Within the dense jungle, the Nine Riders of the Ideal Literature sped forward like flying arrows.
Soon, an enormous cavern appeared before their eyes!
"This is the Red Moon Gorge, the entrance to the Eastern Corridor!" Yan Luo subconsciously pulled back on the reins of **'s blood-red dire wolf.
The others simultaneously halted their furiously galloping mounts, each face etched with solemnity!
The nine participating members this time were: Me, Yin Hong, Bai Yan, Yin Hu, Yin Tao, Chi Xiang, Chi Yu—a powerful combination of three warriors, two pathfinders (or rogues/scouts), and two mages from Ideal Literature.
Accompanying them were Yan Luo, who was guiding the way, and Chen Feng.
Although Chen Feng's combat power was low, he was the only one present who knew how to remove the gallbladder of a Red Moon Demon without damaging it!
Obtaining an intact gallbladder from a magical beast was no simple task; it was something only a highly skilled Apothecary could manage.
As one of the finest warriors and apothecaries in Xingui Village, Chen Feng was naturally the optimal choice for this mission.
The designated contact for backup was Chi Ming.
Ever since equipping the Memory Set, Chi Ming and Chi Hao had ceased participating in direct combat.
Their sole task was logistics, rendezvous, and spatial teleportation.
After all, Ideal Literature, these two were seldom-seen Spatial Archmages, a rarity on the continent.
If anything happened to such talent, we wouldn't even have anyone to weep to.
Up until a year ago, following the successful raid on the Demon Sealing Emperor's Palace, Yin Shuang, Ji Du, and others had distilled numerous crucial insights regarding surprise attacks and long-range assaults from that battle!
These were then subjected to countless drills!
Eventually, the "Heavenly Sword" formation was perfected.
The so-called Heavenly Sword was essentially the massing of heavily armored warriors into a powerful, concentrated tactic for pinpoint strikes.
Stealth, sudden movement, high mobility, and concentration—these were the entire essence of the Heavenly Sword.
It was akin to modern military special airborne troops: striking wherever and whenever desired.
Through the teleportation capabilities of the spatial mages Chi Ming and Chi Hao, the Black Flag Legion's heavy infantry could materialize in any designated combat zone in the shortest possible time.
Ideal Literature—this was a revolutionary tactic far ahead of its time!
The Heavenly Sword had now become the Black Flag Legion’s most devastating killer move.
Because Chi Ming and Chi Hao, responsible for spatial transfers, could not participate in the active combat, Chi Xiang and Chi Yu stepped in to replace them, becoming the core mages among the Black Flag heavy infantry.
It could be said that the current Black Flag Legion was a super legion boasting an incredibly powerful lineup!
Jungle Maze, Eastern Corridor.
We had finally arrived!
To be honest, at this moment, I was extremely, overwhelmingly thrilled!
As a die-hard, veteran legendary player, I believed no one would be unfamiliar with the Red Moon Gorge.
I could never forget the time when, after establishing our guild with Brother Tian Tian Long, we launched a massive expedition into the Red Moon Gorge.
It was during that expedition that we finally grasped what a terrifying entity the Red Moon Gorge truly was.
Perhaps stemming from memories of a past life, even now, I harbored an inexplicable dread toward the Red Moon creatures within the gorge.
One must remember how many times Brother Tian Tian Long and I had perished inside the Red Moon Gorge in our previous existence.
The terrifying Moon Demon Spiders, the robust Blood Zombies, the hideous Sky Wolf Spiders, and the seductive, eerie Flower Kiss Spiders.
Even now, I could clearly recall the horrifying scenes of being instantly killed by them.
And having transmigrated to the Mafa Continent, the Red Moon Gorge held an extraordinary significance for me as well.
After all, wasn't the very reason I decided to step into the Ranger world to one day pierce into the Demon Altar and defeat the Red Moon Demon?
It was relying on this firm conviction that I finally reached this place!
Now, this long-cherished wish was finally on the verge of fulfillment.
To say I wasn't excited would be a blatant lie!
Subconsciously taking a deep breath, I managed to restore my composure, then carefully surveyed the surroundings.
This location was near the northern edge of the Jungle Maze, surrounded by a primordial forest composed of towering trees that blotted out the sky!
Vast and magnificent, radiating a primitive, profound aura!
And the massive cavern before us resembled the gaping maw of a monstrous beast, appearing deep and terrifying.
It felt as if once stepped inside, there would be no way out!
Was this the entrance to the Red Moon Gorge?
"Xiao Man!" Perhaps sensing the change in my expression, Chen Feng moved close beside me.
"Finally, we made it," perhaps only Chen Feng could understand what I was feeling right now.
"Yes, we've finally reached this step," I murmured to myself.
Ideal Literature "Let's go in.
We shouldn't keep Aunt Lan waiting too long," Chen Feng said.
"Mm," I nodded slightly, then looked towards Ji Du, the Spirit Medium, Yin Tao, and the others.
".........." Everyone wore grave expressions, awaiting only my command.
"Move out!" "Yes!" Nine people, nine mounts, swift as the wind, they darted into the cavern!
Ten minutes later, we finally traversed the long, dark passage!
Light flooded our vision!
What greeted us was a hazy, sickly green expanse.
On both sides were sheer walls, constructed of brownish-green strange rocks that looked as if they might collapse at any moment.
The ground, too, was a bizarre, ghastly green, from which one could faintly see wisps of brownish-green gas slowly rising.
It was unsettlingly eerie!
The entire space seemed enveloped by a layer of green fog, making everyone uncomfortable.
Of course, I was not unfamiliar with the scene before me.
It seemed identical to what I had witnessed on the ninth level of the Illusionary Realm.
