Pillar of Yita

However, Fang Hong was hesitating about how to transport so many spoils of war when the aged voice of Toragotos suddenly echoed in his mind once more. The old dragon’s voice told him that he could designate coordinates to teleport these crossbows out.

However, that voice seemed to be just a magic mark. After Fang Hong asked repeatedly, the other side only replied mechanically, ”And if you don’t have an ideal location in mind, we can also deliver them to a safety deposit box in Cloud Harbor for you.”

Fang Hong hadn’t expected such considerate service and couldn’t help but feel pleasantly surprised for a moment.

Of course, having never been to Fenris before, he could only choose the latter option, which was to let the old dragon transport the crossbows first to a numbered safety deposit box in a warehouse at Cloud Harbor, to be retrieved after they had left this place.

But before teleporting them, he turned back to the people of Silver Weslan and asked, ”By the way, does anyone need these crossbows?”

The equipment of the youth training team from Silver Weslan was uniform top tier, but the Tirio Dragon Crossbow as a specialized top-tier ranged weapon was indeed enviable. Two of their three rangers were clearly tempted, just hesitant to say so given the face of the leading guild.

After all, their previous cooperation agreement clearly stated that aside from the Obelisk on the thirteenth floor, all spoils of war belonged to Fang Hong.

Fang Hong noticed their discipline and couldn’t help but be surprised by Silver Weslan’s orderliness, which was starkly different from the Jiefulite Red Cloak Team and Silver Forest Spear. He felt a sense of goodwill and said, ”One each. It wouldn’t be right for us to keep everything for ourselves, especially since we don’t know if we’ll even reach the thirteenth floor!”

Only then did the two rangers cast aside their pretenses and took away a heavy crossbow each, with some surprise.

This small episode of goodwill naturally eased the wariness of the people from Silver Weslan, and they responded quickly—after inspecting the sealed gateway, they specially sent someone to inform him.

We can’t go down to the eighth floor for now—

Fang Hong was momentarily stunned to hear this, but then he understood. Toragotos had arranged things so meticulously, he wouldn’t allow a team to get too far ahead on this level; otherwise, other teams knowing they could not win any rewards would certainly choose to turn back on the seventh floor.

Indeed, after he and the people from Silver Weslan checked the gateway, they discovered a timer in the form of an hourglass above it. The sand was slowly falling through, and judging from the speed of the sand, it appeared to have started timing from the moment they defeated the lord of this level.

Everyone took out their pocket watches to compare, concluding that at least four to five more hours were needed before the hourglass ran out.

This was probably the limit set by the old dragon. In four to five hours, Rain Listener and the Jiefulite Red Cloak Team would arrive at this level’s endpoint, if not reach it. Truly cunning and shrewd, Fang Hong thought to himself once more.

However, since they were the ’sponsors’, to get the generous rewards offered by the old dragon, they undoubtedly had to follow the rules set by the other party.

And with these four to five hours, both parties unanimously decided to stop and rest, which you could say was a form of waiting at ease.

Yet judging by the time, Fang Hong realized they had been in these ruins for almost a day, constantly fighting fiercely without a moment’s rest, without a grain of rice entering their stomachs, let alone rest—of course, the Papalarians were excluded. Upon reflection, they indeed needed to stop and rest.

After setting up camp in the dark, Fang Hong took out some carefully prepared rations from Elf Miss from his backpack. He began nibbling while admiring the Black Holy City.

This Holy City had been asleep in the dark underground since the last era. Through thousands of years and three generations of Xinsas, it was likely built during the mid-second generation, with remnants of walls boasting the weighty style unique to that era.

And these silent buildings, without uttering a word, throughout the long river of history, had seen countless groups of adventurers pass through again and again. But whether they ever heard these ancient ruins silently narrate their past—what kind of darkness lies beneath the Dragon’s Nest?

After spending time in the dark environment, Fang Hong had gradually become accustomed to seeing in the dim light. A glance could even reveal a solitary tower standing in the abyss far away—perhaps a Holy Sanctuary, or merely part of a surviving Obelisk.

He watched intently and was about to stand when he saw the mountain girl standing alone in front of the gateway, looking up at what was to her as imposing as a gateway for giants.

Fang Hong recognized her as the companion of Princess Vislan, the Companion Star Knight. But the other party had always been silent and aloof, like a wooden puppet, except for showing some hostility toward him. He couldn’t help but be curious about what she was looking at.

He walked up behind her, but Xi had obviously noticed his approach long ago. Her ears twitched gently, yet she didn’t turn around, continuing to stare motionlessly at the massive gateway as if he didn’t exist.

Fang Hong looked puzzled and followed her gaze up to the gate—

The giant gateway maintained the consistent style of Xinsas, only that the carvings and patterns from the past on the door had long faded and fallen off. The painted murals on it were the same as those he had seen in the secret passage in Saint Peru.