197: Tower of Ascension

"Where is he!?" Chu Yuan also looked toward Dikin;

He had only sensed a faint spatial fluctuation before Kun Mo's body was sucked into that door... but what on earth was that thing?

Since Kun Mo possessed such a trump card, why didn't he use it sooner?

Did he have to wait until he was beaten half to death to use it? Did he have some strange fetish?

"The Ascension Tower..." Dikin looked toward the direction where the bright light had risen, his expression extremely ugly;

He couldn't help but reflect: had he really made a mistake?

Helping Chu Yuan, and even stopping Feng Zhao from summoning Great Qin experts, was simply to ensure the Desolate Demon Secret Realm wasn't targeted by Great Qin; the secondary reason was to ease relations with the Zhenwu Bureau;

But the current situation seemed even worse than an Eighth Realm expert entering the Desolate Demon Secret Realm... but this was the guidance of the great sovereign. How could the sovereign's guidance be wrong?

Furthermore, Kun Mo was a piece of work!

Clearly the one beating you was Chu Yuan, so why take it out on me? At most, I only helped a little bit... Chu Yuan asked again, "What the hell is the Ascension Tower?"

"..." Dikin didn't answer him again, his figure vanishing once more into an afterimage... Chu Yuan released his Divine Sense, but indeed could not find any trace of Dikin or Kun Mo within its range;

He activated the Niyuan Qianshen Technique again, and the feedback from the technique pointed entirely toward that distant bright light... After thinking for a moment, he decided to regroup with Feng Zhao first.

Feng Zhao hadn't run far; when Chu Yuan found him, he was holding Sun Meng's hand and listening to her speak;

He didn't even look up at that unusual bright light... At this moment, Sun Meng's body was like broken porcelain, covered in cracks of all sizes;

It gave the impression that she would fall apart with the slightest movement... "Cough, cough... where's the Alien?" Sun Meng saw Chu Yuan and asked, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz;

"Kun Mo fled..." Chu Yuan replied;

Sun Meng's outburst had been extremely short, but it was also very effective.

After Kun Mo devoured his kin, she had fallen into a state of impending death... however, Kun Mo naturally couldn't be bothered with her;

As for the other enemies, whether they were anomalies or Desolate Demons, their primary target was Chu Yuan, allowing her to miraculously survive the chaotic battle... "He fled, huh..." A hint of unwillingness was revealed in Sun Meng's tone;

Then she seemed to say disdainfully, "These Aliens... never have the courage to burn their bridges..."

Both Chu Yuan and Feng Zhao fell silent;

It was indeed true. If Kun Mo had been determined from the start, with their lineup, they might have actually succeeded... but clearly, they hadn't come with the intention of a mutual sacrifice.

It wasn't that every Alien was afraid of death, nor was it that every Great Qin citizen was unafraid;

But it was a fact that Great Qin Martial Artists, when faced with a desperate situation, would adopt a style of dragging the enemy down with them rather than considering a tiny hope of escape.

After all, the time since the resurgence of the Martial Dao was too short, and the ferocity passed down from the Early Stage of the Martial Dao had not yet dissipated;

In precarious situations, no one would consider the future... whereas the Nightmare Insect Clan had a long history and believed that as long as they lived, they could create greater value... "Chu Yuan..." Sun Meng spoke again, with a hint of hesitation, "I..."

Chu Yuan cut her off, saying in a heavy voice, "The Nightmare Insect Clan plotted to assassinate an Inspector and destroyed the Western Continent Zhenwu Bureau outpost;

Sun Meng, Guo Ming, and Li Wei, the three Commanders, all died fighting valiantly against the Aliens, achieving great merit!

Your families... as long as they spit out what they shouldn't have taken, they will receive amnesty!"

A forced smile appeared on Sun Meng's face as she slowly spoke, "Not good... that's not good... if we're dead and the Zhenwu Bureau forces them to spit out the benefits... they'll feel that once the person is gone, the tea gets cold, which would damage the Zhenwu Bureau's... reputation..."

Feng Zhao spoke softly, "Don't worry, I'll handle it."

"I... believe you... Chu Yuan... is too young... just a little kid..." The cracks on Sun Meng's body increased, looking hideous and terrifying;

Chu Yuan said nothing;

Feng Zhao continued to ask, "Do you have anything else to say?"

"Feng Zhao... it's a good thing you're... an orphan..."

Feng Zhao smiled, "Go ahead and curse me, I won't hold it against you."

"Li Wei... cursed you all day... for being fake-noble, a fool... even your own team members... weren't on the same page as you!

But when I say this... I'm not cursing you... do you understand?"

Feng Zhao nodded, "I understand. You guys valued sentiment too much; sometimes you couldn't help yourselves;

On the Outer Heaven Battlefield, any situation can be solved with force;

But you couldn't use force against your own families.

Actually, for us, besides specific Martial Dao resources, everything else is meaningless..."

Sun Meng seemed very happy, "Exactly... you really do understand;

Apologize... to teacher... for me;

I failed... his... expectations..."

Her voice grew lower and lower until it vanished;

The hand Feng Zhao was holding began to shed dust-like powder.

He gently laid her hand down and used energy to dig a pit nearby;

He then used his blade to carve several stone slabs, fitting them together into a crude coffin, placed Sun Meng's body inside, and buried her... There was no headstone, only a small earthen mound;

Feng Zhao looked around, then picked a few flowers to stick in front of the mound.

"Bow your head."

"Mm..."

..."Let's go." Feng Zhao looked up at that distant 'blazing sun';

"Did you have a prior relationship with them?"

"Are there many Seventh Realm Martial Artists in Great Qin?"

"..." Chu Yuan sighed, not knowing what to say;

Feng Zhao said, "Don't overthink it, this is already the best outcome;

You are indeed still young... actually, they are very grateful to have this chance for sacrifice."

Except for the Ninth Realm, the sacrifice of no Martial Artist is intolerable;

If a bottom line is crossed, even an expert at the Legion Commander level will be judged... Chu Yuan nodded and changed the subject, "Kun Mo fled to the Ascension Tower, and Dikin chased after him... what is the Ascension Tower?"

Feng Zhao pointed toward that distant 'blazing sun';

"That is the Ascension Tower."

"...I know that, but it wasn't mentioned in the information I received about the Desolate Demon Secret Realm before accepting the mission."

"The information wasn't updated... this secret only started circulating in recent years."

"Not updated?"

Feng Zhao glanced at Chu Yuan and said vaguely, "It was originally a matter of rumors, and it's said that the benefits are too great..."

"..." Chu Yuan understood instantly. In other words, the four Commanders of the Western Continent had a tacit agreement to suppress this news?

"What exactly are the benefits?"

"I've only heard... that if the ritual is completed, a Seventh Realm Martial Artist can directly advance to the Eighth Realm."

Chu Yuan frowned, feeling something was off;

If it were that simple, wouldn't Kun Mo and Dikin have brought it out long ago? Why wait until they had no other choice?

"And if the ritual isn't completed?"

"They will be transformed into Desolate Demons..."