Barrier of Light

It was very windy and snowy.

Overwhelming.

An elite team of six people was trekking hard... Their shoulders were covered with snow-white lizard emblems, which were the symbolic tokens of the White Lizard General of Beizhou.

The strength of these extraordinary people has all reached level three or above, and they are the absolute elites in the Beizhou Survey Corps.

The route they were taking at the moment was an exploration road evaluated by [Deep Sea] as a Class A danger rating. Starting from the Gubao Fortress, after leaving the huge wall of the fortress, they boldly headed north for twenty kilometers, and then passed ten kilometers. After a five-kilometer tortuous trek, you will encounter a huge snow-capped mountain canyon squeezed and broken by a black hole. In the [Old World], such a collapsed and broken giant mountain is a natural maze.

The Survey Corps has explored thirty-seven wrong paths in the past ten years.

North of the fortress, there is more than just broken order.

There is still a glimmer of hope.

Maybe after walking out of this canyon, humans can see the oasis...at least, get closer.

This team maintained the wing formation and advanced slowly.

After leaving the giant wall, the air becomes thinner, and the wind and snow contain the corrosive power of the collapse of order. For extraordinary people who are not strong enough, they must wear source armor to keep moving freely... Even if Beizhou invests a lot of money. After research and development, the latest generation of source armor is not enough to support the survey corps' unbridled advance. They must return within the specified time, and if they encounter a storm during the exploration process, the probability of survival is almost zero.

The most important thing is that [Deep Sea] cannot cross the giant wall and establish a spiritual link with these extraordinary beings.

What they saw and heard could not be transmitted back to Beizhou.

Therefore... the most important task of the Survey Corps is not to investigate a safe way to go deep into the [Old World].

More importantly, come back alive.

Once you die, there is nothing.

"The thirty-eighth route exploration, the seventeenth time... There is no problem at the moment. It's time to replace the source energy fuel." Hong Zhong, the captain of the six-man team, spoke in a low voice on the main control channel, "All members have to replace the source energy fuel. , prepare to return."

This is considered a successful exploration.

The previous thirty-seven routes were also considered this way before discovering the "dead end" and encountering the "black hole" that could not be cleaned. The extraordinary people who entered the Survey Corps must have strong psychological quality. They shoulder the most dangerous tasks in Beizhou. 30% of extraordinary people are injured in exploration missions every year.

There are countless crises hidden in the [Old World], take this canyon for example... The phenomenon of order collapse is like a broken mirror, hidden in every corner of the snow-capped mountains. If you look at it with your eyes, you will definitely be deceived.

And if it comes into contact with the black dots, even for just a moment, the extraordinary person's body will suffer major damage that cannot be cured.

A transcendent person who can join the Survey Corps must have an extremely strong spirit and a tough psychological quality.

The Beizhou military has equipped everyone with instruments to detect "free source matter".

The six-person team repaired on the spot and replaced the spare source energy fuel.

They were located in a gap in the canyon, but this ghost place was extremely bright, even a little blinding... A large amount of flying snow reflected blazing white light one after another.

It looks like...the future is bright.

The light is a bit dazzling.

In fact, every transcendent in the team knows that there is a high probability of a huge "order collapse point" hidden nearby, and this incredible burning sunlight is the extraordinary rule that comes with it.

Just when everyone is preparing to return.

The detection instrument made a low sound.

"Free source material detected ahead."

Someone in the channel spoke nervously.

Hong Zhong immediately issued an order: "Everyone stay where you are."

The chirping sound coming from the instrument... meant that there was a "discrete source of matter" that was very close to the area. He went north on dozens of missions and often encountered this situation.

"Black holes" are certainly scary.

But their growth rate is extremely slow, and they are unconscious and will not take the initiative to attack, which means...as long as they don't take the initiative to touch, they will not be in danger.

In this case, staying put is the best option.

Observe first, judge later.

The free "source matter" may be a split phenomenon caused by the collapse of order. A certain black hole was too huge and split into... two?

The six-person team subconsciously gathered together and used instruments to find loose points in the "source matter", and a scalp-numbing phenomenon appeared.

When the instrument turned to the direction of return, the low alarm sound became very sharp.

The alarm of the instrument means one thing.

The source of disorder, where order has collapsed, is pouring in from the direction of return.

The team fell into a dead silence.

There is no doubt that this is devastating news. There is only one way to return home. If you follow the alarm instructions on the inspection instrument... then this road has been cut off.

The most ironic thing is.

Under the incandescent light of large expanses of snow, the long and narrow return road dazzled brightly.

"Team...captain..."

A young newcomer who had not long joined the team subconsciously moved closer to Hong Zhong. He stared at the alarm direction of the detection instrument and asked in a hoarse voice: "We...can't go back?"

Hong Zhong silently looked at the long, blazing road.

Of course...he replied in his heart.

This entire canyon is full of broken and wrong paths.

There is only one correct way, and of course there is only one way back.

Whether there was a long path out of the canyon, he didn't know.

