The Ninth Ruins.
The edge of the Santos Branching Ridge. Once one walked past the Ninth Ruins, one would return to the main ridge, the Herrocky Mountain Ridge.
The mountain ridge was flat and there was a big plain at the foot of the mountain. On the plain at the foot of the mountain were two safety zones that were less than a hundred kilometers apart.
Was it because of this that the ruins appeared?
Tang Ling stared at the Ninth Ruins. Even though he was mentally prepared, his heart was still filled with shock and all sorts of complicated emotions.
What were ruins?
As the name suggested, they were the traces left behind by the old civilization.
Those that were considered ruins in the Purple Moon era were the relatively well-preserved towns and cities of the old civilization.
There were only two situations in which a treasure could remain intact under the corrosion of time.
Firstly, due to the movement of the earth, the whole ruins were buried underground.
Secondly, there was a Universal Source Rock at the bottom of the ruins. With the endless energy from the Universal Source Rock, everything remained the same.
The Universal Source Rock was magical and all the ruins with the Universal Source Rock were occupied by the major factions.
For example, out of the top ten ruins in this world, six of them were occupied by the major factions.
The remaining four were the most dangerous places in this world.
Three of them were turned into zombie cities and the last one was turned into a nest of kungfu rats.
It was not that people did not want to take them back, but even the major factions dared not act recklessly.
It was said that the three zombie cities had evolved into Level 8 Corpse Emperors and there were even Level 9 Corpse Emperors.
As for the Kungfu Rat City, none of the factions dared to lay their hands on it.
Just think about it. Under the command of the insect king, the mutated insects covered the sky and the earth. Under the leadership of the Level 6 vicious beast, the mutated rats covered the sky and the earth.
Therefore, the major factions of the humans could only set up layers of defense around the four ruins, barely maintaining the illusion of peace and a fragile balance.
However, they would eventually become the heart of mankind. When they grew larger, the demand for resources would skyrocket.
This war was unavoidable.
Despite all the information about the ruins in his mind, it was not enough to offset the shock he felt when he saw the Ninth Ruins.
The Ninth Ruins was also a relic of the old civilization.
It was not big. It was just a small town, and one could see the end of it with a single glance.
But most importantly, it was perfectly preserved. Regardless of whether it was the buildings or the items in the town, they all seemed to have been frozen in time.
What did this mean? This meant that there was definitely a Universal Source Stone in the town.
However, Tang Ling did not see the Universal Source Rock within his sight.
If the Ninth Ruins was all there was to it, it would not have shocked him so much.
He believed that the Universal Source Rock definitely existed in the town, but it was probably in an unknown place.
The mystical energy of the Universal Source Rock had the ability to preserve items. For example, the buildings of the old civilization near the Universal Source Rock in the Hope Barrier were not corroded by time.
If it wasn't for the fact that it was a battlefield that had been destroyed by the battle, a corner of the city could have been completely preserved.
What shocked him the most was that there were people in the Ninth Ruins!
Yes, there was someone inside.
Judging from the way they dressed, they were definitely not from the Purple Moon era but from the old civilization.
These people looked calm as if they did not know that the outside world had undergone a drastic change. They walked back and forth, minding their own business. They did not look like zombies at all.
"It's strange, isn't it?" Ro Xin stood beside Tang Ling.
Tang Ling nodded and extended his hand. He even started to doubt whether the Ninth Ruins really existed. Or was it just an illusion created by a 3D holographic projection like the one in the Hope Barrier?
It was inevitable that he had mixed feelings because of the old civilization! No one would have thought of it, would they? In this era, there was still a corner of the Ninth Ruins where the life of the old civilization was repeating itself.
There was an old lady sunbathing in front of her house, a young man whistling on a bicycle, and a shop … It should be a shop, right? There was a woman carrying two big bags out of the shop and a man waiting impatiently in front of the car.
Everything was so vivid.
But if you looked at it for a long time, you would find that the people in these towns were doing the same thing over and over again. Just like the young man who rode the bike, he would return to a certain section of the street from time to time and repeat the same cycle. He even whistled the same way.
