Chapter 284: A-rank Descent, Familiar Smile

Ding——

The clear bell rang throughout Yan Da Campus; students who had just finished two class periods walked out of the classrooms, while those waiting for the next period had already been waiting outside, and as the students inside filed out, they entered in single file.

Qin Chuan held Lin Yue's hand, strolling unperturbed along the campus's shaded walkway despite the occasional glances from other classmates, his eyes fixed on one entry in the dungeon list: "The A-rank dungeon will descend in ten minutes."

"Be careful." Lin Yue whispered, "After the A-rank dungeon descends, it will become an S-rank passage, and the strength required to enter and exit will reach the Legendary stage."

"This is far more dangerous than before."

"I know." Qin Chuan squeezed the girl's soft, boneless hand, "but my strength is also far greater than before."

"Indeed." Lin Yue replied blankly, "I'll be waiting for your return."

"Okay."

The two chatted intermittently, wandering aimlessly around Yan Da Campus, and the ten minutes flew by.

【A-rank Dungeon Gloomy Crystal Tower not cleared after 72 hours, has descended into reality】

【The Dream World lost its restraint on this dungeon, the dungeon's level suppression disappeared, and the dungeon's level was re-evaluated as S-rank, which will continue to rise over time.】

Here it comes!

Seeing the words suddenly appear before them, Qin Chuan and Lin Yue halted their steps simultaneously, and their expressions grew a bit more solemn.

Long Ji's call came at just the right moment.

"Location, eastern part of the Everlasting Nation."

"Everlasting Nation?" Qin Chuan raised his eyebrows, "Zefina seems to be a player from the Everlasting Nation, right? I recall she had a Spirit Beast break through to the Epic stage yesterday."

"Not bad." Long Ji paused, and a noisy sound came from the other end of the line, "The Everlasting Nation's officials have already called us for help; she is their representative."

"That'll do." Qin Chuan gave a slight nod, "Where is the support team?"

"Right above you." Long Ji's voice carried a hint of oddness.

"Over there." Lin Yue, sensing something, looked up in a certain direction and then tugged Qin Chuan's hand.

A helicopter that had been on standby high above swiftly dove down toward us.

Whoop-whoop-whoop-whoop——

The low-hovering helicopter's rotor spun rapidly, kicking up a fierce wind that made the surrounding students gasp in astonishment.

Qin Chuan reached up and grabbed the rappel line descending from the helicopter, then turned his head to look at Lin Yue beside him.

"Stay safe." Lin Yue said with a smile; after Qin Chuan boarded the helicopter and vanished toward the horizon, she withdrew her gaze and turned to leave. —

Everlasting Nation, Essex County.

Above this beautiful coastal city, a massive vortex, like a black hole, slowly unfolded until its opening expanded to nearly a kilometer in diameter before gradually ceasing.

On the other side of the vortex, a hazy landscape could be faintly seen—a world filled with crystals; despite the barrier between worlds, its immense pressure could still be felt.

At this moment, ordinary residents near the aperture fell into great panic, screaming as they hastily grabbed valuables, families flooding the streets in a frantic bid to get as far away as possible, and many even came to blows over trivial matters in the chaos.

The security forces had arrived as quickly as possible, but their numbers were insufficient to fully maintain order in such chaos.

Everything happened too suddenly, leaving them somewhat at a loss.

"Quiet down, everyone!"

A low, slightly authoritative voice rang out suddenly, carrying a calming power that let the countless people present relax a little.

Zefina leapt down from a helicopter, gazing at the vortex entrance ahead, her expression grave.

In recent times, numerous dungeons have descended across the globe, but never before has a passage of this scale appeared.

This must be an S-rank dungeon passage…

In her eyes, the unfolding passage resembled an abyss capable of swallowing countless lives, sending a chill down one's spine.

A great number of superhumans followed closely behind Zefina, and the power they displayed undoubtedly had a calming effect on the panicked crowd.

The pressure on the security forces eased somewhat; the disorderly crowd began to evacuate in an orderly fashion, clearing the area around the passage to prepare for the impending battle.

Seeing this, Zefina's expression eased slightly, and she spoke slowly.

"When will the superhumans from Yanhuang State arrive?"

"It's too far away; even if Yanhuang State dispatched a new-generation aircraft infused with superhuman power, it would take over an hour." A middle-aged man beside her said in a deep voice, "For now, we have to hold the line ourselves."

