Chapter 197: The Hidden Ambitions of Elder Lawrence

Due to the lack of understanding about the overall situation, the ordinary members of the Night Blades hiding in Shadow City did not take immediate action. They intended to prioritize gathering more intelligence. Once they collected sufficient information, they would decide on their next steps.While everyone was busy with their own tasks, the reinforcements sent from the Night Blades headquarters at the edge of Shadow City were quite relaxed. They were originally supposed to act alongside Elder Howard and Elder Kent. However, after the two elders engaged in battle with Irving, they were unable to issue any further commands.

Now, the highest-ranking individual among them was Elder Lawrence, who lay in a coma. However, Lawrence's current condition made it impossible for him to give orders. As a result, the squad leaders among the reinforcements began to argue, just like their counterparts in Shadow City.

"We should go and assist the two elders. Although our strength is not great, we can still disrupt the enemy's actions," one young squad leader stated directly.

However, another squad leader, who had experienced many battles, quickly countered, "Absolutely not! I remember the last time our elder was engaged in combat with a formidable foe; he was severely injured because of a reckless action from an ordinary member. Our strength is far inferior to that of the elders. We have no right to participate in the battle; our involvement would only create chaos."

Many squad leaders of the Night Blades believed that they should not involve themselves in battles among the strong, so they proposed a plan to enter Shadow City.

"I agree with your point. We already knew the purpose of our mission before we arrived. Our goal is to ensure the safety of Shadow City, so we should head there immediately," one squad leader stated.

However, this plan was still met with opposition from others.

"I believe there are likely many traps within Shadow City. We should stay here for now and wait until the two elders defeat the enemy before we follow their orders to take action."

The discussions among the Night Blades squad leaders did not yield any conclusions. Each of them was unwilling to concede to the others. They all believed they were the strongest, while viewing the others as nothing more than hindrances.

During their debate, Elder Lawrence suddenly let out a painful groan.

All eyes turned to him.

"Elder, what's wrong?" one of the Night Blades squad leaders asked with concern.

Lawrence slowly opened his eyes and realized that the Night Blades members surrounding him were unfamiliar to him.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Elder Lawrence's words sent a wave of panic among the Night Blades members.

They all initially assumed that Elder Lawrence had lost his memory.

"What should we do now? It seems Elder Lawrence is suffering from amnesia! Should we inform the two elders who are currently fighting?"

"We shouldn't get anywhere near the battlefield! If we approach, the enemy will notice us. They might charge straight at us. We don't have the same strength as the two elders to ensure our safety."

"Then what do you suggest we do?! This is not an option, that is not an option! Are we just supposed to sit here and wait?!"

The members of the Night Blades fell into another argument.

However, Elder Lawrence's consciousness gradually began to clear. He indeed did not recognize the Night Blades members in front of him because they were sent from headquarters. Nonetheless, Lawrence quickly confirmed their identities.

"Stop arguing; I haven't lost my memory. I just haven't seen you before. I know you belong to the Night Blades."

Lawrence's words successfully quelled the dispute among the squad leaders.

"What's the current situation? Tell me all the intelligence you have gathered."

Although Lawrence could sense an intense battle taking place not far from him, he had no intention of rushing to the battlefield. He was well aware that he had not fully recovered. If he carelessly approached the combat zone, he could easily be drawn into a fight he wouldn't be able to win.

The members of the Night Blades quickly relayed all the information they had to Elder Lawrence. After receiving all the intelligence, Lawrence furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment. He felt that this was a great opportunity to implement his true plans.

Elder Lawrence did not want to remain constrained by the Night Blades; he desired to possess greater power. This was why he had specifically requested the position overseeing the Desolate Canyon. Although the Desolate Canyon led to the Abyss of Death, which contained the secrets of the Night Blades' power, other elders of the Night Blades were unwilling to come here.

They believed there was no way to rapidly enhance their strength in such a location.

Lawrence had long sought the secrets hidden within the Abyss of Death, but his attempts had ultimately ended in failure. Furthermore, he could not directly ask the higher-ups of the Night Blades what those secrets were.

At first, Lawrence thought the intrusion by Irving and his group was a significant crisis. However, reflecting on the events that had transpired, he suddenly felt that their intrusion could present a tremendous opportunity for him. If even Elders Howard and Kent could not defeat Irving, the Night Blades might very well allow Elder Lawrence to uncover the secrets of the Abyss of Death.

After all, the higher-ups of the Night Blades would never permit Shadow City to be destroyed.

Elder Lawrence gradually came to understand everything, and the furrow in his brow began to ease.

"You no longer need to continue arguing; I have figured out what actions we should take next," Elder Lawrence said in a steady tone.

His words captured the attention of all the Night Blades members.

"We cannot remain here any longer, as our objective for this operation is to ensure the safety of Shadow City. Therefore, we must enter Shadow City as soon as possible."

Elder Lawrence issued the first command. His initial directive was uncontroversial; at least the ordinary members of the Night Blades would not openly oppose it.

"Once we enter Shadow City, we should not disperse immediately. We must first ensure our own safety, as there are still some enemies present within Shadow City."

Elder Lawrence provided a brief overview of the situation within Shadow City.

He had previously encountered all of Irving's companions, so he knew that not all of Irving's allies were pursuing him. Some of them were certainly still in Shadow City.

Lawrence's words caused a slight sense of concern among the members of the Night Blades. One individual stepped forward and asked, "Elder, if there are still enemies in Shadow City, isn't it too risky for us to enter recklessly?"

Elder Lawrence nodded with a smile.

"You are correct; the risk of our current operation is indeed somewhat high. But can we abandon our plan simply because the risks are greater? If the higher-ups of the Night Blades were to learn of this, you would certainly face punishment."

Lawrence's words left no room for further objections from the Night Blades members.

After this, Elder Lawrence led the members of the Night Blades into Shadow City. Before fully entering, he took a moment to glance at the direction where Irving and the two elders were fighting.

"If you are so eager to fight, then go ahead and do so. I have more important matters to attend to. When I complete my plans, all of you will receive your final outcomes."

With that smile still on his face, Elder Lawrence followed closely behind the members of the Night Blades as they entered Shadow City.

Elder Lawrence was very familiar with Shadow City, so he quickly gathered the surviving members of the Night Blades. At this moment, he had a significant number of members under his command. Even if their individual strengths were not particularly high, their sheer numbers could provide substantial assistance to Elder Lawrence.

"You are all well aware of the crisis that has occurred recently, so I won't repeat it again. I just hope you understand that during our upcoming operations, your speed must be swift. You need to search every corner of Shadow City as quickly as possible. We must locate all the intruders, and we cannot take any further actions until we eliminate them."

Elder Lawrence issued the command with great authority.

All the members of the Night Blades acted according to Elder Lawrence's instructions. After everyone had left, Elder Lawrence walked into a concealed room.

Inside this room was a hidden safe. Elder Lawrence recited a complicated incantation, and after finishing the spell, the safe opened slowly.

Inside the safe lay a spell scroll. This scroll radiated a powerful dark energy, and it bore an exceptionally strong seal.

"No matter what the outcome of your battles is, the ultimate victor will always be me. Because you have no idea what the true secrets of Shadow City are! Only I know what the true secrets of Shadow City really are!"

Elder Lawrence smiled to himself as he looked at the scroll in his hand.

His plans for action were known only to him. However, the movements of the Night Blades members within Shadow City had already been noticed by Benjamin and others.

After all, the sheer number of Night Blades members made it impossible for them to go unnoticed during their operations. Inevitably, they caught the attention of Benjamin and his group.

Benjamin and the others chose to hide for the time being, observing the changes in the situation.

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