Star Gate

Chapter 436: The Ruins Open Again (III)

In the distance.

Hong Yitang was alone for this month’s expedition. He squeezed his way through the crowd and accidentally stepped on someone’s foot. He stood on tiptoe to look around, befuddled as to where Li Hao was hiding.

The man continued to push forward like he was in a market, raising cries of complaint wherever he went. If it wasn’t for the powerhouses of various factions intermingled in the crowd, someone would’ve already hit him.

“Martial Uncle Hong is here too?” someone transmitted to him as he pushed through another knot of people.

“......” Hong Yitang looked around with confusion, scanning a martial master with a tiger mask not too far from him. “How are you concealing your aura?”

The aura was very difficult to hide. Supernaturals might not detect it, but it was nearly impossible to hoodwink a fellow martial heavyweight.

“Just a small trick!” Li Hao answered excitedly. “I’m at ease now that martial uncle is here!”

Hong Yitang rolled his eyes. What are you at ease for? What is there to be at ease about?

“Do you have any targets in mind, martial uncle?”

“Nope, I just want some blood pearls for my weak heart. Or do you have some you can give me?”

“I don’t have any either.”

“Then what are we talking for?” Hong Yitang truly didn’t have many goals this time, he just wanted some blood pearls. As for Li Hao... forget it, he didn’t want to ask for help from the treacherous young man.

“Martial uncle, shall we head in together later?”

“No, you walk your own path!” Hong Yitang declined.

Li Hao didn’t respond; a martial master wearing a tiger mask appeared behind Hong Yitang after a moment. He was sticking to the man from now on! Hong Yitang was already here and they’d made contact, what was this tough act for? I’m with you!

The young man didn’t believe that Hong Yitang was entering the ruins just for blood pearls. Granted, he didn’t think it a complete lie either. Hong Yitang had an unorthodox and curious style. No one knew what he was thinking. He didn’t establish a powerful sect or take a high position like Hou Xiaochen and the others. Instead, he resembled a wandering cultivator, but rarely poked his head out. He kept a much lower profile than the Sky Sword and others.

No matter what, though, Li Hao knew how strong he was. This was a great thigh to latch onto!

Up in front, Hong Yitang was quite resigned. This kid is sticking to me?? Forget it, that was fine. It didn’t matter.

“Those who have registered and paid can go inside!” Hao Lianchuan’s voice rang in the air. “Those who haven’t registered and are determined to conceal their strength will pay a Nova price! Martial masters will pay a Solar price!

“You can demonstrate your strength if you don’t want to pay such a high price. Supernaturals must accept being scanned by a supernatural probe. It’s fine if you wish to conceal your strength, just pay the Nova price!”

“......” Muttered curses rose and fell in the assembly. Damn, they were something! No one was willing to have their full strength exposed, so who would ever submit to a probe?

The Nova price was ten mysterious power stones—how many people could afford that?! Martial masters being assessed at the Solar price was also harrowing!

“How many martial masters are of the Solar level?” called out a martial master. “According to our current power system, Summoner of Spirit maps to Solar. Martial master strength is difficult to determine and Dominator is pretty much the apex. Being priced at Solar is too expensive!”

A large table stood in front of Hao Lianchuan as he replied calmly, “Then don’t go inside. Dominators are on par with Sunflares, so you’d just be going to your deaths if you did. What, are all of you martial masters supposed to fight each other just because your strength is hard to determine? Pay up, one mysterious power stone each. We’re being nice enough to not levy the Solar price on you. Don’t go inside if you don’t want to!”

“......” The crowd started cursing again. This was too expensive!

Li Hao also growled, but Hong Yitang transmitted to him, “Pay for me in a bit. I gave you all my mysterious power stones last time and am out of money.”

“......” The young man was shocked senseless. This is... nuts!

He quickly followed the flow of the crowd to the table. When it was his turn, Hao Lianchuan asked without even raising his head, “Martial master or supernatural?”

“Martial master.”

“How many?”

“Two.”

“Two mysterious power stones or two thousand cubes of mysterious power!”

“......” This was how real money was made! Li Hao was completely overcome. The price alone might disqualify many as it was too expensive. He took out two full energy rings.

Hao Lianchuan briefly scanned them, then tossed two empty energy rings back. He also gave them two medallions with the “martial” character on them. They were just crudely hewn items made of iron.

“You and your companion shall each hold one when the ruins open. Ah, do you want to buy a couple more? Those without medallions will not be permitted entry.”

“No!” Li Hao looked wordlessly at the deputy director. How was he making a business out of this? The Night Watchers were going to earn quite a bit from this expedition.

