“Counting them up, there are five teams here now, aren’t there? I’m the only one who came alone; the others all arrived as groups,” Lin Yun remarked with a sigh.
Sticking with Yu Ying’s team could indeed spare him some trouble. If it were just Lin Yun by himself, he’d stand out too much and might easily be seen as an easy target.
Though Lin Yun wasn’t afraid of threats, avoiding unnecessary hassles was always a good thing.
“But so far, it’s strange that no beasts from the Endless Sea have shown up here,” Lin Yun murmured.
Before setting out, Emperor Huoyun had said that this training mission would involve not only powerful human factions but also major threats from the races of the Endless Sea.
Yet up to this point, nothing unusual had happened around this island.
When things seem off, there’s usually trouble brewing.
Lin Yun felt a growing sense of unease in his heart.
“What’s so strange about that? We haven’t gone deep into the Endless Sea, after all. The most powerful races in the Endless Sea are too far from here. They might not even know about the Great Kun Clan ruins. As for the races closer to this area, they’re not that strong. Would they dare come onto the island and compete with dozens of human Tribulation Realm cultivators? Right now, there are at least a few dozen Tribulation Realm cultivators here. The island is land, where we humans have the advantage. Those sea races would only lose their edge on land,” the handsome man said, acting as if he knew everything.
“Arrogant and foolish,” Lin Yun said, shaking his head with a cold laugh.
“You…” The handsome man’s expression shifted.
“Kid, take a look around. Are there any sea beasts showing up? The facts are the best proof!” the handsome man retorted.
…
Deep underwater, not far from the island.
The Demon Shark Clan of the Endless Sea had gathered their top experts here.
“Those damned humans have actually come. This is our Endless Sea territory! They clearly don’t take us seriously,” one elder said viciously.
“We can’t underestimate these humans. Most of the ones who’ve come are Tribulation Realm cultivators. There are probably no fewer than thirty Tribulation Realm cultivators on that island,” said the Demon Shark Clan’s leader.
“Our Demon Shark Clan isn’t to be trifled with either. Though these humans have brought plenty of Tribulation Realm cultivators, they won’t be able to work together seamlessly. This time, our Demon Shark Clan will muster the full strength of our clan—we’ll devour this juicy prize!” said the Demon Shark Clan’s Grand Elder.
“Clan Leader, when do we move?” asked one of the Demon Shark Clan elders.
“No rush. We’ll keep hiding here quietly for now. The situation inside the ruins is unclear. The Great Kun Clan must have set up layers of dangers to protect their treasure against treasure hunters. Let these humans scout the way first. Once they come out, we’ll strike and reap the rewards,” the Demon Shark Clan leader said.
“The Clan Leader’s plan makes sense!” The Demon Shark Clan’s experts all nodded in agreement.
…
On the island.
At that moment, another flying boat landed.
Lin Yun wasn’t surprised by this, as several groups had already arrived on the island.
Though he didn’t know which faction this new arrival belonged to.
One thing was certain: any team daring to enter the Endless Sea wouldn’t be weak!
At the very least, they’d have Tribulation Realm cultivators in their ranks. Without Tribulation Realm strength, no one would dare venture here.
As the flying boat touched down, seven figures leapt out.
“It’s the Baili Clan—they’ve come too.”
The Sky Dome Clan members’ expressions shifted slightly upon seeing the team that had just arrived from the flying boat.
“Yu Ying, your clan seems to have a strong reaction. Does this new team have some grudge with the Sky Dome Clan?” Lin Yun asked.
“Yes, the Baili Clan is a faction from the Tianqian Empire with an Immortal in their ranks. They’ve long been at odds with the Sky Dome Clan,” Yu Ying explained.
Lin Yun nodded in realisation. No wonder the Sky Dome Clan members reacted so strongly.
“So it’s the Sky Dome Clan. You’re here too? What a coincidence!” The leading elder of the Baili Clan greeted the Sky Dome Clan members with a smile.
But such a greeting was clearly like a weasel wishing a chicken well.
“Quite a coincidence indeed,” the Fourth Elder of the Sky Dome Clan replied with a cold laugh.
“Fourth Elder, if we run into each other in the Great Kun ruins later, you’d better watch yourself, haha,” the leading elder of the Baili Clan said with a laugh.
“Your Baili Clan should be the ones watching out,” the Fourth Elder of the Sky Dome Clan replied coldly.
After that, neither side spoke further, though both remained wary of each other.
Time passed steadily as everyone waited on the island.
This wait lasted a full two days.
In those two days, two more teams arrived, and then no further teams showed up.
In total, there were eight human teams on the island, hailing either from the Huoyun Empire or the Tianqian Empire.
As for the other two empires, no teams came—likely due to their distance.
These eight teams ranged from five to eight members each, with varying strengths. Some teams were mostly Tribulation Realm cultivators with just a few Mahayana Realm members, while others had only one or two Tribulation Realm leaders, with the rest being Mahayana Realm.
Two days later, at noon, the sun shone brightly.
Lin Yun sat on a stone slab, resting with his eyes closed as he waited.
Just then, the entire island suddenly trembled.
With this commotion, all the teams on the island snapped to attention.
“The disturbance is coming from that direction!”
“Baili Clan members, follow me!”
“Mu Clan, heed my orders—move out quickly!”
…
The teams on the island swiftly rushed toward the source of the disturbance.
“Let’s go too!”
The Fourth Elder leading the Sky Dome Clan gave the order and charged forward.
The others present quickly followed!
“Brother Yun, let’s go!”
Yu Ying said, then rushed out alongside Lin Yun.
Following the disturbance, everyone arrived at the southern end of the island, where a massive gate had appeared.
“This must be the entrance to the Great Kun Clan ruins—charge!”
The various teams raced to rush inside.
Lin Yun, sticking with the Sky Dome Clan’s team, dashed through the ruins’ entrance as well.
After entering, they found a long passageway extending downward underground.
The group followed the passage, heading deeper!
After descending about a few thousand metres along the passage, a vast underground palace came into view.
The underground palace, weathered by time, looked dilapidated.
All the teams had now gathered in the massive plaza outside this underground palace.
“Everyone, stay cautious. The danger level here isn’t low. Besides watching out for the risks within the ruins, keep an eye on the threats from other teams—especially the Baili Clan. Be wary of them pulling any tricks in the shadows,” said the Third Elder of the Sky Dome Clan.
“Yes!”
The Sky Dome Clan members all nodded, visibly tense and on edge.
