Cataclysm King

Chapter 405: Holy Crown City Ruins

A month later.

On a rugged mountain road deep in the Old Continent, a mercenary group of a thousand people from the Southern Continent was camping and resting.

The team was huge and had dozens of marching tents.

A flag with a hammer and thunder was hung above the main tent of the adventure group.

This is "Thunder Hammer", one of the top mercenary groups in the southern continent.

At this time, in a tent.

Ji Xun, disguised as a mercenary, is meditating with his eyes closed.

The tent was set up with a complex forbidden barrier to prevent the energy of the moon hanging in the tent like a bright lamp from escaping.

In the quiet tent, there was a strange and confusing spiritual field.

I don't know how long it took, Ji Xun opened his eyes and slowly exhaled: "Hu"

In an instant, his consciousness returned to reality, and the confusion in his eyes faded away, replaced by his usual calmness.

After pondering for a moment, he muttered to himself: "The effect is getting worse and worse."

Just now, while Ji Xun was meditating, he also used the extraordinary properties of the moon to put himself into the illusion world of "Empty Moon Divine Thoughts".

He constructed a beautiful and joyful dream for himself.

Ji Xun was not greedy for that illusory pleasure.

It is to suppress the pollution of [Dark Magic].

When he fought against General Ragon before, he enjoyed the fight, but he overused the power of the Dark Magic Seal and was quietly contaminated by this relic.

At first, Ji Xun thought that the pollution had simply added a "feminine" personality to his many personalities.

This time I found that the problem was more serious than expected.

After all, [Dark Magic] is the relic of Emperor Lanlingster, and its pollution is definitely not something Ji Xun can withstand at his current level.

A few days ago, Ji Xun discovered that not only some of his behaviors in daily life had become more feminine, but he also "naturally accepted" this change.

What’s worse is that there are big problems not only psychologically but also physically!

The feminization pollution actually directly caused the body's estrogen secretion to become more vigorous, which made Ji Xun find that his skin had gradually become smoother and his beard had not grown but started to fall off. His whole temperament and appearance had become "handsome".

There has been a complete change in the physiological structure of the body!

Ji Xun doesn't want to turn into a witch in the flesh.

And I've previously communicated with the leader of the rebel dragon army, "Faded" Griffith, and learned that this "witchification" is irreversible and can only be suppressed and alleviated.

So Ji Xun followed that person's advice and chose the most direct and effective method, which was to "indulge in women."

But this is not easy.

As Ji Xun’s rank rises, his control over his will and body has reached extremely high levels.

Pure carnal desire has little appeal.

The female friends he had close contact with were all exceptionally outstanding, whether it was Song Yu, Dong Qi, or Catalina, they were all extremely beautiful.

The most important thing is to have an emotional foundation, which is the best catalyst for joy.

This makes Ji Xun's threshold of pleasure extremely high.

In addition to the physiological changes caused by pollution, the opposite sex is generally not attractive to them.

Besides, it is difficult to indulge in women in this remote countryside.

Fortunately, there is the Moon.

It is like a real joyful dream, which can keep people in a state of high secretion of male hormones and prevent the body from being polluted and continuously effeminated.

But this method also has drawbacks.

After all, it is an illusion created by oneself, and the scenes that appear in this dream will be changed by one's own subconscious mind.

In the previous dreams, Ji Xun fulfilled all kinds of beautiful dreams.

But just now, he found that even in his dreams, he was becoming more feminine.

This means that dreams can no longer satisfy his needs, and he needs stronger real-life lust to suppress pollution.

But Dong Qi is now in Eastern Wilderness again.

Do I have to go back to find Catalina?
Ji Xun pursed his lips.

Although he knew that Catalina would definitely not mind, he could even imagine the scene of being teased by her.

But I always felt that it was not right for me to go back to that old friend for this matter.

Thinking of this, he felt a little helpless and said to himself: "Hey, this [Black Magic] really needs to be used less."

But it was just a sigh, not a real regret.

Without this glove, he would never experience the excitement and fun of fighting a seventh-level card master.

It was precisely because of this cross-level battle that his understanding of various martial arts had skyrocketed recently.