Hao Lianchuan bent his head without another word, ready to process the next person. Energy rings covered the table in front of him before long. He waved them all into a storage ring, catching certain people’s eyes. The Night Watchers had gathered tens of thousands of cubes in a short while and more than a dozen mysterious power stones!

And this was just from the people signing up before the entrance opened. There were plenty more from people who’d registered beforehand. Silver Moon was making out like a bandit from the ruins opening this month!

Li Hao took a look; even he wanted to rob Hao Lianchuan! But forget it, he wouldn’t make a move against one of his own. Not to mention, there were a lot of powerhouses watching. However, he’d have to make sure to demand the return of his funds after the expedition. Since he didn’t need to pay for entrance, this was a complete waste.

As a growing number of people obtained medallions, those who lacked sufficient funds could only watch opportunity slip through their fingers. They were dejected and morose, but Li Hao felt that if one was so poor that they couldn’t even gain admittance, it was better not to gamble with their lives!

The most likely outcome was to return empty-handed or even die inside.

As the sun rose, Hou Xiaochen called out, “The ruins will now be opened. Enter in an orderly fashion, don’t cause disorder!”

Rays of energy hit the stone wall, water ripples undulated across the surface again. The ruins were open once more!

......

At the same time, inside Battle Heaven.

The floating old turtle still resembled a sculpture, but a few more hints of sentience sparkled in its eyes. It looked into the distance. People had come again.

A black dog napped with boredom on the ground, shaking its tail when it heard something. So this place is open again? Can I leave now? I’m so hungry that I’m all skin and bones!

The Gold Armor still sat on a platform in the residence below, the Black Tortoise Seal in its hands. Everything was like before, as if the intrusion of last month was but a dream.

All was quiet inside the vast city. No sounds echoed.

......

In the outside world, the ruins were officially open. Armed with experience from the last excavation, the crowd wasn’t in a hurry to enter. There was nothing in the outer city and the inner city doors weren’t open. They might as well go through the second passageway. Since supernaturals couldn’t fly in Battle Heaven, they didn’t need to worry about intruders. And with the Gold Armor, they were even less concerned about being beaten to the treasure.

The same custom from last time applied. Wandering cultivators were the first ones in, each of them in a great hurry to snatch up treasure. They would be the first ones to die; all of them died in the last expedition!

Li Hao and Hong Yitang were now wandering cultivators. They’d paid their way in. A Solar’s price was the same as a martial master’s. No one said anything when they saw the medallion in Hong Yitang’s hand. Since the Sword Sect had joined the Silver Moon Guards, it might’ve been fine if he refused to pay.

Hou Xiaochen and the others looked at Hong Yitang, then at the person in a tiger mask closely following the man. Was that... Li Hao?

It was hard to tell. Li Hao didn’t seem that familiar with Hong Yitang, but would the latter have sent large numbers of Sword Sect martial masters to the Demon Hunters if they weren’t close?

A figure flashed across the scene as the Night Watchers pondered. He Yong shot forward, roaring with laughter. “Then I’ll go inside and take first crack at all the goodies!”

The powerhouses outside looked coldly at him. What was he in a rush for? To die? Did Southern Fist think this was still the martial world of yesteryear? The Northern and Southern Fists had long become a relic of the past. Old Demon Five Styles could find no shelter from the endless hunts baying for his blood.

And yet, He Yong didn’t care. He jumped up and threw himself into the rippling stone wall. Li Hao and Hong Yitang stirred to action as well, entering the cliff face. Meanwhile, Liu Long was concealed among the crowd of wandering cultivators. Li Hao didn’t pay any attention to him. It might be safer for the man if he wasn’t with the young man.

......

When the scene brightened in front of Li Hao again, a large platform could be seen in front of him. Hong Yitang was very familiar with it, he’d come here last time. It was currently crowded with the wandering cultivators that’d entered earlier. He Yong was present as well.

He merrily ran over when he saw Hong Yitang and took a look at Li Hao. “It’s my first time here, so will you guys show me the ropes?” he transmitted. Both of these people had visited before, so it was a better idea to follow them than to barge around on his own.

While he was strong, great dangers might exist in an ancient ruin like Battle Heaven. It would be normal for stronger existences to lose their lives in a ruin, to say nothing of him.

Someone among the wandering cultivators seemed aware of the situation and shouted, “We should move together! The three great organizations and Silver Moon authorities are very powerful. If we strike out on our own, we might become their scouts! Also, there’s a passageway ahead. We need to follow it and not deviate. Anyone who walks out of it won’t be returning!”