Chapter 427: Returning to Rift Canyon (I)

Chapter 427: Returning to Rift Canyon (I)

“These arrangements are for everyone’s safety!” Hao Lianchuan boomed. “If we open the entrance again halfway through, it will bring greater danger to everyone if powerhouses force their way in or sneak into the expedition. To prevent that from occurring, we will be sealing the premises after everyone enters. The Silver Moon Guards, Night Watchers, and Silver Moon army will be camped here. City annihilation missiles will lock onto the area. The blockade will be lifted only after everyone exits!

“You can forgo this chance to explore the ruins if you find it too dangerous. We will not endanger the larger group for the sake of one!” Hao Lianchuan emphasized. “In addition, Silver Moon is not responsible for any risks or danger encountered within the ruins. There are certain risks inside, so caution must be exercised during the excavation!”

That was fine. No one expected that Silver Moon would look out for their safety after entering. That was impossible and did not make sense!

All was quiet below, the three great organizations were also silent. Indeed, this had been the agreement. No one else knew what price they needed to pay.

......

Above the canyon, in an army camp.

The area was sealed off and under the purview of the army. It was responsible for the external safety of this expedition. City annihilation missiles were supposedly ready at headquarters, ready to be lobbed at Rift Canyon anytime.

In the center of camp.

Rather than the sparse crudeness seen last time, various houses had been erected. Earth supernaturals had reinforced the structures and wood supernaturals planted flora to break up the monotony of the landscape. Greenery poked through the barren landscape.

Several important figures were gathered at the biggest house in the center. Hou Xiaochen, Huang Yu, Hu Dingfang, Ren Tianchuan, Director General Zhao, Deputy Zhou, Kong Jie, Hu Qingfeng... All of the powerful, strong, or influential heavyweights of Silver Moon were present.

Ren Tianchuan, commander of the White Dragons, was addressing the group. A darkened map was present in front of him as he explained, “This is a map of the inner city, but it’s not detailed. It’s just a rough sketch according to those who entered last time.

“The military has divided Battle Heaven into five sections! The city gates that we enter through is the eastern portion. Upon entering from the outer city, we come across the residential area first. There is some commercial activity here, but it is not the main focus of this area.

“Next comes the northern portion. Based on reports from last time, it might have been the military area back in the day. Some people apparently saw airplanes parked here, but that is yet to be confirmed.

“The southern portion is the true commercial district. Someone saw a lot of storefronts there.

“The western portion is the industrial area!” he explained. “Residential, military, commercial, and industrial. With the pagoda in the center as the landmark, that should be the true core of the city. The city lord’s manor and all sorts of institution headquarters are found there, as well as an archives area with a large sum of ancient tomes.

As such thoughts raced through Hu Qingfeng’s mind, Hou Xiaochen smiled and said softly, “The Gold Armor’s strength is hard to determine, Emissary Qi. From what we know, the Gold Armor should be somewhere between peak Nova and the metamorphosis beyond.

“It killed one of Celestial’s Solars with one punch and broke a gold level origin weapon. Origin weapons are so durable that Novas in metamorphosis find it difficult to break them. It goes to show how fierce the Gold Armor is that it can break an origin weapon that is admittedly lower level than it...”

“Thank you for your clarification, director,” Qi Gang quickly said. “Is it possible that it’s beyond Nova?”

“Yes!” Hou Xiaochen affirmed solemnly. “That’s possible. You must know that the ancients are not us in present time. We need to carve out the path ahead of us bit by bit. Perhaps the road we are developing above Nova was just run-of-the-mill back in those times. If the Gold Armor was powerful in its era, then it's possible for it to still retain strength above Nova now.”

Qi Gang grew lost in his thoughts, then smiled when he saw that everyone was looking at him. “I have no further questions.”

“Director Hou.” Hu Qingfeng had questions if the genius youngster didn’t. “What level origin weapon is the black tortoise seal in its hands?”

“Sky level at the very least,” Hou Xiaochen chuckled. “It’s possible that it’s even stronger. As you are all well aware of, the division of origin weapons was set by us based on our knowledge and breadth of vision. It’s not necessarily accurate. According to some ancient records, the origin weapons we have now may have just been standard issue. Take this black tortoise seal, for example. It might be the core origin weapon of a city, making it stronger than what the rank and file carried. It possibly rivals the item in the central region.”

Several expressions shifted minutely with these words. The item in the central region? The one they’d taken from Yama, right?

The war in the central region had ignited because it could determine supernatural potential. Using it on a person would quickly reveal what supernatural attribute they were a match with and what potential they possessed. Its secondary usage was that powerhouses could use it to locate their supernatural locks!

Some experts might be able to only discover six locks. This treasure, however, could help them discover more. Some souls of origin weapons could even facilitate the manifestation of the locks! That made them ultimate treasures!

Such a treasure was now in Night Watcher hands. However, it was rumored that the nine ministries were levying pressure on the agency to share the wealth and not hoard it for themselves.

The central region was in absolute disarray because of that item, but now Hou Xiaochen said that this Black Tortoise Seal might be another one... Even Qi Gang’s eyebrows shot up when he heard the claim.

“Do you mean that, Director Hou?” the young man asked hastily.

“This seal compares to the Heavens Dictate?” Hu Qingfeng gasped.

The treasure in the central region was a ruler shaped item known as Heavens Dictate. One ruler to determine the heavens! It seemed to possess other unique abilities in addition to what they knew, but Hu Qingfeng wasn’t fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of it. The senior executives of the Night Watchers had said that as useful as it was, it came with some problems that they were working to resolve.