There are always gains and losses.

Moreover, the gloves' own "Skill +99, All Elements Affinity +50%" attributes made Ji Xun's understanding of the extraordinary feel better than ever before.

Thinking of this, he raised his peripheral vision and glanced at his own shadow.

If there were outsiders here, they would definitely be scared by this scene.

Under the moonlight, he had three shadows of varying brightness.

I don’t know if it’s because of the recent combat insights or the influence of the [Dark Magic] gloves, but Ji Xun’s proficiency in his professional-exclusive skill [Clown’s Shadow Trick] has also skyrocketed.

Then a few days ago, he suddenly found that he could condense two more shadows.

Although the more shadows there are, the weaker their strength becomes.

But for Ji Xun, it was already a great surprise.

Whether it is inquiring for information or learning, it is a huge improvement.

During this period of time, he has been practicing the "Thousand Books of Puppet God Sect", an exclusive secret technique of the "Magician" sequence, and his ability to multitask has become more and more proficient.

The separated shadow clones can also comprehend knowledge like the main body.

Although the efficiency is a bit low and the comprehension is not enhanced by the physical body, it is completely sufficient for reading some classics that do not require much comprehension.

This made Ji Xun's learning efficiency increase many times.

The chaotic thoughts in my mind disappeared in an instant.

Ji Xun woke up from his joyful dream and started his daily practice again.

The main body held the [Space Rune] in his hand to comprehend the mysteries of the laws of space, while the three shadows each flipped through the classics.

He absorbed vast amounts of extraordinary knowledge efficiently like a whale.

Before we knew it, it was almost morning.

Suddenly someone outside the tent shouted, "Everyone, prepare to break camp!"

"Thunder Hammer" is the top mercenary group in the southern continent with very strong overall strength.

Although it is called a mercenary group, it is more like a large legion that relies on hunting monsters and adventuring to open up new lands, with hundreds of thousands of members.

The legion commander is a genuine eighth-level strongman.

As time went by, the main forces of the mercenary group also entered the Old Continent one after another.

The team that Ji Xun is in is a transport team in the Warhammer Regiment.

Their mission this time is to transport the legion's supplies to the core area of ​​the Old Continent.

Others didn't know the destination, but Ji Xun had already guessed it.

About 90 kilometers further north is a super-large ancient relic - Holy Crown City.

During the Talen period three thousand years ago, that city was the closest county seat to the imperial city of Behemoth.

Obviously, the top leaders of the Arel Empire were also heading for the capital of the Taren Dynasty.

However, it was obviously discovered much later than the Rebel Dragon Army.

After all, the leader of the Dragon Rebellion Army is Griffith, a descendant of the eunuchs in the Talen Palace, and she possesses a lot of information that others don't know.

After eating the march rations, the team set off.

Ji Xun set off with the team escorting supplies.

He is now at level six and no longer dares to lurk in the official legion, so he just mingles in the mercenary group.

The routes taken by the transport team were all safe routes that had been opened up by the pioneer adventure team, and the journey of several hours was smooth.

Soon, Ji Xun heard a lot of noise.

After the transport team passed through the ruins of a collapsed fortress that had been cleared, the view suddenly became clear.

This is a super large hunting camp.

Bright lights.

Densely packed tents were everywhere in the mountains.

All kinds of colorful flags fluttered in the wind.

Ji Xun was already familiar with the meanings of the various emblems and flags of the Southern Continent, and recognized them at a glance.

In addition to the "Thunder Hammer Mercenary Group", there are also the "King's Knights", "Golden Spear", "Mountain Dragon Heavy Armor" and other top mercenary groups in the southern continent.

There are dozens of other vassal mercenary groups of all sizes.

In the camp, some of the hundred-meter-high magic towers have been built, and some are under construction.

Ji Xun had seen the introduction of the magic tower in the classics. This thing was essentially a magic turret, a pure weapon of war.

The power of a hundred-meter-high eight-story magic tower is almost equivalent to that of an eighth-level card master.

There are more than a dozen of them here. With such an exaggerated firepower network, even a ninth-level cultivator would feel their scalp tingling.

