The rules of small combat-type Ember Zones are generally simple, emphasizing straightforward battles.

There are no twists or turns—just raw, unrelenting combat that tests one’s hard power.

This time, the group had a clear goal: the hidden treasures within this Ember Zone.

And there is an unspoken rule in combat-type Ember Zones—treasures must be guarded!

This is the greatest challenge of their journey.

...

Two cannon fodder guarded Li Peipei on her left and right as she strode forward, dragging her heavy sword with one hand.

The blade scraped against the cold ground, creating sparks and a harsh, grating noise.

White light shone in her eyes, piercing through the cavern walls and clearly revealing the treasure and its guardians ahead.

As Li Peipei rounded the corner, her vision suddenly cleared, and an expansive underground cavern came into view.

The cavern was spacious and free of clutter, with a flat terrain. Dense clusters of fluorescent plants dotted the area, illuminating the space as brightly as day.

In the center of the cave, two enormous canine creatures, each ten meters long, sensed Li Peipei’s arrival. They stood up, growling menacingly, their mouths brewing rolling lava.

Resting Dogs, Tier 5 Xenobeasts.

Li Peipei’s gaze swept past the Resting Dogs and landed on the object floating between them.

It was a colorful, diamond-shaped crystal suspended in midair.

The crystal glistened and radiated a precious light. Li Peipei’s eyes lit up as she murmured its true name.

“Heaven-Sent Primal Essence.”

A treasure that could only be born in the Ashen Ruin region, it was also the object of desire for all Ashen Zone travelers.

No one knew the true nature of the Heaven-Sent Primal Essence—just as no one understood the operating principles of the Ashen Ruin region.

But it didn’t matter if its essence remained a mystery. What mattered was its effect.

This treasure had another name: Divine Gift Blind Box.

It was exactly that—a blind box. Once obtained, it would transform into a random reward, generously rewarding the brave.

The rewards varied, but one thing was certain—the Heaven-Sent Primal Essence would never disappoint its possessor.

Li Peipei thought about the upcoming Human Race Sequence Power Battle.

She only needed a portion of the Divine Source Essence, and her strength would reach new heights. Breaking into the top 30 of the Human Race Sequence was not impossible.

For those in the top 30, prestige and influence were secondary. The real prize was the immense benefits that came with the ranking.

The strong would always remain strong. This was an unbreakable truth.

“Let’s get started, then.”

Li Peipei raised her heavy sword, and a sonorous, metallic sound resonated from her mouth.

“The White Dragon’s True Eye grants me vision!”

True Eye of the White Dragon (S-rank): Gain night vision and greatly enhanced visual perception, allowing you to easily detect enemy movements at close range.

“The Body of the Black Dragon grants me strength!”

Body of the Black Dragon (S-rank): +20 to all attributes. Dragon scales grow on your body, granting massive damage reduction!

“The Protection of the Wind Dragon grants me agility!”

Protection of the Wind Dragon (S-rank): +30 to agility, greatly increasing movement speed.

She lunged forward and raised her sword.

“Dragon Flash Dance!”

Dragon Flash Dance (S-rank): Requires 50 points in all attributes and can be performed with sharp weapons. Once activated, the skill allows you to dash toward the target at great speed, flashing back and forth between multiple targets, dealing devastating blows to the enemy!

Profession: Dragon Warrior!

Profession Trait: Greatly enhances the effects of skills with the word “dragon” in the name!

Light erupted from the ground.

Li Peipei’s figure instantly appeared above the head of the first Resting Dog, and her heavy sword came down hard on its skull, drawing a torrent of blood.

Before the Resting Dog could let out a mournful howl, Li Peipei had already flashed to the head of the second Resting Dog.

For a moment, Li Peipei seemed to vanish, leaving only the bright silver light of her constant flashing, which grew more and more dazzling.

Just as Li Peipei was about to strike, Zhang Wen and Xie Xiaotian charged into the battle with their shield and dual blades, accompanied by the remaining two cannon fodder.

Stolen novel; please report.

As Li Peipei’s teammates, they knew that her Dragon Flash Dance was an explosive skill that couldn’t be sustained for long.

Once its effect ended, Li Peipei’s skill set didn’t support fighting multiple opponents at once—the Dragon Warrior profession excelled in one-on-one combat.

At that point, the combined efforts of Zhang Wen, Xie Xiaotian, and the two cannon fodder would need to temporarily hold off one Resting Dog, buying Li Peipei time to finish the battle.

This was the plan.

There were no difficulties or problems with its execution.

Two Level 5 Resting Dogs were indeed terrifying, but the five-person team worked well together, and no one had ulterior motives.

The outcome of the battle was predictable.

That is, barring any accidents.

...

“There won’t be any accidents.”

At the cave entrance, An Yue and Rou Yun hid themselves far away, watching the battle unfold.

As the team’s support members, both were Level 4 and had no occupation, with only four skill slots each.

For these slots, both had chosen support skills.