The woman who came out of the shop would get into the car and when the car sped away, she would come out of the shop again. The car would be parked there with an impatient man waiting beside it.
Everything was repeating itself!
"We have to go in now," Ro Xin reminded Tang Ling.
Tang Ling's body felt a little stiff. He had no idea how strange the Ninth Ruins was, so he did not talk about it along the way.
All he knew was that it was a dangerous and strange site.
As a matter of fact, when they got closer to the Ninth Ruins and realized the truth, Tang Ling wanted to ask about it, but he did not know where to start.
However, time was running out.
The Ninth Ruins was located on top of a slightly higher hill. Looking down from the hill, Tang Ling could see the people from the Stardust Council making their way there.
If they did not hurry up and enter the ruins, the consequences would be dire.
As a matter of fact, they were already exposed! Tang Ling did not believe that the troops from the Stardust Council did not even have a pair of binoculars.
However, Ro Xin did mention that as long as they could reach the Ninth Ruins first and enter it, it would be fine even if they were exposed.
Even if it was just the edge of the Ninth Ruins.
Was it really that magical? However, Tang Ling trusted Ro Xin, and it was because of that that they chose to expose themselves at the very last moment and dashed up the hill to the side of the Ninth Ruins.
When Tang Ling got a clear look at the Ninth Ruins, he knew that things might really be that magical.
Otherwise, if the ruins were exposed to the public, why had no one or any faction come to claim it after so many years?
"Let's go in. You and Ro Li must follow me without missing a single step. You can't even make a mistake when you land, "said Ro Xin.
"Okay." Tang Ling did not waste any time.
He realized that the people from the Stardust Council had obviously hastened their pace. It seemed like the three of them had been exposed.
Ro Xin brought Tang Ling and Ro Li to the southeast corner of the town.
There was an ordinary alleyway there. Judging from the geographical location, the alleyway would lead them to one of the streets in town and they would enter the town from there.
Is this the only way to enter the town? Tang Ling guessed randomly, but it was not exactly a secret, but Ro Xin did not explain.
She carefully stepped forward and stepped on the third patterned brick in the alleyway with her left foot while her right foot stepped on the second brick diagonally opposite the third brick.
"Do you remember the position of these two bricks? You can't even miss a step, "Ro Xin said before she took the second step.
Ro Xin followed closely behind her and stepped on the same brick. She did not even dare to make a mistake when she stepped on the brick with her left and right foot.
Tang Ling had a strange feeling in his heart, but he received a warning gaze from Ro Xin. "You better not try anything reckless. The consequences will be severe and you can't withstand it."
Tang Ling pouted. Am I that stupid? Then, he followed Ro Li resentfully.
As a matter of fact, Ro Xin's warning was timely. Tang Ling really wanted to give it a try. What would happen if he did not follow the steps?
Would there be a natural disaster or a man-made disaster? He did not know why, but because of this world and his own experience, his curiosity was heightened.
Ro Xin only warned Tang Ling, but she did not explain anything. She kept moving forward, but every step she took was extra careful.
She seemed a little tired.
When she reached the middle of the alleyway, she would stop to think before she took a step forward. However, in that short period of time, the troops of the Stardust Council had arrived at the top of the hill.
A total of 500 fully-armed men had gathered at the Ninth Ruins.
From this distance, one could clearly see a young man riding a Level 1 vicious beast, the Omeisha Fiery Lion, at the front of the troops.
His figure was tall and sturdy. From this distance, one couldn't see his face clearly, but one could feel his powerful aura.
Who is that? Tang Ling had no idea.
They had been on the run for the past few days and had been living in the wilderness. Their journey was urgent and they did not have a single source of information.
Of course, they did not know that other than the Ro Drifter Camp being completely occupied, a lot of information was extracted from them.
The details of Tang Ling's visit to the Ro Drifter Camp were sent back to the Stardust Council's headquarters. Someone analyzed the information and deduced that it was Tang Ling.
