Neither Leilin nor Kasha lost their composure, knowing this was no time for arguments.
The window of opportunity was fleeting—there was simply no room to waste it.
Within a dozen seconds, everyone had entered Shadow Stealth mode and departed from the area.
Then a powerful wave of energy suddenly burst through the Magical Array, erupting outward like a bonfire in the darkness—impossible to miss.
This, of course, was the deliberate trap Leilin and his companions had set before leaving.
As the energy wave propagated outward, several streaks of light immediately shot toward their position...
"We've arrived! This is as far as we can go. Any deeper and we'd definitely trigger the defensive Magical Array's alarms. Even Shadow Stealth has plenty of flaws that can be detected..."
Robin led the group into concealment at a certain point, then halted.
Leilin looked ahead. From here, he could already see the flow of the underground river. In the middle of the current, a massive whirlpool churned ceaselessly, with occasional flashes of light as Bear Barbarians, Green-skinned tribesmen, and even human Wizards emerged from it.
"So the entrance to the Secret Realm is a river whirlpool..." Leilin nodded. Based on the spatial fluctuations emanating from the whirlpool, the chance of it being a fake was minimal.
The next question was how to force their way in.
Leilin carefully observed the area around the whirlpool, while his Chip whirred at full speed, generating a three-dimensional topographic map and transmitting it directly into his mind. At the core position here, the enemy's defenses were naturally at their strongest—not only had they constructed numerous Magical Arrays and early warning sigils, but several Third-tier Wizards were stationed here as well.
Leilin shifted his gaze to the very center. He caught sight of a massive Bear Barbarian across from them, a strange banner mounted on its back. Beside it stood an elderly Green-skinned tribesman whose head was absurdly large—nearly twice the size of an ordinary Green-skinner's. Finally, there was a rather plain-looking human Wizard in a grey robe, the very picture of anonymity.
"These three..." Leilin's pupils contracted sharply. "At minimum, Third-tier Liquefied strength! And that Bear Barbarian might already be a Crystallized Wizard!"
With these Wizards present, the gap in high-end combat power was completely stacked against them. On top of that, the patrol density here was ten times thicker than the surrounding area. A frontal assault would be extremely difficult!
"I'll use a secret treasure to mask our traces. Watch for my signal, then we all strike together. My people and I will cover the rear!"
Robin produced a black ring and spoke in a low voice.
Leilin and Kasha nodded, and the group once again crept toward the central whirlpool of the underground river.
Scattered structures had been erected here as well—they looked very new, clearly built in a rush, bearing the crude and brutal style typical of the Bear Barbarians. Hidden within the Shadow Rift, Leilin's group threaded through the gaps between these buildings, even borrowing the shadows of several patrol soldiers to weave their way forward, gradually closing in on the center.
"Once we're ten meters closer, we move immediately!" Robin's suppressed voice reached them.
Third-tier Wizards possessed extremely keen perceptions. Get too close, and discovery was guaranteed. Ten meters short of the ideal strike position wasn't perfect, but it was still quite workable.
Through the Shadow Rift, the outside world appeared shrouded in a watery haze—or perhaps like looking through paste—very blurry.
But Leilin could still clearly sense their progress.
One meter! Two meters! Three meters!
Just seven more meters, and Leilin and the other warlocks would have confidence in breaking through the opposing forces' defenses in an instant—potentially entering the Secret Realm without a scratch.
"Wooo..."
And then, something entirely unexpected happened.
The banner that had been strapped to the back of the Bear Barbarian Wizard like a decorative ornament suddenly began to tremble.
Within the vivid red fabric, a strange skull emblem opened its mouth, bared a full set of fangs, and let out a piercing, mournful shriek.
"Intruders!" The Bear Barbarian Wizard leapt to its feet with a thunderous roar, sound waves sweeping across the area.
"Damn it! We've been exposed! Attack now!"
A flash of light rippled through the void, and Robin's figure materialized first. "Innate Poison Domain!"
He immediately expanded his poison domain.
In an instant, invisible ripples of terrifying force radiated outward from Robin, and the surrounding patrol soldiers fell in droves—some dying instantly, their bodies beginning to rot.
"Venomous Gall attack! It's warlocks from the Ouroboros Ring!"
The grey-robed Wizard with the unremarkable face gritted his teeth, seemingly harboring some deep grudge against the Ouroboros Ring.
"Activate the fifth-tier Poison Defense Magical Array!" He slammed his palm against the ground.
A brilliant burst of light erupted, and a massive Magical Array activated, channeling green Life Energy into every Wizard present.
Like a layer of armor, the wizards cloaked in the green luminous shields found their physical armor trembling violently, but ultimately the corrosive assault of the Venomous Gall was held at bay. The warlocks within Robin's immediate vicinity, however, were completely beyond saving—even with the Magical Array's assistance.
"These are all damned sinners! No need to show mercy!"
Kasha and Leilin's figures also materialized. Kasha let out a sharp cry and unleashed her own poison attack, while the other warlocks followed suit.
In an instant, the accumulated Komoin toxins overlapped and compounded upon each other, their destructive power growing to a level that even Leilin found noteworthy.
Ssss! The green luminous shields were corroded away in rapid succession, revealing the stunned Wizards and alien tribesmen behind them.
"Kill!"