Zefina fell silent for a moment, then asked, "How much intel do we have on the Gloomy Crystal Tower?"

"Only a few brief lines from the dungeon description." The middle-aged man shook his head slightly, "All we know is that the primary race inside the dungeon is the Crystal Clan."

"Crystal Clan…" Zefina's expression soured, "They're not easy to deal with."

Although the Crystal Clan's bodies are relatively fragile, they possess the highest superhuman energy conductivity among all races, making them innate superhumans.

Moreover, they are well aware of their frailty, so their population includes many members skilled in rapid healing arts; even if their bodies are shattered in battle, these members can quickly mend them.

Gazing at the passage ahead, Zefina took a deep breath and said, "Aolierjia, come with me inside."

"Huh?" The girl who had remained silent beside her instantly showed a helpless look, "I haven't said a word, yet you've dragged me into this."

"No more talk; your talent is perfect for scouting the dungeon's interior." Zefina glanced at Aolierjia, "Let's go."

A fierce battle spirit surged in her eyes.

"I'll draw the enemy's attention."——

"Boom!!!"

Accompanied by a tremendous roar, Zefina's blood-soaked figure was flung backward from the passage, leaving a long trace on the ground before she barely managed to stand.

Aolierjia appeared beside her, supporting her, her face etched with worry.

"I'm fine." Zefina took a deep breath, recovered quickly, and said, "At the moment of leaving, I used the effect of my second talent."

She lifted her gaze to the still-dark vortex passage, her expression especially grave.

Thanks to the superhuman value gained after her Spirit Beast broke through to the Epic stage, she could trade blows with the Epic-strength Crystal Clan inside the passage, and relying on the advantage of her golden talent, she succeeded in slaying several Crystal Clan members, one of whom was even a healer of their kind.

But the sudden appearance of a Legendary-strength Crystal Clan caught her off guard.

At her current level, facing it leaves her with no chance of victory.

After just one exchange, the heavily wounded her had to use the second gift of Avoiding Illness to prolong her life and retreat from the defended instance passage entrance.

"Spirit Descent…" Zephina's expression sank slightly.

She had clearly touched that line, yet in the end she was still a bit short…

"Thud~"

A faint footstep sound came from the instance passage entrance.

Zephina's pupils contracted as she lifted her head to look at the man with exquisitely delicate features, a pale and indifferent complexion, stepping out of the passage one step at a time.

This is the opponent who just dealt her a heavy blow with one strike. "Attack!!!"

Accompanied by a violent shout, the countless large-scale weapons and the attacks of the myriad transcendent beings, already prepared, swept like rain toward the man stepping out of the passage.

In the man's amethyst‑like eyes, a hint of mockery flashed.

He did not speak, yet an intangible thought swept over the entire scene.

"O new species called humanity, is this all the strength you have?"

At the same time, the man, with extreme elegance, lightly tapped the tip of his staff on the ground.

An intangible wave spread out; all attacks within ten meters of him encountered an intangible barrier like mire and instantly exploded.

The wild wind blew away the soaring flames and dust; the Crystal Clan man walking out of it didn't even have a corner of his clothing flutter.

"Damn it!" Zephina's eyes filled with anger and regret.

Too fast.

Earlier, Dalaisayi appeared in the passage, taking a full three hours.

How can this guy be so fast?!

They didn't even have time to wait for the Yanhuang State's transcendent beings to come to their aid!

"I am Duke of Wailing Kaimier."

The Crystal Clan man stepped toward the crowd before him, slowly raising the noble staff in his hand.

Energy containing an extreme aura of destruction rapidly gathered at the staff's tip, in the blink of an eye forming a terrifying fireball a kilometer in diameter, like a blazing sun spewing terrifying heat and brilliance; even the mere leakage caused the weak‑bodied to erupt in flames and collapse in screams.

"Now, wail! Be destroyed!"

"This beautiful world will no longer belong to you!"

Kaimier shouted, and the staff he held aloft swiftly fell forward.

That sun‑like fireball swiftly fell with it; its power leaves no doubt that, should it explode, none present would survive.

Zephina watched the fireball that completely filled her vision, its terrifying heat warping the light ahead; gripping a lady's sword, she charged forward without hesitation.

"Hah!"

She let out a low cry, and brilliant golden light shot up to the heavens, as if all the light elements around were at that moment summoned and guided, converging on her to form a resplendent golden sword trace.

