Zero Wing's sudden move not only caught the assembled adventurer parties off guard, but the major superpowers and allied first-rate guilds advancing through the canyon also stared at Zero Wing in disbelief.
"What is Zero Wing trying to do?"
Everyone was baffled by Zero Wing's behavior.
The terrain in this dim canyon was deceptively complex. While the paths winding up the mountain from the canyon floor appeared plentiful, in reality there were only a handful of viable routes. A slight deviation in course or a missed window of timing could land you in a dead end, and being eliminated wouldn't be strange at all.
Though death inside the Ancient Divine Ruins didn't cost a player a full level, each death still meant a loss of 20% experience. Die too many times and the penalty became just as terrifying.
The truly safe way to reach the mountain top was to follow the teams already familiar with the routes. Of course, following wasn't as simple as it sounded—the path might be the same, but if the timing was off, it was still extremely dangerous. It all came down to the leader's skill. The two major superpowers that had been here before handled it without issue, their timing precise and on point. The allied adventurer parties, however, were far less capable, which was why they had already lost so many people.
Yet Zero Wing apparently didn't understand even this basic principle and was strutting straight toward the mountain peak as if they owned the place—practically courting death.
Ke Le, Ban Jiu, Ye Wumian, and Ziyan Liuyun charged at the forefront, sprinting into the debris-strewn road where countless ghosts drifted about. The fifteen tanks from the Magic Light group followed behind to protect the team, while the Conqueror team spread out along both sides of the thousand-strong legion, advancing in orderly fashion.
Ghost Knight — undead, Leader-rank, level 50, HP: 6 million. Ghost Berserker — undead, Lord-rank, level 52, HP: 17 million. Ghost General — undead, High Grand Lord, level 55, HP: 85 million.
The moment Ke Le and the others charged into the canyon, the roaming Ghost Knights and Ghost Berserks quickly spotted them, swarming toward the group as though they had caught scent of fresh prey.
"Are they looking to die?"
"Surely they don't think this place is just like farming trash mobs on the outside."
Everyone watched in dumbfounded astonishment as the Ghost Knights and Ghost Berserks closing in on Ke Le and the others continued to multiply.
After all, this was the Ancient Divine Ruins—the monsters here were virtually endless, and even if you managed to kill them, the experience and loot you gained were far less than what you'd get outside. Simply wasn't worth it. Still, even a large gathering of Ghost Knights and Ghost Berserks was nothing to the major factions present.
The truly terrifying aspect of this place was the heavy crossbow fire from both sides of the canyon. These crossbows wielded the power of peak Tier 2—even a level-50 tank using a shield to block would be pushed back several steps and lose three to four thousand hit points with each hit. Without a shield, a direct hit meant death in two or three shots.
And the heavy crossbows lining the canyon walls were multi-shot repeating models, deployed in great numbers—one lapse in attention meant taking a direct hit.
Choosing the right route was crucial. A good path not only minimized the number of crossbow volleys but also reduced the likelihood of encountering Ghost Generals.
In an instant, over four or five hundred Ghost Knights and dozens of Ghost Berserks had surrounded Ke Le's group. The heavy crossbows on both canyon walls had also locked on, sending bolts flying straight at them.
The ground was crawling with monsters, and the sky was filled with incoming arrows. Just looking at the scene was enough to make one's scalp tingle, unsure of what to even do.
Yet Ke Le and the others paid none of this any mind. They continued their relentless charge forward, heedless as the surrounding monsters grew ever more numerous and the incoming arrows became ever denser—even Ghost Generals were drawn by the commotion.
"Good! Everyone, charge! Keep up with Ke Le and the others." Shi Feng watched the sea of monsters closing in on Ke Le's group and allowed himself a slight smile.
When it came to the Ancient Divine Ruins, there was no one in the entire Divine Realm who knew them better than he did.