16
"All squads, attention! Taking me as the center, deploy the exploration formation!"
"First and Second Squads, take charge of the left flank area and remain vigilant!"
"Chu He, Mo Hen, the two of you lead an elite squad each and directly push deep into the depths to search for the traces of high-tier monsters!"
Qin Ming and Jasmine spoke at the same time, issuing orders at the fastest speed.
They were already thoroughly familiar with the combat procedures in this kind of environment.
However, just as the army of thousands was about to disperse like flowing mercury and blend into this endless fog, a calm voice stopped them.
"Do not be impatient."
Zhou Huai, who had followed along, spoke.
Merely four words, yet they caused all the members who were preparing to move to freeze in place.
Qin Ming, Jasmine, and the others were all startled, turning their heads in some puzzlement to look at their lord.
"Lord, what is this...?" Qin Ming asked doubtfully.
In past ruins explorations, the lord had always stayed in the rear to devise strategies, rarely personally intervening in their specific actions.
Furthermore, at a time like this where every second counts, why suddenly call a halt?
Zhou Huai did not explain, only smiling in the face of everyone's puzzled gazes.
Afterward, under the gaze of thousands of eyes, he reached out and fished something out from the pocket of his black trench coat.
That was a sphere of light about the size of a fist, completely round, emitting a soft white light.
The surface of the light sphere flowed with profound golden patterns, and just looking at it gave one a wondrous feeling of peace of mind, as if bathing in a spring breeze.
What is this?
Everyone was stunned.
"Lord, could this be a large-range illumination item?" Jasmine guessed, though she herself felt this idea was somewhat ridiculous.
With the lord's methods, how could he possibly pull out such an impractical and flashy thing.
Zhou Huai did not answer, merely gently pinching that light sphere with his thumb and index finger.
Then, in front of everyone, he exerted a slight force.
"Crack—"
A crisp sound of shattering glass abruptly rang out in the silent fog.
The light sphere shattered at the sound!
At the very instant it shattered, a vast aura originating from the birth of heaven and earth and the origin of all things rushed forth from those broken specks of light!
This aura was not violent, yet it was incomparably grand and infinitely majestic!
Before it, whether it was the S-Rank Expert Chu He or all the Classer present, they all felt themselves to be incomparably insignificant!
"This... This is?!" Qin Ming lost all color from shock, his body uncontrollably taking half a step back, his soul trembling beneath that aura.
Before everyone could react from this terrifying coercion, an even more incredible scene occurred.
One could see that within the shattered light sphere, wisps of ethereal blue smoke were actually rising.
The blue smoke slowly gathered and solidified in midair, ultimately... actually outlining the phantom of an old man with an immortal, otherworldly demeanor!
That old man wore a plain gray Daoist robe, his hair and beard were completely white, his features were ancient and simple, and a pair of eyes contained the supreme principles of the birth and destruction of the Universe's stars.
"Hiss—!"
Within the formations of the Evernight Guild, a succession of gasping sounds erupted.
Just as everyone's minds were shaken to the core, Zhou Huai's voice rang out, unlocking their doubts.
"Let me introduce him, Great Sage Li Er."
Li Er's true body at this moment was not in Donghai City.
This was a brand-new skill he comprehended when he advanced to level ten.
【Manifestation Before Mortals】!
As long as Zhou Huai was willing, he could crush a Merit light sphere he had prepared in advance anytime and anywhere, projecting the phantom of Great Sage Li Er at any location.
Although this phantom did not have any offensive power, it possessed an immensely heaven-defying ability.
That was, it could similarly use 【Words Become Law】 once!
The summoned phantom of Li Er did not utter a single word of nonsense, and did not even look at the surrounding Evernight Guild members who looked as if they had seen a ghost.
That pair of eyes containing the supreme principles of heaven and earth merely calmly swept across the surrounding gray fog that was so dense it could not be dissolved.
Afterward, he slowly raised his hand, facing the thick fog that enveloped the entire ruins and had not dispersed for tens of millions of years, and gently... waved his sleeve.
An ancient, indifferent word that nonetheless contained the supreme Law between heaven and earth was gently spat out from his mouth.
"Disperse."
This voice was an oracle from above the Nine Heavens, reverberating deep within everyone's soul!
The instant the words fell!
A sudden drastic change occurred!
That originally incomparably viscous gray mist, as if encountering its natural predator, began to frantically retreat and dissolve at a terrifying speed visible to the naked eye!
That was not a slow fading, but rather being crudely wiped away by an invisible giant hand!
The Law of this heaven and earth was forcibly rewritten!
Once the word "disperse" was spoken, this place would no longer allow the existence of fog!
Whoosh—!
Fierce winds suddenly rose!
In the span of just a few seconds, the dense fog around everyone that was enough to make an S-Rank Expert lose their direction had completely dissipated, exposing the land filled with broken walls and ruins within a radius of several hundred meters!
And this was merely a beginning!
The invisible dispelling force was still spreading wildly in all directions of the ruins with an unstoppable momentum!
One kilometer...
Five kilometers...
Ten kilometers...
All members of the Evernight Guild stood blankly in place, their heads tilted back, their mouths wide open, looking at this scene that could be called a divine miracle before their eyes.
They watched helplessly as the gray firmament that used to make them walk on thin ice and face crises at every turn was forcefully torn open with a huge, incomparable opening by matchless mighty power!
Sunlight, or some unknown light source, spilled down from above the dispersed fog, illuminating this ancient ruins that had been shrouded in darkness and dampness for tens of millions of years until it was completely transparent!
The whole world suddenly became bright and clear!
Li Er's phantom waved a gentle breeze, and the thick fog shrouding this place was erased by the power of the Law.
Silence.
Silence lasting over a dozen seconds.
Thousands of fully armed elites of the Evernight Guild froze in place. They kept their mouths wide open, looking at the scene before them.
"Gulp..."
Not knowing who it was, someone swallowed a mouthful of saliva in this silence.
"Lord... This... This is the means of a deity!"
"Stop fucking staring in a daze!"
Qin Ming was the first to snap back to his senses, drawing the battle saber at his waist, pointing the blade directly at the ancient ruins ahead, and roaring.
"The lord has already leveled the greatest obstacle for us! The path has even been paved for you all. If you still can't dig out the Mortal Demon Source Stone from this, you might as well slit your own throats to apologize!"
"First and Second Regiments! Immediately charge in a fan shape!"
"Third and Fourth Regiments! Follow closely behind Lord Chu He and Lord Mo Hen! When encountering high-tier monsters, do not clash head-on; prioritize kiting and pulling!"
"All armies listen up—turn this ruins upside down for me! Move out!"
"Kill—!!!"
Accompanied by war cries, thousands of elites of the Evernight Guild poured into those ancient broken walls and ruins.