Yun wasn't entirely clear on the matter; he just felt that the Qin family likely had numerous young ladies like the Second Miss, and sending her on such a risky venture seemed somewhat wasteful.

This revealed a fundamental difference in values between Zhong Yun and the established aristocratic families.

In his view, beauties of the caliber of the Qin Second Miss possessed a form of privilege. Although he had clashed with her before and fought without reservation, that was only because she had threatened his life.

But in the eyes of the Qin family’s upper echelon, the value of the Second Miss clearly couldn't compare to that of other core disciples. She possessed neither combat talent nor genius for management. Purely an ornament—and even the prettiest ornament couldn't measure up to those core members capable of becoming the family’s pillars.

To reassure the warriors dispatched to the "Golden Ruins" and ensure the mission proceeded smoothly, sending the Qin Second Miss was considered logical. The Qin family was absolutely determined to succeed in this endeavor.

Hong Yuting’s expression stemmed from a realization mirroring his own experiences. They, the favored sons of great families, had been enveloped in dazzling halos since childhood, subjects of envy and admiration, yet they too frequently found themselves not masters of their own destinies.

Glancing up, Zhong Yun's expression shifted slightly. Swarms of flying creatures, each as large as an adult human and sporting long, fleshy wings, poured in from all directions at incredible speeds.

These flying creatures had evidently appeared suddenly. The construction automatons were still deployed, and many Mech Pilots remained inside their landing pods, scrambling out to meet the threat upon hearing the alarm.

Zhong Yun recalled that when they first arrived, the Gu family had already dispatched four teams to maintain perimeter security. Yet, when these flying beasts attacked, they had received no warning whatsoever.

Clearly, those four Mech Squadrons had been annihilated before they even had time to sound an alert upon encountering these creatures. Each team comprised ten Mech Warriors; not one had managed to transmit a distress signal.

The combat prowess of these flying organisms was terrifyingly high.

The Mech Warriors scattered nearby engaged the flying creatures briefly. After one round of firing, they immediately fell back. The sheer number of the attackers was overwhelming—a tide blotting out the horizon. The hastily mobilized Mech Pilots could not withstand such pressure.

“What terrifying creatures,” Hong Yuting exclaimed in shock. Sometime earlier, he had moved to Zhong Yun’s side.

Zhong Yun’s expression was grave, and he remained silent. Casualties were already mounting among the peripheral Mech Warriors. The speed of the flying beasts was astonishing; the mechs, not renowned for velocity, were quickly overtaken.

The primary weapon of these flying entities was their claws, whose sharpness rivaled any top-tier alloy weapon, capable of tearing through mech chassis. Moreover, their abdomens could emit a pale crimson light; any mech struck by this beam suffered corrosive pitting in its armor.

A monstrous life form, Zhong Yun thought, a massive wave of shock surging within him. A creature relying on sheer brute force could contend with a Five-Star Mech—this was unheard of.

Humans with profound strength, leveraging psychic abilities, could indeed overpower advanced mechs.

But even evolution of power had its limits; it could never truly rival high-grade alloys. These creatures before them overtly shattered that established understanding.

Just then, the landing pods suspended mid-air began to hum, and arrays of energy cannons illuminated, blasting the approaching flying creatures into oblivion.

Under the high-tech weaponry of human civilization, even formidable entities like these beasts could not resist. Under the dense barrage of energy fire, they plummeted like dumplings from the sky.

Zhong Yun had anticipated this outcome, which was why, despite his shock, he wasn't frantic. With a hundred fortress-like landing pods present, these creatures posed no significant threat to the base.

A war of attrition, human wave tactics, was destined to fail against such a technological disparity.

Yet, the flying creatures possessed an indomitable, reckless spirit, throwing themselves forward like moths to a flame, charging even when death was certain.

Soon, a mound of corpses accumulated around the perimeter, forming a literal line between life and death, a boundary the flying beasts could not cross.

The massacre raged for nearly half an hour before, with a piercing, sky-rending shriek, the swarm began to retreat, quickly vanishing from sight.

