Chapter 164

The World Channel buzzed over the preview of the Scarlet Chest, but its refresh was set for ten days later, giving all would‑be contenders precious preparation time. Inside Guangtan Fortress, tension and anticipation were intertwined, but more prevalent was orderly war‑readiness.

The world channel is buzzing over the teaser of the scarlet treasure chest, though the chest will respawn in ten days, giving everyone who wants to claim it valuable preparation time. Inside the Guangtan Fortress, tension and anticipation mingle, but above all there is orderly, well-organized preparation.

"Ten days is plenty of time to make many preparations," Li Qingxuan said, eyes sharp as he looked at the coordinates (734,291) marked on the map. "This fight over the chest will inevitably be brutal; we must exploit our advantages and strike unexpectedly."

"Ten days is plenty of time for us to make many preparations." Li Qingxuan looked at the coordinates (734,291) marked on the map, his eyes sharp, "This contest will surely be brutal; we must leverage our advantages and win by surprise."

After thorough discussion, the personnel finally confirmed for this Scarlet Chest contest were Li Qingxuan, Huang Rong, Chen Xiulan, and—Li Jing.

Li Qingxuan's choice of Li Jing came after careful deliberation.

Her Void Walker ability can play a strategic role in certain situations.

Body Becomes Void lets her become completely hidden at critical moments, evading detection and attack.

And Void Shuttle (max range 410 meters) is a divine skill for infiltration, seizure, and retreat.

The ten‑day preparation period also gives Li Jing a chance to further familiarize herself with and improve her command of her abilities.

"Li Jing, over these ten days your task is to become as proficient and precise as possible with Void Shuttle," Li Qingxuan told Li Jing, his eyes full of trust and expectation.

Li Jing seemed a little surprised, but she quickly nodded firmly: "Qingxuan Ge, I'll do my best!"

A glint of being valued flashed in her eyes, and she threw herself into the tense training.

Huang Rong began focused training; her Dark Night Stealth and Dance of Death are key for scouting, assassination, and frontal combat.

She repeatedly practiced moving quickly, hiding, and attacking in complex environments, and adapting to the weight and feel of the newly acquired dwarf war axe.

Li Qingxuan sometimes personally sparred with her, using his strong constitution and spiritual power to apply pressure and draw out her potential.

Chen Xiulan bore the heaviest burden; besides continuing to handle the fortress's daily guard duties, she had to use this time to expand and optimize the coverage and concealment of the Fortress Guard's 'eyes' as much as possible.

At the same time, she began archery practice, honing her skill day and night.

Li Qingxuan wasn't idle either; besides overseeing the big picture and urging everyone to train, he devoted more energy to boosting his spiritual power.

Increasing his spiritual power could unleash the power of the Weird Divine Realm and allow him to dominate more and stronger weird creatures.

He faintly felt that breaking 1,000 points of spirit might be an important threshold.

Each day he absorbed the weird energy from the monsters he slew, and his spirit value steadily advanced toward 1,000.

The other fortress members also carried out their duties. Li Feifei and Wang Hongmei handled logistics, ensuring supplies for training and future operations. Jiang Xiu'e and Li Qingge tended the spirit plant garden, guaranteeing food and any useful medicinal plants. Zhao Ling'er and Zhao Shuang'er continued practicing Soul Resonance; although they weren't directly involved in this operation, their abilities would benefit the fortress's long‑term strength. Li Xinxin focused on sensing the outside world, especially any weird aura in the southeast target area, to give early warning.

During this period, information kept arriving from the World Channel and the Trading Platform:

【The Iron Wall was bulk‑buying defense scrolls and one‑shot attack items, clearly preparing for the treasure chest contest.】

【Elizabeth Camp's alliance with the Dragon Race seemed to be deepening, with witnesses spotting draconic warriors near its camp.】

【The Wind Whisperer Camp's team exploring the Ancient Ruins remained out of contact, and the gray mist around the ruins kept expanding.】

【Several small camps had joined forces, trying to get a share of the treasure chest spoils.】

【Orc tribe activity was frequent, with signs of a large‑scale mobilization aimed straight at the treasure chest spawn area.】

The atmosphere grew thick with the feeling of an impending storm.

