." Kailun didn't spell it out, but his meaning was clear. His only concern was that the others were too weak. If something went wrong...
"Captain, I understand what you mean. Back when we were saving up for the Fire God Source Crystal, Lan Ying and Lie Feng even gave you the spoils that were rightfully theirs.
"It wouldn't feel right to leave them behind. I have an idea, though I'm not sure what you'll think of it." A plan had come to Qin Cang, and it seemed well suited to the situation.
"If you have an idea, then let's hear it. I'll tell them afterward," Kailun said with a smile. As long as they could find a solution, things would be easy.
"In that case, I'll be frank. As far as I know, the treasures left behind by powerful experts are usually divided into several layers, each with a different level of danger. The deeper you go, the more dangerous it gets. Even if this Machine Race expert was on the verge of death, I imagine he'd have followed the same principle.
"So, we only need to work with Lan Ying and the others on the first layer. What they can get there will depend on their own abilities.
"Once we've fought our way out of the first layer, we can put them in the Space Ring. The rest of the journey will be up to the two of us." Qin Cang explained. Over the years, he had searched for information on treasures left behind by the Machine Race.
Based on the information he'd compiled from the Virtual Universe, if the Machine Race expert had followed the usual pattern, the first layer alone would be enough for Lan Ying, Lie Feng, and the others to earn a fortune in resources.
"Hahaha! No wonder you come from a major power. You've got all the information we need. This way, the danger to Lan Ying and the others will be minimized, and they should still come away with a decent haul. Thank you, Cao Benqi. I'll tell Lie Feng and the others right away. We'll set out in a few days," Kailun said with a laugh, clearly pleased with the plan.
Lan Ying and the others were weak, so they would only hold the team back later on. But if Qin Cang was right, they could still get a share of the Machine Race treasure. After spending tens of thousands of years together, Kailun didn't want to keep the rewards for himself and leave his teammates out.
Three days later, a spacecraft shot out of Barracks Base 001. It was Kailun's Yingyin Ship.
"Hahaha, Cao Benqi, you're a real friend! I thought you wouldn't bring us along. Don't worry, I won't hold you or the captain back. The captain's already told me what's going on. Just tell me what to do, and I'll follow orders!" Kuin said, clapping Qin Cang on the shoulder.
But Qin Cang was nearly ten meters tall, and Kuin only reached his knees. To pat him on the shoulder, Kuin would have to fly up, making for a rather comical sight.
"That's right! You brought us along this time, so I, Lie Feng, won't forget your kindness. Even if we're facing a legendary King-level Expert, if you tell me to fight him, I won't even blink," Lie Feng said, thumping his chest.
"A King-level Expert? What a load of hot air! You can't even beat the captain, and you think you can take on a King-level Expert? He'd kill you with a fart, and you're talking about fighting him? Hahaha..."
"Damn it, Gu Shi! What did you say? You never used to talk like this! I can't beat a King-level Expert, or the captain, but that doesn't mean I can't beat you! Get over here! I'll beat you to a pulp..."
Lan Ying didn't say anything. She just quietly watched the others fool around. Qin Cang and Kailun were enjoying the show, too. Having a group of close friends on the Outer-Region Battlefield was truly rare.
"Captain, we've heard about this place, but never where it is. Can you tell us now?" Lan Ying asked. They knew what they were going to do, and Kailun had mentioned it more than once, but he had kept the location to himself.
Of course, everyone understood why. What if someone let it slip and another person wheedled the location out of them? Especially Lie Feng, who couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life.
Lie Feng: I'm suing you for slander! He's slandering me!
"It's about time I told you. But it's a long story. It was probably around twenty thousand years ago, on my third visit to the Outer-Region Battlefield. I chose to act alone, and since I had a decent way to protect myself, I headed to the Star Sea Region. There, I witnessed an epic battle. I wasn't strong enough to get involved, so I could only watch from a distance."
The Star Sea Region!
Just hearing the name gave Qin Cang a rough idea of the treasure's level. The Star Sea Region was an unusual place. Not far from it lay one of the Third Outer-Region Battlefield's most famous battlefields for King-level Experts—the Ancient Wood Abyss. As a result, many Marquis Level experts chose the Star Sea Region as one of their hunting grounds and used it as a stepping stone on their way to the Ancient Wood Abyss.
Qin Cang had planned to leave the team, train in the Star Sea Region, and then slowly make his way to the Ancient Wood Abyss.
He had never imagined that the Machine Race's legacy would be in the Star Sea Region.
Qin Cang put the thought aside and listened quietly as Kailun continued.
"I stayed far away from the battle. After it ended, I worked up the nerve to go to the center of the battlefield. After quite a bit of effort, I found a Pyramid there. My first thought was to take it back.
"But I had no idea what method it used. The Pyramid seemed to have merged with the sea, and it was slowly sinking deeper into the ocean. What's more, the scanners couldn't detect it at all. It was right there—I could see it and touch it, but the scanners couldn't sense it.
"After checking all kinds of records, I guessed it was a legacy left behind by the Machine Race. It must have been badly wounded after the battle, unable even to return to Barracks Base. In the end, it chose to bury everything it had inside that Pyramid.
"Of course, that's only a guess.
"I couldn't stand having a treasure right in front of me and being unable to get my hands on it. So I left a Divine Power Coordinate there. I went back several times in my spare time, hoping to open it and claim the Machine Race's legacy, but I never succeeded. That's when I came up with the idea of using the Fire God Source Crystal to blast the entrance open.
"The last time I went there was over nine hundred years ago. The Pyramid was still there, and I doubt anyone would have taken it in the meantime. The treasure is probably still inside.
"If we manage to get it, we'll make a fortune. Judging by the aftermath of that battle, I'd say neither side was a King-level Expert, but they came close. They were definitely among the strongest Marquis Level experts."
As Kailun recounted the story, he grew more and more excited, eagerly sharing everything he knew and some of his guesses. Unfortunately, those very guesses had nearly gotten him killed.
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