Zhong Yun’s gaze sharpened. He distinctly glimpsed, shrouded amidst the mass, a single, significantly larger variant entity glowing a faint gold. It was only a fleeting glimpse, instantly obscured by the dense throng of grayish-black flyers.

At that moment, Zhong Yun distinctly felt three substantial gazes fixated upon him, one of them like a piercing arrow digging painfully into his skin.

Zhong Yun did not turn. Who else present could impose such pressure upon him other than Gu Yi, Lan Yuling, and Qin Lianbai? That arrow-like stare could only belong to Qin Lianbai. Following their previous altercation, they had forged a deep, irreparable feud. Qin Lianbai made no attempt to mask his hostility.

Despite his disguise, deceiving the three of them was impossible. Zhong Yun was merely surprised to encounter them so soon and to be recognized.

It was likely that Gu Yi and the other two had also emerged while he was observing the flying creatures.

Zhong Yun pretended not to notice, flying straight back to Hong Yuting’s landing pod. He could feign ignorance, but Hong Yuting could not. He forced a greeting toward the trio before hurriedly retreating into the pod.

“The Qin Second Miss is here too,” Hong Yuting remarked from inside his assigned cabin.

“Oh?” Zhong Yun queried, surprised. “Isn't she the Qin family’s little princess? Why would they let her come to such a dangerous place?”

Hong Yuting sighed, a rare hint of melancholy crossing his face. “Precisely because of her exalted status that she was sent.”

Zhong Yun paused, then a flicker of understanding dawned upon him. “The Qin family has more than just her among their important younger generation, correct?” He still struggled to grasp the reasoning.

The Qin Second Miss held supreme status; if she had remained aboard the Freedom instead of descending, the Qin family’s warriors wouldn't have objected. But her presence here changed the significance entirely.

The Second Miss’s charm had captivated not only all the nobles of the Andu Empire but also held unparalleled influence among the Qin family’s subordinates.

The Qin leadership was eager to leverage this. Establishing an idol figure significantly boosted troop morale and loyalty. To this end, they had specifically orchestrated several public appearances for her. With her irresistible charisma, the Second Miss had become the dream girl of the Qin warriors.

The Second Miss possessed neither superior skill nor talent for management, yet she held a position of immense stature within the Qin family. Her value lay in being an exceptional bargaining chip for strategic marriages, and her... influence.

Having someone of her unique standing accompany this team into the "Golden Ruins" was a signal from the Qin family: they placed immense importance on this operation. Its effect on morale was irreplaceable.

The inherent dangers within the "Golden Ruins" were self-evident. Though fiercely loyal, the Qin warriors were not necessarily willing to die here. Those selected were elites with limitless futures; they were naturally reluctant to perish on this desolate world. Such sentiments were unavoidable.

When the family demanded sacrifice, whether willing or not, one had to dedicate everything—life, emotion—to the cause.

Hearing Zhong Yun’s question, Hong Yuting chuckled. “You don't know that while the Qin Second Miss seems glorious in the Qin family, her actual position is rather awkward.”

Noticing Zhong Yun’s keen interest, he elaborated. “To speak of it, the Second Miss originates from the Qin family’s direct, highly distinguished lineage; her maternal grandfather was a former Vice Minister of Energy. Her parents perished in an accident shortly after she and her elder brother, Qin Liuxing, were born. She and her brother were raised by their grandfather. In those days, she could certainly be called the Qin family’s little princess.”

“Alas, that good fortune was short-lived. When she turned ten, her grandfather passed away. The siblings became complete orphans, raised thereafter by her paternal uncle. Her grandfather's branch line had produced no notable talents, and after his death, that line began to wane.”

“As she grew, her charm began to bloom, leading the family to re-emphasize her importance. She was cultivated as a prime asset for strategic alliances. Normally, a woman without backing or demonstrated talent within the family would find advancement nearly impossible. But the more beautiful she became, the more the Qin family valued her.”

“When she turned seventeen, the Qin family hosted a grand birthday banquet for her. At that event, her beauty captivated every guest. She instantly became famous, hailed as the most beautiful woman in Andu.”

