202: entrance to the ruins

In a vast, empty expanse of starry sky.

"Boss, how many points do you have now?"

"123,932."

The Blood Shadow Captain glanced at his bracelet, and a faint smile couldn't help but appear on his cold face:

"Exceeding 50,000 points and ranking in the top two allows for direct promotion to Sect Holy Son. My points are already enough. I'll give all the points from this mission to you. Once we return and kill Ghost Hand, both positions will belong to our Blood Shadow."

"All of you will also be able to join the core."

"That's great!"

Hearing this, the expressions of the other team members brightened with joy.

Two Holy Sons and seven core members—such a lineup would be enough to draw attention even in the vast Xuanjian Sect.

"We're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! Thanks to the Captain's unparalleled combat power and the Strategist's brilliant planning, our Blood Shadow can become the biggest winner."

"Don't get ahead of yourselves. Some of these high-level worlds that left behind ruins are even more powerful than the Xuanjian Sect. Even the beast tide and powerhouses like the Lord Guardian were killed; we can't afford to be careless."

The Song youth wasn't overly excited; he just surveyed the starry sky and said indifferently:

"Let's talk after we finish this mission."

"Strategist, you're just too cautious."

The brawny man in the team shook his head in disagreement. "The reincarnation mirror won't issue a suicidal mission. With the Boss's brawn and your brains, what is there to fear?"

Despite saying that, he still took out a sword talisman and gripped it carefully in his hand.

After traveling another twenty million kilometers, the group came to a halt.

"The location reported by the mission is right around here, but..."

The Blood Shadow Captain looked around; it was still just an empty expanse of stars, with only the occasional stray meteorite streaking past. He immediately frowned:

"It doesn't look like there are any ruins here at all."

"Strategist?"

The others looked around for a while and also found nothing, so they all turned their gaze toward the Thin Youth.

"Don't look at me... I haven't figured it out either."

The Thin Youth waved his hand.

"Then what do we do?"

"Wait."

The Thin Youth suddenly looked up at the meteorites streaking through the starry sky.

"Since the location is correct, the method to open the ruins must be hidden here. The only variables in this entire starry sky are these passing meteorites; it's ninety percent likely related to them. We just haven't discovered the pattern yet."

"Makes sense..."

"As expected of our Blood Shadow's Strategist."

Hearing this, the group immediately began staring at the meteorites.

Half an hour... one hour... three hours... "This... besides being somewhat magnificent, there's nothing special about it."

After a full six hours, one member couldn't help but say dejectedly.

"No, the fact that there's nothing special is what's special."

The Thin Youth took out a recording talisman and repeatedly played the footage captured within.

"Every time a meteorite streaks past, although the size, direction, and trajectory are different, the color of the flame tail it drags behind is completely identical."

"Maybe it's a coincidence? Even if it's not... what does that represent?"

A woman in a jade-green dress closed her eyes and reached up to touch her forehead.

But she soon shook her head. "I didn't sense any information."

"Normal. If my guess is correct, this should be a technological-type ruin."

The Thin Youth said hesitantly:

"I suspect it's related to those color bands. During the twenty-seventh reincarnation trial, it was also a technological world, and I learned some related things there."

"Perhaps if we measure the wavelength, frequency, or even brightness of these different colored light waves, we'll find something."

"Then what are we waiting for? Strategist, give it a try."

The others urged.

"That's the problem..."

The Thin Youth gave a bitter smile. "My understanding of these technological things is limited to a bit of theory. As for the specifics, I'm completely clueless."

"Huh? Then what should we do? Damn it, can't we just get a mission where we fight it out with real blades and spears?"

Several team members shook their fists in frustration.

"The protection target of the previous mission, that native named Zhang Huaiyuan, could create technological weapons capable of harming us. His level in this field shouldn't be weak. Perhaps..."

The Thin Youth hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"No way!"

But before he could finish, one of the members immediately retorted, "How can we rely on a native? That's too embarrassing."

"Exactly... and who knows if these natives will take the opportunity to play tricks and sabotage us."

"I think it's fine; it's better than being helpless like this."

Everyone immediately broke into a flurry of discussion, each sticking to their own opinion.

"Alright, stop arguing. I have a way."

At this point, the man leading them interrupted with a frown.

"The Reincarnation Mirror Spirit just took the initiative to communicate with me, saying it can help calculate the location of the ruins' entrance for 30,000 points."

"30,000 points! That much..."

"It doesn't matter. Even after deducting those 30,000, I'm still far in the lead. The mission is what's important."

The Blood Shadow Captain waved his hand and began communicating with the consciousness inside the bracelet.

A moment later, the bracelet projected infinite light and shadows, calculating complex equations.

Numbers moved and arranged themselves rapidly, gradually reorganizing into seven three-dimensional world coordinates, marked in the starry sky and manifesting in different colors.

"Eh? Why are there seven coordinates? Are they all entrances?"

One of them noticed that one of the marked locations was right nearby, faintly shimmering with blue light, and curiously moved a bit closer.

The next moment, the blue light spread; the protective talisman seal shattered instantly, and the person was vaporized.

He didn't even have time to let out a scream.

"Old Third!"

"Third Brother!"

The pupils of the Blood Shadow members constricted sharply as they all roared out.

"Damn it, why did this happen? Didn't the Reincarnation Mirror Spirit say it would help crack it?"

The Blood Shadow Captain's face was grim. He fiercely threw a punch of energy toward the blue light's position, but it was completely dissolved before it even got close.

"It seems these different colored coordinates have some kind of order. If you take a wrong step, you'll die instantly."

The Thin Youth's face was equally unsightly.

They had survived the entire trial without a single death, only to have things go wrong here.

"Are these cultivation-side guys' IQs really this low? I even analyzed the spectrum for them; don't they know that the colors making up light go from red to violet from the outside in?"

On the other side, Asroth, who was monitoring the area, was also momentarily stunned.

"Whatever... I still need them to continue exploring. I'll just bluff them for now."

Thinking this, Asroth used the authority given by the Statue of Liberty to quietly send a mission message:

"Due to a system error, one trial taker has died; they will be resurrected upon return and given compensation. The correct entry route has been marked. Please complete the exploration mission as soon as possible."

...