The ten‑day limit passed in the blink of an eye.

On the eve of departure, Li Qingxuan gathered the three of them for a final briefing.

"Tomorrow we set out; our strategy is 'openly repair the plank road, secretly sneak through Chencang.'" Li Qingxuan traced routes on the map, then continued: "After the treasure chest refresh, I'll make a high‑profile appearance to draw most of the fire. Huang Rong will lurk in the dark to help me create chaos, Xiulan will provide visual support and eliminate long‑range threats. And Li Jing—" He looked at Li Jing. "You'll use Body Becomes Void to sneak in near the chest ahead of time. When I've drawn everyone's attention, you'll seize the chest. Once you have it, don't linger—fall back to us immediately, and we'll take turns covering our retreat."

"Understood!" the three women replied in unison, and Li Jing clenched her fists, fully aware of how great her responsibility was.

The next day, at dawn, the four‑person squad slipped out of Guangtan Fortress and headed toward the target coordinates to the southeast.

Compared with ten days earlier, this squad was leaner, its goal clear, and its cooperation more seamless.

The road remained unsafe, with weird creatures growing more active. Yet thanks to Huang Rong's scouting and Chen Xiulan's early warnings, the squad could always avoid threats in advance or dispatch them quickly.

Although Li Jing wasn't strong in direct combat, her Body Becomes Void proved unexpectedly effective at dodging certain area‑wide spirit attacks and physical detection.

As they neared the target point, traces of rival groups became more frequent.

They saw clashes erupting between human squads, and kept well clear of massive, murderous‑looking orc raiders.

The air was thick with the smell of blood and faint energy fluctuations, foreshadowing how brutal the battlefield ahead would be.

Finally, on the afternoon of the treasure chest refresh day, the squad reached the outskirts of the abandoned town.

They chose a relatively high, concealed clock‑tower ruin as their temporary stronghold.

From there they could faintly see the dilapidated altar at the town's center.

Chen Xiulan got to work right away, carefully placing her improved micro‑guard runes around the stronghold and on the key paths to the altar, building a temporary monitoring network.

Huang Rong slipped into the broken walls below like a true Night Walker, beginning a detailed survey of troop distribution, faction divisions, and possible ambush sites around the plaza.

"The time is about right, Li Jing—go in first," Li Qingxuan said after checking the sky, giving the order.

Li Jing nodded, walked into the shadow of the clock tower, activated her ability, and her body gradually turned transparent until it completely blended into the surroundings, as if she had never existed.

Body Becomes Void! She moved silently toward the treasure chest, seeking the best hiding spot.

Li Qingxuan, Huang Rong, and Chen Xiulan remained in the clock tower, waiting silently like beasts before the hunt.

When it was close to midnight and the moon had risen to its highest point, shining round and bright——

Buzz!!!

A fierce energy surge exploded! Space seemed to tear open, and a treasure chest half a person tall, dark‑red as blood and covered in countless weird runes, slowly solidified, radiating a maddening energy and allure.

"Treasure chest!"

"Grab it!"

The whole abandoned town went completely berserk!

All factions, regardless of prior wary stances, now charged toward the altar with bloodshot eyes.

The blaze of spells, the whistle of arrows, the clash of weapons, the orcs' roars, humanity's cries, and the deafening hiss of some draconic being instantly turned the altar area into a slaughterhouse.

"Now it's my turn!" Li Qingxuan's eyes flashed, he nodded to Huang Rong and Chen Xiulan, then leapt down from the top of the clock tower!

He did not conceal himself; instead he deliberately burst forth with a mighty aura, slamming into the heart of the altar melee like a meteor!

"Boom!" On impact the shockwave rolled out, hurling several nearby orcs and humans into the air!

Li Qingxuan! He's the Li Qingxuan who's number one on the individual list!

He's here! Take him down first!