As if recalling the scene, a trace of infatuation flickered in Hong Yuting’s eyes. “The supreme, irresistible charm she displayed conquered not only the young men of the various great houses but also the Qin leadership. As the Qin family’s sharpest diplomatic tool, she was devastatingly effective. She consequently vaulted to become the foremost figure among the Qin younger generation.”

“However, as she aged, a problem became increasingly prominent,” Hong Yuting raised an eyebrow, “and that is her marriage.”

“In the Andu Empire, thousands wished to marry her, and several hundred were deemed qualified. Deciding whom to marry her to became the Qin family’s greatest headache. The marriage proposals were simply too numerous, many from parties the Qin family absolutely could not afford to offend.”

He chuckled wryly. “The Qin family effectively shot itself in the foot; marrying her to anyone inevitably meant offending a large faction. Eventually, they were at their wit’s end and spread word: she would marry whomever she herself wished, regardless of their standing.”

Zhong Yun listened with rapt attention. He hadn't realized the Qin Second Miss was entangled in so many complexities. By this accounting, she was a scorching potato for the Qin family, and sending her here might have an even deeper layer of consideration.

If she were to accidentally perish here, all the disputes sparked by her existence would vanish.

The possibility struck Zhong Yun, and a chill ran down his spine.

Seeing the startled look on Zhong Yun's face, Hong Yuting paused, then something clicked in his own mind, replacing his surprise with a look of horror. He had now considered the implication as well.

He hadn't reached that conclusion initially, but explaining the details now brought the possibility abruptly to the forefront of his mind. He understood the methods of these powerful families even better than Zhong Yun did.

Although the notion was horrifying, who could say the Qin family hadn't entertained such a contingency when making this decision?

Zhong Yun let out a quiet sigh. Who would have thought that this lofty little princess of the Qin family, this peerless beauty, would face such a fate? A trace of pity surfaced in his heart, immediately followed by the thought that perhaps he had been excessively harsh with her during their previous encounter.

In the attack by the flying swarm, a total of sixty-one Mech Warriors were lost, including the forty who were on perimeter duty. However, they exacted a price a hundredfold greater from the enemy. Every warrior killed at least a hundred monsters before falling.

A casualty ratio of one hundred to one still left them shaken. Could the monsters on this continent possess individual strength comparable to a Tier Two human?

And a more pressing question arose: were there even more terrifying creatures on this continent? If so, how devastating would their power be?

The first day on this planet resulted in fatalities, casting a shadow over the entire contingent.

For the past few days, Zhong Yun had remained inside the landing pod. The power display during the last battle had instilled great confidence in him. As long as the energy reserves held out, this shelter was secure.

He had been meticulously studying the few creatures he managed to capture, which he dubbed "Mosquito-Ants." These sparrow-sized beings possessed immense strength; it was truly difficult to fathom how such colossal power resided within such small frames.

Hong Yuting possessed no instruments for biological analysis. The Gu family certainly did, but borrowing equipment from them would be impossible. Better not to approach that closed door.

Nevertheless, Zhong Yun had made a breakthrough. During one experiment, he unexpectedly detected the presence of Yuan emanating from a "Mosquito-Ant." At first, he dismissed it as a hallucination. He had never heard of animals generating Yuan.

After repeatedly running hundreds of trials, he finally confirmed it: the "Mosquito-Ant" did indeed possess Yuan fluctuations, albeit extremely faint ones. He was certain of the energy signature.

This is an insect? Insects can generate Yuan?

Zhong Yun felt a surge of cognitive dissonance.

This was a staggering revelation.

The Yuan in humans wasn't generated spontaneously; it was an evolutionary method discovered through countless years of human exploration. It progressed in tandem with technological development. The advancement of human civilization was inseparable from these two elements: without Yuan, humanity could never have evolved to this extent; without that evolution, such advanced technology could never have been conceived.

Human physical limits were finite, but Yuan offered a pathway for continually increasing human strength.

If other life forms were also generating Yuan, what would that signify for humanity?

Zhong Yun could barely begin to imagine the implications.

At this moment, he felt an intense premonition that this "Golden Ruins" might very well be Pandora’s Box—once opened, the consequences would be unimaginable.