Demon Cross Ruins

Ji Xun had been curious about what the outside world was like, but as soon as he emerged, he heard Chu Jiu's voice.

The urgency in the tone already indicated something.

Without any hesitation, he followed and infiltrated the mist.

Thick fog surrounded Ji Xun, and he didn't know where he was. It seemed to be night, and there was no light.

Fortunately, he had fused with the Joker Card earlier, which greatly enhanced his night vision, allowing him to see with little difficulty.

The ground was concrete. Looking at the dark shadows around, it seemed like there were some very tall buildings.

Ji Xun deduced that they were likely within a complex of buildings.

Weeds, cracks, and the shadows of unknown creatures were everywhere, bearing the marks of time and decay, making it look like some ancient city ruins.

Chu Jiu didn't speak, leading the way and moving quickly.

They finally stopped when they reached a platform.

Ji Xun took a look around. It looked like the rooftop of some building. Above them, through the mist, were taller structures, and below were some shorter ones.

Before he could figure out where they were, Chu Jiu suddenly produced a potion and splashed it all over Ji Xun, as if disinfecting him.

Before Ji Xun could understand what was happening, he heard his teammate say, "This is an Odor-Removing Potion."

Chu Jiu knew that with Ji Xun's intelligence, he would definitely figure out the reason, so she didn't offer any further explanation.

As expected, Ji Xun understood the intention immediately upon hearing the name.

The name itself indicated it was a method to prevent tracking.

His teammate was as cautious as ever.

This also confirmed his previous guess: he had broken out of that Alternate Dimension and attracted trouble.

Although there was a small chance that Chu Jiu was after the things he possessed, facing this teammate who had gone through hardship with him was definitely better than dealing with some young master from the Cao Family.

"Hold on tight!"

After using the potion, Chu Jiu suddenly exclaimed.

With time pressing, she didn't bother to explain. She grabbed Ji Xun's tactical vest and leaped off the platform, plunging into the dense, unfathomable fog of the cliff before them.

Although she had already witnessed how smart this guy was, she still had to admit that his physical condition was truly terrible.

If she let him jump on his own, he would probably have died from the fall right then and there.

Even though Ji Xun had guessed they were on the run, the act of jumping off a cliff made his eyelids twitch.

Before he could react, his body was being pulled down rapidly by Chu Jiu.

Yes!

It was a freefall, like bungee jumping.

His soul was still on the platform, but his body was already plummeting towards the abyss, chasing after it.

Chu Jiu shot out a steel cable from her mechanical arm in mid-air. The "hissing" sound of the steel wire stretching filled the air, and then, with a clang, it seemed to hook onto some metal frame.

Ji Xun immediately felt a buffering force pulling him down, and his soul finally caught up.

The cold wind whipped against his face, damp and chilly.

A layer of mist formed on his gas mask. He felt himself being easily swung by the woman, who was half a head shorter than him, like swinging on a swing through the misty buildings.

Although this method was a bit terrifying, the speed of movement was very fast.

After about seven or eight cable launches, they had already traveled a significant distance from the previous buildings.

"Clang."

Ji Xun's feet landed on the ground. He looked closely and saw that they were standing on a massive metal pipe.

The mist was thick, and the pipe was damp. The bottom was still invisible. He could hear the sound of flowing water, estimating the height to be at least twenty to thirty meters.

Chu Jiu didn't look back and continued to lead the way. As she walked, she warned, "Be careful. There are some Mutated Monsters in the water channels below. If you fall, it will be troublesome. Making noise will also alert people."

"Mhm."

The mist was dense, and the moisture on the pipe made it slippery. A misstep could send him falling, so Ji Xun walked cautiously.

At this moment, he finally had a chance to say, "Thank you."

It was clear that his teammate had helped him immensely just now, possibly even saving his life, so a thank you was only appropriate.

Chu Jiu's tone was calm, still maintaining that reluctance to owe a favor: "It's nothing to thank me for. We cooperate for mutual benefit. Without you before, I wouldn't have been able to get out of that Alternate Dimension."

She knew very well that without this guy's incredibly unconventional thinking to break the deadlock, she wouldn't have been able to smoothly exit the dimension and gain such substantial rewards.

Not only were the job change materials beyond expectations, but she had also received an A+ rating when settling the outcome.

It was very difficult to achieve an A+ in an Alternate Dimension of this difficulty.

This allowed her to draw another card that resonated with her.

Therefore, Chu Jiu felt that she owed him this favor.

But precisely because the evaluation was high, she guessed it would cause big trouble.

She knew very well that she herself had received an A+ rating, so her teammate's rating was definitely higher.

An S rating?

Highly probable.

But once someone achieved an S rating in an Alternate Dimension, the entire space would inevitably collapse and disappear.

At that time, big trouble would definitely come her way.

Chu Jiu stayed behind.

As expected, she didn't wait long nearby before Dimension 407 suddenly collapsed.

The Fourth Young Master Cao probably thought they were dead, or perhaps they were just Card Master Apprentices, so he only sent some mercenaries from the Blackwater Mercenaries to guard the place.

Moreover, after the space collapsed, the exit location would also become random.

This also gave Chu Jiu the idea to help out.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly.

Her methods made it too easy to deceive some mercenaries. She used a little trick to make the mist thicker, and before those mercenaries could see clearly what was happening, she had already found them.

Ji Xun listened to her words and said with a smile, not taking it to heart, "Miss Chu Jiu, you are too kind. I wouldn't have been able to get out alive without you."

He paused and then added, "Besides, you saved me again now."

Chu Jiu listened and said no more.

Both of them were smart people, and they didn't need to beat around the bush or be overly polite to each other.

