For no matter how much it coughed, it was impossible to expel the blood that was slowly surging into its lungs; naturally, the function of its lungs continuously failed as the blood inside its body slowly drained away.

In the distance, the deadly dada-da of gunfire sounded again. Several bullets struck the nearby rocks, sending up a few sparks, but one found its mark once more within Slinger’s body, spraying several jets of blood onto the stone.

Slinger, already battered and bleeding from countless wounds while climbing the steep slope, felt this bullet act as the final straw. It was as if all the strength in his body had suddenly been drained; he tumbled down the hillside, rolling with a shudder before coming to a stop, his breathing ceased. The desperate and miserable somersaulting of the Biedami Ghost Monkey was followed by a piercing shriek filled with infinite pain, and with surprising energy, it leaped back to savagely pounce upon Morganza.

Having chased it relentlessly, Morganza had already drained most of the creature’s life force. He raised his hand and unleashed a barrage of shots. Knowing the monkey was extremely agile, five bullets collided in mid-air, sending shrapnel flying everywhere. The resulting explosion was significant, immediately causing area-of-effect damage.

The Biedami Ghost Monkey, already at the end of its tether, was hit by this ferocious blast. This savage and filthy creature followed the fate of its mount, plummeting to the ground. After a final, violent, bellows-like gasp, it would never rise again! Its body was riddled with at least seventeen or eighteen fragments, and smoke and flame gradually consumed it, its flesh sizzling and popping as it burned.

At this moment, Reef arrived. Fang Senyan hurried to catch up shortly thereafter. The "Ebola Virus Type I" he had contracted finally dissipated, and he was completely relieved to be free of the extremely awkward, limping gait of a disabled person.

Unexpectedly, the silver key dropped by the legendary Biedami Ghost Monkey turned out to be a dud key, exhibiting a single-direction surge effect, directly granting them a full twenty Potential Points. Curiously, its mount, Slinger, also dropped a black key. However, it seemed their luck was turning sour this time; the black key yielded a deep blue ring, the attributes of which were astonishing enough to elicit gasps of admiration.

Slinger’s Eyeball Equipment Rarity: Deep Blue Equipment Effect: Additionally increases the wearer’s Base Ranged Combat by two levels. This increase cannot apply to Contractors whose Base Ranged Combat already exceeds Lv10. (For example, if Morganza’s current Base Ranged Combat is Lv10, he should gain Lv12 upon wearing this ring, but the effect is nullified.) Hint: Wearing this ring does not grant an additional bonus draw attribute; it only grants the base reward. (For instance, if a Contractor with Base Ranged Combat Lv2 obtains this ring, raising their Base Ranged Combat to Lv4, they would normally draw a random bonus attribute, but in this case, they will not. They must actually raise their original Base Ranged Combat to Lv4 before they can draw.) Equipment Requirement: Strength 30 points, Stamina 30 points. Equipment Slot: Finger Material: Chitin, Carbohydrates, Protein Weight: 4 grams. Description: This equipment only drops from high-level Slingers in the Avatar world. Description: The Slinger relies on its sharp vision to move through dense jungles, accurately delivering precise and fatal shots to its enemies. If you obtain this, you have mastered at least half of the Slinger's aiming technique!

Although this deep blue ring only increased one attribute, that single attribute would be enough to cause a frenzied scramble anywhere else!

This ring would be useless for Contractors whose Base Ranged Combat is low, but for those who have already reached Lv6 or Lv7, pushing even further requires immense amounts of General Points and Potential Points. An immediate increase of 2 levels is thus exceptionally precious.

However, its wear requirement was also brutally high: 30 Strength and 30 Stamina!!! Some Ranged Shooter Contractors, prioritizing survival, might train Stamina as their secondary attribute, making 30 points achievable. But 30 Strength was extremely awkward.

Morganza pondered, then pooled the equipped items from all three of them, but still could not scrape together the required 30 Strength... He could only let out a long sigh. Fang Senyan already had his ring slots filled with the Savage Demon Pupil and the Flesh and Blood Ring. Fortunately, Reef had an empty ring slot, so he casually took the item to wear for amusement. Once Morganza gathered thirty Strength, he could take it directly. Everyone was curious what use it would be for him. Reef pulled out his throwing knives and made a gesture; the item still benefited from Base Ranged Combat modifiers...