Not only the magic tower, but also various huge war golems stand majestically in the camp.

It can be seen that these mercenaries are planning to stay here for a long time.

The transport team that Ji Xun was in was transporting these camp construction materials. When they arrived at the camp, everyone started unloading the trucks.

There were many powerful auras in the camp, and Ji Xun did not dare to be too ostentatious. He followed other mercenaries in carrying supplies while observing the situation in the camp.

Thick fog was floating in the camp, and visibility was fluctuating.

Ji Xun was very interested in the magic tower and war golem in the camp, and was thinking about how to find a chance to get closer and take a look.

However, unexpectedly, the wind suddenly blew at this moment.

The strong wind not only blew away the fog in the camp, but also blew away the sea of ​​fog farther away.

Suddenly someone shouted, "The fog has cleared! Everyone, get to work!"

This loud shout instantly set the entire adventure camp in an uproar.

Fully armed mercenaries came out from tents of all sizes, and then excitedly gathered towards the north of the camp.

Ji Xunye finally saw the situation to the north of the camp clearly, his eyes froze: "This abyss rift? No, it's a broken space!"

Only at this moment did he realize the special location of this adventure camp.

It is not the ordinary mountain campsite that you might first see.

It is built on the edge of a cliff.

It was like the location of the Nugget Pier. Further north was the endless void like the Abyss Fissure.

The clouds dissipated, and the scene in the crack became clear.

Unlike the abyss rift on the edge of the City of Innocence, the rift here is not filled with endless fog, but with countless large and small "plane fragments" that look like islands.

“That’s really an exaggeration.”

When Ji Xun saw this, his eyes trembled.

According to the map, this was supposed to be a huge city with a population of tens of millions called "Holy Crown City".

Normally, adventurer camps will be built near the ruins.

Ji Xun was wondering why the camp was not in the ruins, and he didn't see any traces of ruins around.

Unexpectedly, it wasn't that these mercenaries didn't want to do it.

But the Holy Crown City had been shattered into pieces, and the fragments were in the endless void.

"Was the battle that year so exaggerated?"

Ji Xun knew that these were the remains left over from the battle that destroyed Taren, and he also guessed that this was the result of the war between gods, so he was so emotional.

Looking at the fragments scattered across the void in front of me, it was the first time that I witnessed the exaggerated combat power of the god-level with my own eyes.

At his current level, one punch of his could blast mountains and split rocks apart, already considered terrifyingly powerful.

In this way, a large piece of the plane is shattered, and it seems that it is no longer a dimension.

This feeling is like tearing a two-dimensional piece of paper into pieces and scattering them in the three-dimensional world.

At present, Ji Xun is unable to understand what is going on with those floating plane fragments and why they can become a floating state like the universe.

But the facts are right in front of us.

The devastating battle that King Taren fought that year directly shattered a large area of ​​land near Holy Crown City.

Moreover, this is the city closest to the imperial capital Behemoth. If nothing unexpected happens, the situation in the imperial capital is similar.

No wonder the people from the Rebel Dragon Army wanted to steal the Void Dragon Ship before.

These plane fragments floating in the void are like isolated islands in the ocean. Without a ship, it is difficult to explore the depths.

When the fog dissipated, the mercenaries gathered in groups towards the north.

There are directional teleportation arrays near the edge of the cliff near the camp.

As the purple light on the teleportation array lit up, groups of mercenaries were teleported away.

Ji Xun's pupils were slightly cold, his gaze focused on the far distance, vaguely watching those mercenaries appear on pieces of continental fragments through the air.

I thought that maybe a card master with spatial ability moved the fragments little by little, or used some special means of transportation to build a teleportation array on the fragments, so that the mercenaries could be teleported over.

However, this will reduce the efficiency of exploration.

It is not known how long it will take to reach the imperial capital Behemoth step by step. It may even take several years.

Ji Xun looked at this scene and thought of those who rebelled against the Dragon Army again.

They planned ahead and grabbed the dragon boat, so they could get to the imperial city ruins earlier and probably gain more benefits.