According to the map compiled from Yan Luo's preliminary exploration, we now knew we were only in the Eastern Corridor of the Red Moon Gorge.
To the northwest of the Eastern Corridor was a large cavern!
Passing through that cavern led to a vast, open plaza, hence it was also called the Gorge Plaza!
To the north of the Gorge Plaza was another cavern; passing through that cavern led to the Place of Decision!
And in the center, north of the Place of Decision, was a mountain tunnel; passing through that tunnel would lead to the Valley Secret Passage.
The Valley Secret Passage had two tunnels, leading respectively to the Red Moon Demon Lair and the Demon Altar.
Our target was the Demon Altar.
We pressed forward at full speed!
Whoosh!
Soon, a large expanse of gray, indistinct shapes appeared before us, accompanied by violent tremors and sharp shrieks!
"It's the Moon Demon Spiders," Yan Luo said, highly tense.
"Leave them to us," Yin Hu and Yin Tao immediately charged forward!
And Chi Xiang and Chi Yu didn't even pause for a moment!
"Ice Roar." "Explosive Flame." Almost the instant the Moon Demon Spiders appeared, the two immediately unleashed powerful magical assaults!
The cultivation level of an Archmage of Heaven's Radiance was not to be mocked.
The maximum coverage area for an Ice Roar cast by a Red Moon Mage was only about eight square meters.
However, when cast by an Archmage of Heaven's Radiance wearing a Mage God Cloak, the Ice Roar spanned thirty square meters.
And its power was countless times greater.
In the blink of an eye, the surging tide of Moon Demon Spiders was squarely struck by the descending Ice Roar.
They were then smashed onto the ground.
Whoosh!
The severely wounded Moon Demon Spiders let out piercing, agonizing cries.
But before they could even stir, a flash of red light appeared!
Followed by a dull roar!
Accompanied by powerful magical shockwaves!
It was Chi Xiang’s Explosive Flame crashing down upon the dense clusters of Moon Demon Spiders on the ground!
The terrifying power was like an explosion from a high-energy nuclear device.
Innumerable severed limbs mixed with dust and rubble blasted into fragments sprayed everywhere like shrapnel!
When the smoke and dust cleared, the group saw only a massive crater; not even a single scrap of a Moon Demon Spider could be found.
"What a superb combination of Ice and Fire," I couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
Yan Luo and Chen Feng beside me were left dumbfounded.
"Th-This!
Is this the true power of an Archmage of Heaven's Radiance?" "In the blink of an eye, an entire swarm of Moon Demon Spiders vanished without a trace," Yan Luo murmured, "The Moon Sect struggled immensely to clear a swarm this size previously." "We are ashamed," Chi Xiang and Chi Yu said with slight embarrassment, "This was only achievable thanks to the immense magical energy channeled by the Mage God Cloaks." "Heh, stop being modest," I said seriously, "It seems you two have undertaken incredibly rigorous training over the past year.
You are much stronger than when you were on the Demon Sealing Continent." "There is no strongest, only stronger," Chi Xiang and Chi Yu replied, "Marshal's teachings, we keep them constantly in mind." "...Uh...
what?" I stared at the two coolly composed Archmages of Heaven's Radiance, utterly taken aback!
There is no strongest, only stronger!
I remembered saying that somewhere!
"..." Yan Luo and Chen Feng looked at me, beyond mere astonishment, with a strange, indescribable expression, as if they were meeting me for the first time.
The two from Chi Xiang and Chi Yu, however, did not pause, quickly advancing forward.
I, Yan Luo, and Chen Feng quickly remounted and followed.
All the way!
Moon Demon Spiders, Steel Fang Spiders, Patterned Spiders, and countless other Red Moon creatures surged toward us like a tide.
But in the face of the two super mages, Chi Xiang and Chi Yu, these Red Moon creatures didn't even get a chance to get close.
Ice Roar and Explosive Flame acted like incredibly powerful cannonballs; every Red Moon creature that dared approach was blasted into dust.
And even the few creatures that managed to break through the magical bombardment would be cleaved into pieces by Yin Hu and Yin Tao.
The two warriors and two mages acted like four heavily armored tanks with formidable firepower, advancing at astonishing speed.
Meanwhile, Yin Hong and Bai Yan guarded the flanks, responsible for protecting Yan Luo and Chen Feng.
Although they had few opportunities to strike, I could keenly sense that the progress made over the past year was not limited to Chi Xiang and Chi Yu.
Yin Hu, Yin Tao, Yin Hong, Bai Yan, and the others were also growing at an astonishing rate!
Led by the four vanguard fighters, we advanced without any perceptible delay.
Two days later, we finally reached the Valley Secret Passage.
"Passing through this tunnel leads to the Demon Altar," Yan Luo sounded nervous, "I don't know the situation inside.
Our last exploration stopped right here." "Thank you," I said earnestly, "Leave the rest to us." "Be careful," Yan Luo looked reluctant; she clearly wanted to enter with us, but she also understood that her abilities would only hinder us and make her a liability.
"Don't worry," as I comforted Yan Luo, I pulled out the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission!
"Activate Heaven and Earth Unite; send Yan Luo back first." "Yes!" came Chi Ming's echo from the other side!
Whoosh!
The space before my eyes instantly rippled with a distortion.
Yan Luo and **'s blood-red dire wolf vanished in a flash!
"Done," I turned back, "Next, let's make some serious noise." "Marshal Unbeatable!" "Black Flag Victorious!" Yin Tao and the others chanted the slogans almost reflexively.
Roar!
**'s Mammoth King let out a thunderous bellow, leaped forward, and shot toward the tunnel like lightning!