Don't let him get the Treasure Chest!

Li Qingxuan's appearance was like splashing a ladle of cold water into a boiling oil pot, instantly drawing almost all hatred and firepower!

Being number one on the Ranking is already renowned, and the rumor of being number one on the Resource Ranking makes people envious!

Almost everyone thought he was the strongest contender for the Treasure Chest!

Instantly, countless attacks surged toward Li Qingxuan like a tide!

The Orc chieftain's War Axe, the dragon-breath spit of the half-dragon hybrid, the black-robed mage's curse spells, and the Iron Wall warriors' volley of crossbow bolts……

Li Qingxuan let out a long whistle, his body moving like lightning as he weaved through the gaps in the attacks; with his fists swinging, strange power surged, shattering or deflecting the incoming assaults one after another.

He didn't rush for the Treasure Chest; instead, he charged left and right in the melee, deliberately creating greater chaos, firmly drawing everyone's attention onto himself.

Huang Rong cooperated from the shadows like a deadly venomous snake, specifically ambushing those trying to command or prepare powerful spells, further intensifying the chaos.

Chen Xiulan, meanwhile, on the bell tower, her bowstring twanged continuously; each cold arrow precisely destroyed the long-range attacks and battlefield-control spells that posed the greatest threat to Li Qingxuan.

The battlefield descended into utter chaos!

Almost everyone went berserk, their sights set on Li Qingxuan rampaging through the crowd, while they temporarily 'ignored' the Scarlet Chest still hovering above the altar!

In this extreme chaos, Li Jing, who had remained in the Body Becomes Void state, lurking in the Void, moved!

Without any energy fluctuation or leaking aura, she came like a true ghost, silently arriving beside the Scarlet Chest that exuded an alluring red light.

Below, earth-shaking shouts and violent energy clashes raged; above floated the Treasure Chest, seemingly within easy reach. Li Jing's heart pounded, but she forced herself to calm, reaching out to touch the Chest.

【Ownerless Scarlet Chest detected. Collect?】

Success! Just as Brother Qingxuan predicted, everyone's attention was drawn away, leaving the Chest in an unclaimed, unmonitored state!

"Yes!" Li Jing thought to herself.

The next moment, the half‑person‑tall dark‑red Treasure Chest vanished instantly from its spot, successfully taken into Li Jing's System Backpack!

At the instant the Treasure Chest disappeared, the anomaly and energy fluctuations above the altar ceased abruptly!

Li Qingxuan, fighting fiercely and drawing all firepower, immediately sensed Li Jing's success signal through the Control Panel.

"Got it! Retreat!" he shouted, no longer lingering in battle, he erupted with a blast that shoved back the surrounding foes and shot backward.

Huang Rong and Chen Xiulan also immediately abandoned their attacks, swiftly converging on the predetermined withdrawal point.

Only then did the blood‑red‑eyed crowd belatedly discover that the Treasure Chest on the altar…… was gone!

"Where is the Treasure Chest?"

"Who took the Treasure Chest?"

"It wasn't Li Qingxuan! He was down there just a moment ago!"

"They must be a team—he was down there drawing attention so others could go get the Chest!"

"Chase! Don't let them get away!"

Having realized what happened, the various forces, shocked and enraged, roared as they pursued in the direction Li Qingxuan and the others were fleeing.

Especially the Orc chieftain and that half‑dragon hybrid, whose speed was extreme, closing in like two hurricanes.

Li Qingxuan met up with Huang Rong and Chen Xiulan, joining the slightly pale‑faced but excited‑eyed Li Jing.

Taking the Chest seemed easy, but maintaining the Body Becomes Void state for a long time drained her Spiritual Power enormously.

"Go!" Li Qingxuan said without hesitation; the four of them fled at full speed along the pre‑planned complex route lined with Chen Xiulan's watchful eyes.

Behind them, numerous powerful pursuers gave chase in fury.

Having succeeded in seizing the Treasure, they have now become the target of everyone's ire.

The life‑or‑death escape under the dark night has officially begun.

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