This was an all‑out strike at the Epic tier, possessing terrifying power so vast it shocked the heart, yet before the fireball before her it appeared utterly insignificant.

"Useless." Kaimier's expression was indifferent, "The gap between our strengths is like the clouds in the sky and the dirt beneath your feet, you…"

His words had not finished when they abruptly ceased.

"Hum——"

A low‑humming sound suddenly spread, and amidst another soaring momentum, the golden sword trace, like heaven opening, instantly split the fireball before her in two.

The erupting firelight turned into endless fire rain pouring down on the world; Kaimier looked at the short‑haired maiden before him clad in golden armor and wielding a longsword, his expression shifting slightly.

"Is this your humans' Spirit Descent?" Kaimier raised his staff again, "As the rumors said, it is indeed a rather troublesome power."

As the number of beings on the Heavenly Stairway of the Descent Blue Star gradually increased, the races on the Heavenly Stairway had already gained some understanding of this new race that had not yet ascended the Heavenly Stairway.

"Fortunately, this power cannot be fully displayed on the Heavenly Stairway." Kaimier's staff burst forth with terrifying light, "Now, let me properly experience it."

"With the home‑field advantage, what is the strongest power you can unleash!"

Accompanied by Kaimier's low shout echoing, countless sparks instantly coalesced like a vast ocean, surging toward Zephina, who had just grasped Spirit Descent.

Zephina slightly pursed her lips.

She felt that her current power far surpassed what she had before.

This is Spirit Descent…

It's a pity, but she still has a considerable gap with the Crystal Clan before her.

The Legendary Stage is a rank with a vast span of strength.

Spirit Descent being able to cross one rank is a general concept; killing a weak Legendary Stage by crossing ranks and killing a peak Legendary Stage by crossing ranks are obviously not the same difficulty.

If the opponent before her were merely a weak Legendary Stage, Zephina would be confident that she could now hold her own against it.

But Kaimier is obviously not.

Fierce fighting spirit blossomed in her eyes, which had completely turned golden.

No matter what, she must hold out until the Yanhuang State's rescue arrives! "Hah!" She let out a full‑force cry, gripped her longsword tightly, unfurled a pair of brilliant golden wings behind her, and without hesitation rushed at the opponent before her.

Two Legendary‑tier forces collided in an instant, forcing onlookers to retreat three zha to avoid the battle's spillover affecting themselves.

They nervously watched the two combatants at the center of the battle ring, involuntarily clenching their fists.

Can they win? "Boom!!!"

Accompanied by a tremendous booming roar, Zephina's figure was flung backward, smashing through several buildings in succession, then embedding into the outer wall of another tower, sending out spider‑web‑like cracks all around.

"Being able to wound me makes you a somewhat worthy opponent."

Standing in the void, Kaimier pieced together the shattered crystal over a shallow wound on his shoulder, "As repayment, I will strike you with my strongest blow and send you from this world."

He raised his staff high; within the blazing flames, an elemental being with a ferocious form opened its eyes, as if trying to break free of the fire and step out.

Zephina wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her gaze utterly solemn as she looked at the opponent before her.

She could feel that this was a blow she could not possibly block, no matter what.

The next moment, Zephina's expression suddenly froze.

Crack—

A hand shrouded in gray-black mist pierced through Kaimier's chest from behind, grabbing a more splendid intact crystal within his shattered crystalline body.

The elemental beings in the sky let out an unwilling roar, instantly turning into fire rain that exploded apart.

Kaimier's pupils contracted sharply; he turned his head to look behind at the sudden appearance of a figure in a black robe, revealing an incredulous expression: "You?!"

The gray-black mist instantly surged into the Crystal Clan's core, causing the originally splendid crystal core to instantly dim; Kaimier's crystalline body shattered like porcelain piece by piece, his delicate face full of unwillingness.

"You who have devoted yourself to an ominous rebellion will never have…"

Before Kaimier could finish speaking, the hand clutching the crystal core hammered heavily onto his remaining head, smashing it to pieces.

Watching the being that had been toying with her be easily slain, Zefina couldn't help but swallow.

In the next instant, her hairs stood on end.

The figure in the black robe looked at her, revealing an extremely ferocious smile.

In just a moment, Zefina felt countless wails and screams wildly echoing in her mind.

(End of chapter)