But the one leading back to Beizhou has been submerged—just now.

The saddest thing is that at the visual level of the "naked eye", that road still exists... This is simply a cruel mockery of fate. If a snow mountain collapse occurs, at least everyone will know that this road has been cut off. There was no possibility of returning home.

"What should we do now?"

In the dead silence of the team, an experienced veteran team member sighed.

Everyone turned their attention to the captain.

"The backup energy...if everything goes well, it will be enough to last for a month."

Hong Zhong used a lot of strength to keep himself from looking back and looking at the direction of his return home. He looked at the 38th route where he had stopped and said softly: "Our hope is not lost... maybe there is another possibility. "

The other five teammates were all stunned.

Then they realized what the captain meant by possibility...

Yes.

There is another possibility.

That is, the thirty-eighth route of the Survey Corps is feasible. They left this canyon... and behind that canyon is the legendary "oasis".

"We have no choice, right?"

Hong Zhong rubbed his cheek and said softly: "Either be buried in the snow and turn into a withered skeleton that no one cares about. Or walk out of the snow-capped mountains and become a hero who returns home with great achievements."

The low morale in the team was swept away.

Everyone has seen "hope", even if there is only a ray of hope... But in a desperate situation, this ray of hope is enough to make a person try his best.

"Now, everyone repairs for three minutes. After three minutes, we will continue to explore the complete thirty-eighth route. If anyone wants to give up moving forward, you can raise it now and I will respect it. It is just the way home. It has been completely severed.”

Hong Zhong adjusted his watch, counted down three minutes, and then said calmly: "Our source energy and fuel are limited, and once we start, we can't stop. If someone gives up midway, they will be regarded as deserters... Everyone, make a decision now. It’s time.”

After saying all this.

Hong Zhong stretched out his hand, palm upward, silently waiting for a response.

It was three minutes of silence.

It’s also three minutes of fighting your own inner demons.

Three minutes are up——

A palm was placed on Hong Zhong's hand. The veteran team member who had been with Hong Zhong for many years sighed and said with a smile: "You guys have always had good luck. I bet you will still have good luck this time. "

Hong Zhong smiled silently.

"Captain...and me."

The young man took a deep breath and put his hand on the second one.

Soon, all six palms were placed together.

"In that case...everyone, please move forward with me."

Everyone held their breath and looked forward. That was the breaking point where the investigation mission should have ended. This time they had to continue trekking and start the "journey", either burying their bones in the snowy mountains or finding a new way out.

However.

No one expected that... this journey did not last long at all, and there was no expected desperate situation of "running out of ammunition and food".

Only tens of minutes.

The team arrived at the exit of the snow mountain canyon. The thirty-eighth route was correct. This maze that had troubled the Survey Corps for nearly ten years found the correct answer at this moment... The sound of howling wind and snow in the distance was no longer violent.

The instrument's detection response to the source energy also gradually extinguished.

The pointer on the indicator plate gradually returned to zero. No one dared to believe that this was real. If there is a world in the [Old World] where the essence is no longer free, then this place must be the legendary "oasis" .

Six people stood at the exit of the huge canyon, staring blankly at the scene in front of them.

After leaving the broken canyon, the view suddenly opened up. In front of them was the boundless sky, the swirling white clouds, and the gradually spreading and melting frozen snow.

Hong Zhong looked in a daze.

It turns out that we only need to move forward a little bit...really just a little bit to reach this "dream land".

Perhaps, all this is guided by the goddess of fate.

The goddess of fate once again favored me and cut off her escape just to give her new life.

"hiss……"

A slight sound of breaking through the air rang in my ears.

Hong Zhong subconsciously looked back, only to find that the path he had taken had been covered with darkness at some point. The flying, bright and dazzling snowflakes had lost their luster and fell one by one on both sides of the mountain wall, seemingly moving slowly. Squirming.

Like...scales?

next moment……

A huge shadow, with a "whoosh" sound, passed over everyone's heads at an extremely fast speed.

The team members, immersed in the joy of discovering the "oasis", have noticed something strange. When the slight and biting wind blows across their cheeks, there is a moist smell of blood.

"It's... why is it dark?"

Someone murmured.

The huge shadow finally stopped moving at high speed, and instead hovered, slowly enveloping everyone.

Six people raised their heads.

The sky and the earth are dark.

And two golden rays of vertical light shot out from the gloom, like the burning sun in the dark night, locking them firmly.

Those are two huge "snake pupils".

And the damp and bloody sky wind is the sound of Snake Letter spitting out.

"hiss……"

"hiss……"

On the thirty-eighth route, on both sides of the snow-capped mountain exit made up of countless pieces of snow, the mountain walls began to slowly move. Thousands of scales collided, like gunpowder, igniting the flying snow, burning fiercely and scorchingly. Holy light.

A large snake coiled high, spitting out its thin tongue, raised its front body indifferently, closed its body, and warmly embraced the explorers who had glimpsed the light.