Having resolved Qin Chuan and Lin Yue's confusions, Mahiya didn't stay much longer and soon took her leave.
Watching her departing figure, Lin Yue softly spoke, "What do you think about her words, how credible are they?"
"Regarding the Heavenly Dome Rank, there shouldn't be a problem," Qin Chuan slowly replied, "After all, we can easily verify that part."
Lin Yue glanced sideways at Qin Chuan, a slight smile in her eyes.
It seemed they were on the same wavelength.
The part about the Heavenly Dome Rank was no issue.
Which meant the rest of it might have problems.
"This isn't the place to talk," Qin Chuan lowered his voice, "Let's first complete the instance strategy requirements, then we can talk more when we get back."
The unsettling grey-black aura that had seeped out from the shattered core of Kasakaban which had been corrupted was now gone, dissipated into the surroundings.
The option to exit the instance lit up again for the two of them.
Qin Chuan, who hadn't used Time Stop during the battle, didn't give that ominous presence, hidden within, a chance to show itself.
But just to be safe, Qin Chuan decided not to use Time Stop during this strategy.
It seemed unnecessary at this point.
A Mythical Rank, Second Realm being killed, it was unlikely that another Second Realm would attempt to descend at this critical juncture.
Although Deliclay had escaped, he could flee the monk but not the temple.
Locked onto by the Third Talent effect of the Sun Needle, Qin Chuan had already spotted him.
Spirit Descent still in place, Qin Chuan, with a powerful flap of his dragon wings, clinched Lin Yue and soared into the sky, chasing straight in the direction of Deliclay.
The strategy for the SSS-rank instance turned out , exceeding Qin Chuan and Lin Yue's expectations, but they weren't entirely without gains.
At the very least, they had gained a better understanding of the Heavenly Dome Rank and the six major clans.
Somewhere in an ordinary, unremarkable lake within the Masiso Territory, Deliclay suppressed his presence to the extreme, sitting cross-legged at the bottom of the lake.
His presence merged with the entire lake, so that even a Mythical Rank passing over the surface wouldn't sense anything amiss.
Furthermore, he would be instantly alerted to any movement at the lakeside.
This was a special stealth technique Deliclay could achieve only with a special item he had obtained earlier, combined with his own power.
Before he had reached Mythical Rank, he had often turned peril into safety using this technique.
He believed this time would be no exception.
Feeling a chill in his heart, Deliclay slowly opened his tightly shut eyes beneath the lake.
He vaguely sensed something, and couldn't hide his shock.
"The Ember Demon God has fallen."
How powerful were those two from the Human Race to defeat a Second Realm Ember Demon God?
Indeed, the material world could bring a home ground advantage, but as a Mythical Rank of the Half-demon Clan, Deliclay was well aware that such an advantage typically only offered the power to fight beyond one's rank.
The Human Race definitely didn't have a Mythical Rank, as that would grant them the qualifications to officially ascend the Heavenly Dome Rank.
So, these humans were merely Legend Rank.
Could the home ground advantage really allow a Legend Rank to defeat a Mythical Rank Second Realm?
No other clan had been able to do this during the strategy of an SSS-rank instance!
Deliclay's deep voice echoed beneath the lake.
As the last clan to arrive in the ten-thousand-year cycle, did they, like the Moon Spirit who was the first to ascend the Heavenly Dome Rank within those millennia, enjoy some privilege?
In that moment, Deliclay thought of many things.
But moments later, his expression suddenly changed.
Two figures suddenly appeared in the water, right before him.
And he hadn't sensed any fluctuations the whole time!
"You…" Feeling the terrifying presence of Qin Chuan and Lin Yue before him, Deliclay's face paled drastically, but after a moment, his hands dropped, "I will return."
Following a swift strike from Qin Chuan, Deliclay fell heavily.
[Congratulations to the player for achieving the instance strategy goal, completing the SSS-rank instance: First Rank of Heavenly Dome, current Dungeon Clearance Rating: SSS]
Unlike previous instances, there were no minimum strategy requirements for an SSS-rank instance, only strategy goals.
Achieving the goal equaled an SSS rating.
[Current Strategy Reward: [Gold] Deliclay's Nether River Spear, [Gold] Demon God Jade, [Gold] Title·Catastrophe]
[Additional Strategy Reward: Today's additional strategy attempts +3, carry over instance items +1 (Multiple players can each only carry one item)]
[Receive Strategy Reward]
"Carry over instance items?"
Qin Chuan's gaze couldn't help but move towards the additional strategy reward.
The additional rewards for successfully completing an SSS-instance with an SSS rating were a bit different than usual.
After a brief ponder, Qin Chuan understood.
Items acquired within the instance could temporarily be stored in the equipment slot, but could not be taken out, except as instance rewards.
With this strategy reward, aside from the rewarded items, Qin Chuan could take one item from within the instance with him.
The reward wouldn't increase with the number of participating players; no matter how many players there were, only one additional item could be taken.
Subconsciously, Qin Chuan glanced at his own equipment slot.
Within it lay a golden item named Life Source Crystal, serenely resting.
He had previously considered how to truly obtain this item.
The original plan was to hide it somewhere known only to himself and Lin Yue, to retrieve later when they truly ascended the Heavenly Dome Rank.
Now, there was a better way.
Qin Chuan promptly received the other three rewards.