The three of them looked at the steep slope before them, knowing the monkey must have fled toward them for a frenzied reason; the summit was likely where the Mosaque tribe resided. The sky was already bright, but considering the Na’vi inherently possessed night vision, daylight was actually more advantageous for them.

After discussing, they felt that since they had come this far without alarming the Mosaque people, they certainly had to ascend and take a look—at the very least, to witness the terrain firsthand.

Although the cliff slope was precipitous, an insurmountable barrier for ordinary people, for Fang Senyan and his companions, it merely required a little extra exertion. Yet, once they climbed to the summit, they couldn't help but hold their breath.

At the top of the cliff stretched an endless, flat plain that immediately gave a vast and sweeping impression, offering extremely open visibility. Most of the grass on the ground grew flattened against the soil, and scattered everywhere were grayish stones the size of pillows, smooth on the surface and riddled with numerous pores.

These stones appeared to be sponge-like rock formed from congealed magma after a volcanic eruption; they were very light and could even float on water. When the wind blew, the stones would roll slightly, giving the area its name: Windstone Highlands.

A few kilometers away from Fang Senyan and the others, an unbroken complex of stone structures rose up. These buildings were pieced together entirely from stone blocks, forming an exquisite wonder. Not only were there three- and four-story buildings winding along the terrain, but there were also stone paths spiraling around each structure, vine suspension bridges connecting the buildings, and a system of baskets pulled by various beasts, collectively forming an engineering and scenic marvel.

These paths, suspension bridges, houses, and baskets all exuded a sense of vitality, even possessing the feel of a human city. For the Mosaque tribesmen who built and still used them, the grandeur and boldness were truly a spectacle comparable to human achievements.

Seeing that the complex appeared deserted, Fang Senyan and the two others cautiously crawled forward. After advancing some distance, they realized it wasn't empty; rather, the Na’vi were all gathered in front of a temple, engaged in something akin to morning prayers.

The temple built by this corrupted tribe was magnificent. At first glance, it resembled a Mayan pyramid, but in its external form, it also bore a similarity to the Temple of Heaven in China.

Bathed in the morning light, gentle breeze, and rising sun, the temple presented a scene both strange and uniquely beautiful.

In front of the temple was a wide plaza, densely packed with kneeling Na’vi. Besides them, there was only the lonely sunlight and floating megaliths.

The vegetation surrounding the temple was luxuriant. White stone paths, winding in circular patterns, spiraled around the plaza, which was lined with countless stone pillars as thick as washbasins. The tallest reached seven or eight meters, the shortest three or five. They stood orderly, strangely, magnificently, stubbornly commemorating their faith and destiny. The pillars were carved with wavy patterns.

Suddenly, a leading Na’vi let out a shout. Although he was far from Fang Senyan and the others, they could feel the surging, boiling vitality in his roar, pounding against their hearts with the power of a vast tide!

Following this, the Na’vi leaped onto an immensely huge black Death God Beast and incessantly raised his hands, speaking to his tribesmen... and the tribesmen responded by raising their hands and shouting occasionally. Undeniably, this leader must be Kil’ork.

"Sixth Tier," Morganza suddenly stated flatly in the team channel.

Reef immediately countered: "Impossible! At least Seventh Tier. This level of pressure is probably no weaker than the giant Octopus Hachium from the Lord of the Rings world."

Fang Senyan snorted coldly: "No matter what tier he is, we’ll just drown them with a tide of one hundred thousand Thanator beasts. I already asked Moya; as long as the temple isn't destroyed, even the corrupted Na'vi shouldn't willingly abandon their faith and home to flee."

Seeing that the Na’vi were about to end their prayers and disperse, and having largely achieved their reconnaissance goals, Fang Senyan’s group planned their retreat. Just then, Morganza suddenly exclaimed, "Look, is that someone?"

Fang Senyan and the others were also surprised—could it be a captured RD staff member? They hastily looked in the direction Morganza indicated. They saw a massive spotted bull lying prone on the ground. On its back was a wooden cage resembling a prisoner cart, inside which was a person, bound hand and foot, their condition—dead or alive—unknown.

A large group of Na’vi began to surround it, raising their weapons and shouting loudly. It appeared the one locked in the cage had incited general outrage, becoming the target of everyone’s condemnation.

Today, Dianniang was acting up, and I couldn't log in at all. Can anyone guess who this captured person is? Heh heh. RO