Although they were fragments, some were as large as dozens of football fields, while some were so large that they looked like a complete continent.

There are not only ruins on it, but also twisted light gates representing the entrance to other dimensions.

Just looking at it, it seems like an unexplored treasure trove is waving to people.

In the battle of collapse three thousand years ago, countless card masters perished here, even some at the god level.

One can imagine the treasures in these ruins!

But at the same time, there are countless secrets hidden in the dust of history.

Ji Xun's eyes gradually became hot as he watched, and the unknown brought by this adventure also deeply attracted him.

As he was thinking about it, the mercenaries around him were all shocked.

"Hey, Lao Mo, what's going on?"

"You just came here. Do you know the broken void in the north? That is the ruins of the Holy Crown City, which was once known as the 'First Mechanical City of Talen' three thousand years ago! Oh, you don't know that this is an ancient battlefield with countless treasures left behind. Hunters who went there to explore these days found many ancient weapons, armor, cards, classics, secret scrolls, and countless rare treasures. One lucky guy even found a 'divine weapon fragment' with some divinity left. The royal family directly rewarded him with a title and territory!"

"The treasures scattered on the ruins alone are already a huge harvest. Not to mention the other-dimensional spaces. Anyone who has come back alive from exploring other-dimensional spaces these days has earned enough money to last for several lifetimes. Several of our group leaders have already led people into the depths, but they haven't come back yet."

"Ah? There are so many treasures in this relic?"

"That's right! I'm sure this is definitely the ruins that has produced the most and best treasures since the development of the Old Continent. The several large-scale different-dimensional spaces that have been discovered, such as "Battle of Holder Fortress", "Penrose Space-Time Maze", and "Horror Worm Cave", are producing a large number of high-level treasures every day, including space crystal cores, precious metals, top-level energy stones, potions, and special cards. There are also many other-dimensional spaces that have not been explored, and there are surprises every day."

"But you should think carefully before you go. This ruins is rich in resources, but the mortality rate is also extremely high. Now there are not enough war slaves to explore the caves. The leaders have also received a 'limited time to open up the wasteland' from the Church, and they are in a state of panic."

"Lao Mo, why don't you go?"

"Haha, this is all I have. I'll be satisfied if I can earn some money doing logistics work."

"."

Ji Xun also mixed in the crowd, listening to a mercenary who had been here for many days bragging.

Putting aside the hearsay, he was roughly certain that these ruins had indeed produced countless treasures.

But it was expected.

No one knows what happened during the final collapse of the Talen Dynasty, but Ji Xun speculated that the fall of Holy Crown City should be the last few key battles.

Since the continent has been destroyed, there must be top-level powerhouses and large legions involved.

It is normal that there are many treasures left in the ruins.

However, Ji Xun was concerned about one thing. This Holy Crown City was the "No. 1 Mechanical City of Taren" back then. Would it produce some rare machines?
I think it should be inevitable.

After the goods were moved, Ji Xun and his logistics transport team had nothing to do and everyone went about their business.

Like other mercenaries, Ji Xun excitedly went to the Adventurer's Guild in the camp to inquire about information.

As the fog dissipated, a large number of mercenaries just left the camp.

But even so, when Ji Xun went there, the mercenary guild's tent was packed.

"In the war story mode of 'Black Light Fortress Attack and Defense', we recruit powerful output players who are good at the story, and recruit a large number of main forces above level 3 [Black Knights]. "

"'Fadil Mine' is open to B-level difficulty, to heal the occupational professional."

"'Horror Worm Cave' to swipe space materials, survival and monster-killing mode, super-large dimension, unlimited rank, explore A~D level difficulty. The highest level has produced legendary materials. Unlimited recruitment of violent output professional team members, the main output of the Iron Boots Group leads the team."

"In the horror story mode of 'The Castle of Horror Monster Victor', only the D-level story has been completed so far, and the output of mysterious relics and materials of gold quality or above is unknown. If you are good at solving puzzles, please contact the Thunderbird Group."

"Official recruitment of the Black Dragon Royal Family: C3 area is being opened up, and hunters are being recruited with a large sum of money. In addition, a large number of cannon fodder hunters are being purchased."