They walked along the pipeline for a while longer. Chu Jiu, who was in front, jumped down and landed on another horizontal pipeline four meters below.

This was probably the kind of height that Transcendent beings could easily jump?

But Ji Xun, this weakling, looked at the height and his eyes twitched slightly.

His mind was not afraid, but his physical condition did not allow it.

He figured that whether he injured his leg by jumping down was one thing, but falling off the pipe and into the mist of unknown depth was the more likely event.

Ji Xun didn't feel embarrassed at all and said with a smile, "Miss Chu Jiu, if I fall, can you catch me?"

"."

Chu Jiu listened and looked up, glancing at him.

The domineering aura he exuded in the Alternate Dimension, where he seemed to control everything, and his current timid demeanor when jumping from a pipe, truly made him seem like two completely different people.

However, seeing him like this seemed to balance certain thoughts in Chu Jiu's mind.

Ji Xun saw that she had tacitly agreed and jumped down directly.

With a "thump" upon landing, his weak body swayed left and right, and as expected, he was about to fall.

The moment he lost his balance, a hand pulled him back.

Ji Xun stood firm and said again, "Thank you."

Chu Jiu didn't respond, but continued, "Once an Alternate Dimension is cleared with an S-level rating, it disappears. This means everyone now knows that the most important treasure inside has fallen into our hands. The Fourth Young Master Cao will definitely not let this go if he discovers that the things in the space have been taken. Moreover, Dimension 407 is already quite famous, and many people in the Demon Cross camp are watching. Before the news spreads, you'd best return to Sinless City as soon as possible. As long as you enter the city, even the Governor's Mansion will have a hard time finding you..."

At this point, Chu Jiu suddenly stopped.

Not everyone had heard of an "Epic Source Card," and she had intended to remind him of its value.

But as she spoke, she felt that her words seemed redundant.

Such an intelligent person couldn't possibly not think of this.

But Ji Xun was stunned when he heard this. Then what?

He could naturally think of threats.

But he knew nothing about this world. "Demon Cross camp," "Sinless City" - he had no clue what was going on.

He had hoped to hear more information from Chu Jiu, but unexpectedly, she stopped talking.

Ji Xun guessed her thoughts, but at this moment, information was clearly more important, so he directly asked, "So, you think, how should I return to Sinless City safely now?"

Although Chu Jiu found it strange in her heart, thinking that this guy shouldn't be asking such a question, she still responded, "In half an hour, the Hunter's Guild's transport train is about to leave the Demon Cross. Now that the news hasn't spread, it should be your best chance to leave."

Ji Xun silently took note.

So there were trains.

If he wanted to leave, the sooner the better.

The eldest young master of the Cao family valued that Epic Source Card so much that even if he knew who took it, he definitely wouldn't publicize it.

Taking advantage of the fact that the news hadn't spread, leaving this ruin was the best option.

Of course, that was assuming he could leave smoothly.

The two walked along the pipeline for more than ten minutes. It was like a super large steel mill, with all sorts of large and small pipelines.

The architectural style of the surrounding buildings was also unique, tall and slender, like towering spires. Similarly, each building had various pipelines and skybridges, giving off a strong steampunk vibe.

If Ji Xun remembered correctly, Chu Jiu had mentioned the name more than once, something like "Demon Cross Ruins."

As they walked, the two of them arrived at a platform, a high vantage point within the ruins, offering a clear and expansive view.

The mist accumulated below the buildings like a sea of clouds.

The two were currently at the waist of the structures, with towering buildings still surrounding them.

Dilapidated, ancient, weathered – the marks of time were everywhere, and the entire city was imbued with a mysterious and ancient charm.

However, what surprised Ji Xun even more was that this was actually an underground city?

He looked up at the sky but saw no stars, only an expanse of darkness.

The entire city's light seemed to come from some cave plants and the faint fluorescence of the building materials themselves.

And then there was the volcano in the distance.

At the edge of his vision stood a tall, active volcano?

Yes, an underground volcano!

Ji Xun suddenly understood, no wonder he'd been smelling sulfur in the air.

The crimson lava flowing from the crater was particularly striking in this dim underground world.

Upon closer inspection, the layout of the buildings throughout the ruins formed a massive "cross shape."

From the high vantage point, it resembled a mystical symbol with some kind of magical effect.

No wonder the ruins were called the "Demon Cross."

Ji Xun marveled inwardly, "What a magnificent underground city. What is going on in this world..."

From the sound of it, such a spectacular city was merely an ancient relic.

The human-inhabited Sinless City was elsewhere.

And not far from his view, a cluster of buildings glowed with fire, bustling with noise – that was likely the "Hunter Camp."

Chu Jiu stopped here and made a gesture as if to say goodbye, "The camp is just ahead. There aren't many mutated monsters around here, so we'll part ways."

"Mhm."

Ji Xun nodded.

Escorting him this far was already very considerate.

He could walk the remaining distance himself.

He had initially thought Chu Jiu had some ulterior motive for helping him, but now he realized he had been overthinking it.

This teammate truly didn't want to owe anyone any favors.

As they parted, Chu Jiu gave one last reminder, "One more thing. From now on, no matter who asks, you'd best not say you met me, or it will bring you endless trouble. Also, don't mention your gains in this alternate dimension to anyone, as that will also cause problems."

Ji Xun naturally understood. "Take care."

Chu Jiu didn't reply and leaped down.

Ji Xun watched as the agile figure disappeared into the thick mist. Without his teammate, the surrounding breeze suddenly felt fraught with danger.

He didn't delay and walked towards the camp.

PS. Please vote~

Thanks to 'Lively After Silence', 'GT Ten Thousand Miles Red', and '20200504145429889' for the tips~