Therefore, Draconic Seven came out personally.
Whether it was to capture Tang Ling, kill Ro Li, who was on the List of Seeds, or seize the stolen Ro family teachings, every single one of them was of utmost importance, so he had to come out personally.
His heart was filled with a cruel delight. He was eager to tell the siblings that their father, Ro Yan, had become a complete idiot.
In order to extract information from him, the Stardust Council had used some drugs. It was not something complicated as the special intelligence organization of the old civilization had always done it. The Stardust Council had just inherited the old civilization's methods.
Torture and interrogation? No way! A little bit of drugs was enough to make a strong-willed person crumble and spill a lot of secrets.
Logically speaking, Ro Yan should have been executed on the spot, but Draconic Seven had his own wicked hobby.
However, Long Qi had his own wicked tastes. He wanted to execute their father in front of the Luo siblings. He enjoyed making a person feel pain, despair, and even self-destruction from the soul.
Therefore, he was the most suitable spy among the Sixteen Prodigies. Everyone assumed that when he grew up, he would naturally take over the Dark Shadow Troop.
"Reporting, Young Master Seven. They've entered the Ninth Ruins from the southeast corner." It was then that a scout came to report the latest news.
"Should we give chase right away?" an aide beside Draconic Seven asked softly.
"No rush. Surround the entire Ninth Ruins first." Draconic Seven curled his lips into a cruel smile and said, "Don't simply enter the town. As a matter of fact, I'm not in a rush at all. "
Draconic Seven was a person who would never simply speak his mind. He was not stupid but extremely smart.
He understood the strangeness of the Ninth Ruins. If there was nothing wrong with the place, why had no one laid their hands on it for so many years?
The Ro family knew the secret of the Ninth Ruins, so they must have something to rely on.
Draconic Seven would never fall for their tricks so easily.
What was the best way to deal with them? Surround them and not attack them!
He would pressure the three of them psychologically and cut them off in terms of resources.
It was just a small ruins. Could they stay there until the end of time?
Of course, Draconic Seven had prepared a little game for himself. He would tell some cruel stories such as the interrogation of Ro Yan and the torture of a few Dragon Army soldiers.
He did not mind holding a megaphone and telling stories to the three of them every day. It was fun just thinking about it.
With that in mind, Draconic Seven licked the corner of his lips with his scarlet tongue.
His eyes were long and narrow, and his pupils were different from a normal person's. They were not round but oval like the eyes of a snake.
The combination of his eyes and his expression gave the aide goosebumps all over his body. He was the cruelest and most violent person among the Sixteen Prodigies, Bao Qi.
Being his aide-de-camp was really a huge psychological pressure.
"We have to hurry up," Tang Ling urged Ro Xin as he watched the enemies move forward step by step. Tang Ling watched as the enemies moved forward step by step. When they reached the mountainside and the whole group split up, he could not help but urge Ro Xin.
As smart as Tang Ling was, he could tell the Stardust Council's plan from the small details. They wanted to surround the Ninth Ruins.
After surrounding them, the Stardust Council would have the upper hand in terms of strategy.
The Ninth Ruins was not big to begin with, so they could easily see through the whole town from any angle. Although they could not see every corner of the town, it meant that most of the places were under their surveillance.
More importantly, what if they surrounded them and did not attack?
Tang Ling furrowed his brows and started to think of a countermeasure. On the other hand, Ro Xin did not change her expression at all despite Tang Ling's urging.
She had been standing at a spot for almost a minute, and her forehead was covered in sweat.
"What are you worried about?" Ro Xin could also see the people from the Stardust Council, but she did not seem worried. Instead, she asked Tang Ling.
"I'm worried that they will surround us forever." Tang Ling placed his hands in his pockets. For some reason, when he saw Ro Xin's expression, he was not that worried anymore.
As expected, Ro Xin replied, "Surround us in the Ninth Ruins? That's a joke! Impossible! You still don't know how magical the Ninth Ruins really is.
But that's only if we can really crack the Ninth Ruins.
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