The sandstorm raged in the wind, faintly revealing the sharp edges of desolate mountains, resembling the horns of demons.
Fleeting and indistinct.
Two heavy transport trucks drove side by side, piercing through the sandstorm.
"According to the original plan, we're supposed to head east to rendezvous with the other teams, then proceed another five kilometers to cross a canyon and reach an ancient ruin of the Ancient God Clan covered in ice and snow. The entire journey will take seven hours."
Chen Qing, perfectly playing the role of a seasoned driver, said, "Now it'll take us about twelve hours."
The longer you stayed in unexplored territory within the Ancient God Realm, the more dangerous it would become.
"Is it really dangerous?"
Lu Zijin turned her head, looking at the young man behind her.
Gu Jianlin simply responded with a hum.
To be cautious, he meditated in his mind for a moment before opening his eyes again.
At the same time, the compartment now included a middle-aged man with handsome features and a perpetual lighthearted grin, seemingly in his forties. However, his demeanor was far more kind and approachable, with an evident penchant for smiling.
Gu Ci'an once again briefly resurrected in his mind.
This time, it was still a hallucination pieced together using the imagery of a personality construct.
Suddenly, Lin Wanqiu spoke in a low voice, "If we really encounter danger, all we need to do is reach that ruin. The ruin shrouded in the snowstorm doesn't remain there twenty-four hours a day. You can only enter it during specific times. If you don't time it right, charging into the storm will reveal nothing. Isn't that quite magical? That city is called Balensa."
Gu Jianlin was momentarily stunned, and even the manifested Old Gu showed a look of surprise and admiration.
This version of Old Gu lacked comprehensive knowledge, but based on bits and pieces of hints, he could deduce the authenticity of the information.
"Balensa City is a transliteration from an ancient human tribal language, which translates to 'the City of Eternal Sleep.' According to legend, the Qilin Venerable once sealed sinners guilty of heinous crimes there, freezing their lives."
Lin Wanqiu whispered to the boy's ear, "It's a bit like a prison."
Gu Jianlin, now intrigued, didn't feel drowsy anymore and tacitly allowed the woman to remain close. "A prison?"
Lin Wanqiu nodded, "It's a staple of the Ancient God Clan's cultural customs. You'll understand when you see it. That place is peculiar, but it's not fundamentally too dangerous. Those same-clan beings buried there should be Ancestor-level Ancient Gods. After countless years of being sealed, they no longer pose much of a threat."
Gu Jianlin showed a flicker of understanding. "And you claim you're not a Cheater?"
Lin Wanqiu feigned an innocent look. "I really am not!"
She had finally grasped the knack for conversing with this young man.
What she shared had to be valuable.
Like earlier when she leaned in close, yet didn't end up having a gun aimed at her head.
Lu Zijin snorted internally. If it were that little girl instead, your head would've been chopped off by now!
Poor Moon Princess, why does she have so many competitors?
"What's taking so long? Where are the enemies?"
Ji Xiaoyu looked around restlessly.
The other transport truck followed closely behind them.
Lu Qingqing, as the captain, was not only dealing with her team members each doing their own thing but had also inexplicably been reprimanded by her sister earlier. It was impossible for her not to feel irritable as she kept glancing at the other truck.
Zhou Yiming remained silent, also staring at it.
The former gripped the twin dark-red pistols at his waist.
The latter had one hand resting on the Sword Box.
"If anything happens later, prioritize protecting Minister Lu."
Both of them harbored extreme distrust for that young man.
Amid the pervasive sandstorm, a transport truck with a blown tire became faintly visible up ahead.
The headlights flashed, signaling!
"Are they one of ours?"
Lu Qingqing squinted. She accurately identified it as a distress signal from the Sixth Squad.
"What are they doing here?"
Zhou Yiming instinctively sensed something was off. "Have the others stay back. Let's go check it out."
Lu Qingqing nodded and turned to address the two Guardians of the Lu Family. "You two stay and protect Minister Lu."
Even amidst internal conflicts, they had to be the first to rise to the occasion in a dangerous situation.
As for Minister Lu's safety, it wasn't a concern.
Judging by her calm demeanor, she probably still had some cards up her sleeve.
If she didn't, she'd simply be a normal person.
With Gu Jianlin's skills, he could kill her in less than a second before anyone could react.
If he wanted to kill, he would've done it long ago.
Two Fourth-Rank Omega fighters were the first to disembark, walking leisurely toward the transport truck.
"Hey, hey! Brothers! Sisters! It's me, Barton!"
A burly white man from North America stepped out wearing a short-sleeved camouflage outfit, with poker-faced sunglasses masking his expression. Laughing boisterously, he said, "Why are you guys coming from over there? I was just about to fix the truck and head to find you!"
He appeared to be one of the Omega Guardians, someone on the Ancient Martial path known as the Mad King, previously a Captain-level fighter.
Lu Qingqing used her Eagle Eye skill to scan, spotting five heavily armed individuals in the sandstorm. "You're down some members."
Zhou Yiming shouted, "Report your situation!"
"We ran into an ambush by the You Ying Group along the way, and we've been separated from our Omega-fighter."
Barton walked closer, speaking in frustration, "We're heading east to regroup with them. Can you give us a lift?"
Lu Qingqing pondered for a moment and then prepared to retrieve alchemy equipment from her backpack to verify identities.
"We need you to drop your weapons!"