An Yue: Forced Control, Petrify Skin, Swift as the Wind, and Overall Buff.

Rou Yun: Flesh Bomb, Silence, Taunt Aura, and Quick Heal.

Although their attributes met Level 4 standards, the lack of offensive skills meant the two women had almost no ability to fight head-on.

On a Level 5 battlefield, all they could do was apply buffs and then hide far away to avoid slowing down their teammates.

Inside the cave ahead, the effect of Dragon Flash Dance had ended.

Li Peipei was now fighting the Resting Dog one-on-one, suppressing it with her sword.

Even though both were Level 5, the gap in skill matching made a significant difference in combat power. It would likely take Li Peipei only about a minute to end the battle.

Two loud explosions suddenly rang out.

Rou Yun had taken the initiative to detonate the two Flesh Bombs on the other side to relieve the pressure on Zhang Wen and Xie Xiaotian.

The two fought hard, but with the help of the Flesh Bombs, they managed to hold the line. They could clearly support Li Peipei until she finished her battle.

“It’s settled,” Rou Yun declared.

An Yue, however, frowned, her mind preoccupied with something else.

“I’m still very confused...”

“I clearly recruited six cannon fodder, but now only five have been used. I couldn’t remember the sixth one earlier, but now I can’t forget him.”

“The first cannon fodder I found was that guy... tall and skinny, quite good-looking. How did he disappear?”

Rou Yun pondered, nodding in agreement. “I also remember planting six Flesh Bombs, but only five have detonated. I don’t know where the last one went...”

There was a crisp sound.

Before Rou Yun could finish her sentence, her head was twisted a full 180 degrees!

Her eyes widened, her anger quickly fading as she finally saw the figure that had appeared behind them at some unknown time.

It was the missing cannon fodder...

Xia Lin slowly released his hands and spoke calmly.

“My name isn’t cannon fodder, nor am I a bomb. My name is Xia Lin.”

After saying this, he turned to the stunned An Yue.

He grinned, his lips curling up to the roots of his ears in an instant. A faint cold light flashed from Xia Lin’s mouth, revealing teeth as terrifying as the circular fangs of a great white shark.

A strong, bloody smell wafted from Xia Lin’s mouth, enveloping An Yue in a cloud.

“And, thank you.”

“Thank you for calling me handsome.”

“I’ll treat you to something delicious.”

One of the lizard dog’s hind legs, pulled from Xia Lin’s waist, was shoved into An Yue’s mouth with lightning speed.

Her lips instantly burst, and blood mixed with teeth spilled from the side of her face.

Her eyes were filled with terror.

Because she saw red dots pulsing on Xia Lin’s chest.

It looked like the light of a Flesh Bomb, but not quite...

She could also sense that Xia Lin’s power far surpassed hers as a Level 4 practitioner.

This didn’t make sense.

He had just entered the Ember Zone... How...

“Eat!”

A furious roar interrupted An Yue’s thoughts.

Xia Lin’s mouth was wide open, his eyes red, his beard and hair standing on end like a madman.

“Eat it!”

“You eat it! You eat it!”

“It’s tasteless! It’s not bad! It’s not bad!”

“I ate it all, so why shouldn’t you eat it? Why shouldn’t you eat it?”

The one-meter-long lizard dog’s hind leg was forcefully shoved into An Yue’s mouth by Xia Lin.

It squeezed her throat, her stomach, and her abdominal cavity.

Blood sprayed from An Yue’s mouth and neck, staining Xia Lin red...

But Xia Lin kept going!

The despair and helplessness before entering the Ember Zone.

The struggle and feasting after entering the Ember Zone.

The slippery blood and cold, hard flesh.

The nerves repeatedly torn and then rebuilt in the belief of survival.

It had all reached its limit.

An Yue’s eyes were filled with terror, which gradually turned to despair.

Her mouth had been destroyed, and she couldn’t even beg for mercy!

Until Xia Lin suddenly stopped and burst out laughing.

“Oh, I forgot. I don’t have a sense of taste anymore, thanks to you.”

“So, was it delicious?”

An Yue couldn’t answer.

Xia Lin didn’t need her response.

He pulled out the lizard dog’s hind leg and swung it around, snapping it!

With a crack, An Yue’s pretty head shattered like a watermelon.

“Phew~~”

He threw away the dog’s leg and let out a long breath.

“That feels good... That feels really good...”

The three greatest joys in life are revenge, revenge, and fucking revenge!

Suddenly, a roar echoed from afar.

“How dare you!”

The deaths of An Yue and Rou Yun had startled Li Peipei and the others in the cave.

Li Peipei was in the middle of a fierce battle and couldn’t break away, but Xie Xiaotian took the initiative to leave the fight and charged toward Xia Lin, his eyes bloodshot.

“You little thief! How dare you kill An Yue! You’re dead!”

Xia Lin slowly tilted his head, then smiled knowingly.

“You had a crush on her.”

Then he lifted his leg and charged forward, faster and faster.

He began running like a madman!

“Then I’ll send you to join her!”