"."

Ji Xun took a quick look and found that this was no different from hunter guilds in other places, with announcements for issuing tasks and inviting people to team up for exploration.

But the difference is that those tasks are really tempting.

Ji Xun quickly scanned the intelligence he had access to, summed up the countless fragments of information in his mind, and then pieced together some relatively complete story plots.

It's basically the plot related to the "Battle of the Collapse of Holy Crown City".

Ji Xun didn't find it strange.

What surprised him slightly was that the number and risks of different dimensional spaces were the largest he had ever seen.

According to the Mercenary Union's estimates, the number of alien spaces discovered near the Holy Crown City ruins that have produced living people is less than 5% of the total number!

This means that if you want to explore these spaces, you may have to spend the next few years here, and countless people will die here.

Ji Xun looked around and saw several different dimensional spaces that interested him.

The inevitable mortality and rewards of space have always been of great interest to him.

To reach the sixth level, a high-level card master to the top level card master, requires a lot of perception and understanding of the rules.

Ji Xun also needs some external help now.

Based on past experience, the other-dimensional space usually understands one's needs better than the card master.

As long as you can come out alive with high evaluation, the harvest will not disappoint you.

But he wasn't in a hurry either.

I just arrived at the camp, so it’s not too late to collect some information and make a decision later.

After Ji Xun took a tour of the Hunter's Guild, he started wandering around the camp.

Cautiously let him observe the environment and retreat routes in every new situation.

The camp is very large, almost a large city.

However, the major mercenary groups separated most areas, and the public areas were only a few streets.

In addition to the tavern street for entertainment, the most lively place is the mercenary market.

The mercenaries brought out all kinds of strange and weird things from the ruins. Many of those who did not leave for the time being would choose to set up stalls to sell them to clear their stock.

After all, the camp is full of managers from the major chambers of commerce in the southern continent who are responsible for receiving goods, so it is convenient to cash in and carry the goods.

As Ji Xun walked, he finally arrived at the market town.

He wanted to see what the ruins produced and get more information needed for his deduction.

Most of the people setting up stalls are lone mercenaries or small teams. The quality of the goods is not high, and there are also various appraisers constantly searching the market.

Ji Xun looked around but didn't find any chance to "find a bargain".

But he found another striking building.

Next to the Mercenary Market, there is a large building that is constantly emitting black air.

Ji Xun didn't know what the building was used for at first.

But after seeing a group of mercenaries pulling in a pile of large items covered with gray cloth using a dragon cart, he immediately understood.

This is the "Rongjin Workshop".

The use of machinery is a forbidden art in the southern continent.

Therefore, all mechanical equipment found in the Old World was basically destroyed on the spot and melted into metal materials for forging weapons and armor.

Anyone who secretly keeps mechanical equipment will be arrested as a "heretic" by the Holy See.

The Holy Crown City was originally the first mechanical city of Talen, so there must be a lot of mechanical fragments produced in the ruins.

Coincidentally, when Ji Xun was watching the group of people unloading the goods just now, he found a few familiar iron lumps among the fragments of the pair of mechas.

Aren’t those just some fragments of the God Hunter’s armor?

Advanced armor requires a large amount of rare metals.

The people of the Southern Continent only care about the raw materials of these machines and do not care about the technological value of those mechas at all.

When Ji Xun saw this, his thoughts suddenly became active: "The Mechanical Army still needs a large amount of rare magic metal. Isn't this coming?"

Whether it is Katarina's allied forces or Song Can's Black Gold Chamber of Commerce, the rare metals are far from enough to build a legion.

Now the ruins of Holy Crown City produce a large amount of mechanical materials, isn't that just perfect?
And looking at the transportation quantity, the amount is not small.

It should have been found in some mechanical-related alien dimension or ruins.

Thinking of this, Ji Xun decided to ask where these mechanical waste materials were produced.

He was also very curious whether there was any clue about the [Titan Armor] or if he had ever seen the mysterious [Mechanical Angel].

It would be a big surprise if you could really find it.

(End of this chapter)