Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, a woman in a black robe with cat ears on her head was darting through the forest.
She was the third-ranked on the leaderboard, Diona.
Diona was a being with an abnormal sensitivity to machines and data.
She possessed the innate ability to manipulate data, making her a god-like existence in the digital world of ones and zeros.
She could traverse the Black Robes' communication systems, and even their main consoles, without being detected.
This ability was truly heaven-defying, equivalent to having a Reality Stone in the digital realm, allowing her to do as she pleased.
Diona's ability was inherited from her parents.
As for why she had cat ears, one only needed to look at her mother...
Just moments ago, Diona had emerged from a mechanical labyrinth she had constructed.
She was a member of the Egart faction, but not part of Aaron's squad.
Using certain means, she had witnessed the battle between Shan Hai and Aaron.
And now, she was making her way towards the location where the two were fighting.
Her speed was incredible, but the "thousand miles" on this planet were measured in cosmic terms.
Without the ability to use space-type skills or items, Diona's legs were suffering.
However, to achieve her long-held goal, she needed the assistance of either of these two individuals.
The probability of success was extremely low, so low that Diona had no confidence at all.
But her mother had told her when she was young that effort could move mountains, and that hard work always yielded results.
And without effort, there would be no reward.
For her own objective, Diona would not let this opportunity pass; she had to take a gamble, even if it meant risking her life.
Her first target was Aaron.
It was precisely because she wanted to utilize Aaron that she had meticulously joined the Egart faction.
Aaron, the son of Egart, had an undeniable backing and network of connections.
However, it was precisely because of his status that Diona's small goal was not easily achievable.
It wasn't that it was impossible to achieve, but rather that the chips Diona had to offer might not be enough to sway Aaron into helping her accomplish that small objective.
As for Shan Hai, he appeared in her sight entirely by chance.
With her data manipulation ability, any camera or mechanical device was essentially her own.
During an accidental instance, she saw Shan Hai.
His ability to complete S-class missions as easily as drinking water drew her attention.
From that point on, Diona's focus gradually shifted to Shan Hai.
Given Shan Hai's capabilities, he had a high probability of being able to help her.
However, Shan Hai's personality presented a challenge; he might very well ignore her completely.
Her current act of observation was to gather more data before making a final decision on whom to seek help from.
Boom!
Another deafening sound echoed. Diona, who had been contemplating while on the move, stopped in her tracks, daring not to approach any closer.
In her eyes, a light of yearning flickered.
It was a yearning for power.
The booming sounds continued, with an endless array of attack styles.
The sky ahead of Diona had become dark.
The mass of this planet was terrifyingly immense, and only once in the Black Robes' system records had a battle of this magnitude occurred on this planet.
On that occasion, the two combatants had gone on to become top-tier figures, each commanding a faction.
Diona discreetly deployed a miniature virtual surveillance device.
This device was similar to a drone on Blue Star, but being virtual, it had no physical form and could not be destroyed.
She controlled the surveillance device as it rapidly flew towards the area where the two were engaged.
The battle between Lin Feng and Aaron had practically engulfed half the planet.
Many people were bewildered, wondering why the ground had suddenly begun to tremble.
Others, more astute, glanced at it and then ignored it, diligently focusing on earning points.
Diona's surveillance device flew at extreme speed, soon reaching the battlefield.
The ground, battered into a veritable inferno, gradually came into view.
Within a hundred-mile radius, not a single plant stood.
The earth was sunken and scorched black, with smoke rising from many areas.
The sky was a deep black; it was unclear how the fight had escalated to such a state.
And Diona was not the only one observing this battlefield; several individuals from the Dark Space were also present.
"Do these two youngsters remind you of yourself and Egart in your youth?"
The old man's voice echoed, filled with a hint of teasing.
The young voice remained silent for a moment.
"More than that, old man."
"This fight is far more severe than ours was back then..."
"What exactly is going on with this Shan Hai?"
"I can understand Aaron. Egart has always groomed him as his sole heir, never sparing any resources."
"Aaron's current strength is understandable, but this Shan Hai??"
The young voice pondered for a moment, then slapped his thigh, his analysis dawning on him with a sense of realization. "Could this be a hidden pawn cultivated by the Golden Silver Tree?"
As he spoke, the young voice felt it was even more plausible.
If this were not the case, why would Shan Hai's strength be so peculiar?
The residual force of their battle capable of destroying this planet was not something an ordinary Black Robe could easily achieve.
Resources, bloodline, and protection – all were indispensable.
"Now that you mention it, it's not entirely impossible..." The old man stroked his beard, deep in thought upon hearing this analysis.
"If that's the case, then obtaining Shan Hai might be rather difficult for you."
The old man's expression sank. "Effort will determine the outcome; only by trying can one know the result."
"Besides, it hasn't been confirmed that this Shan Hai is a hidden pawn cultivated by that young fellow Jin Yin."
"As far as I know, they haven't touched their resources much for years. To cultivate such combat power, their resources would have to be utilized."
Hearing this, the young voice let out a chuckle.
"Old man, you've exposed yourself. Doesn't that statement imply you have a mole in the Golden Silver Tree?"
The old man paused, then chuckled nonchalantly.
"In the words of you young people, isn't this standard operating procedure?"
"Whose faction doesn't have a few backstabbers?"
The young voice's eyes narrowed, and he sighed with a hint of melancholy. "Indeed, that's something no one can avoid."
"After all, human greed... is boundless..."
The old man shook his head. "Let's set that aside for now; it's pointless."
"Did you notice that Ophelia, who also belongs to the Golden Silver Tree, was unharmed?"
"Of course, I saw it. It seemed Shan Hai intervened to protect her, didn't he?"
The young voice said, then suddenly paused.
"You mean...?"
The old man smiled.
"Precisely, Shan Hai's true nature still requires further assessment..."
"Let's see, let's keep watching. It's been a long time since I've encountered such an interesting young fellow..."
With that, silence once again fell upon the space.