The sky had brightened, the sun slowly emerging from the rosy clouds, dispelling the lingering mist.
Within the White Wood Forest, special forces, investigators, and bizarre hunters began to depart.
Compared to their arrival, some figures were inevitably missing, even though the situation today had been much easier than anticipated.
Most of the awakened ones wore smiles, facing the golden dawn.
One hundred kilometers away, Anmen City.
Despite the tense atmosphere, life had to go on. People had gradually grown accustomed to the early morning calls of vendors hawking their wares, with passersby stopping to make their selections.
It was quite lively, filled with the essence of everyday life.
The people had no idea that, just over a hundred kilometers away, a terrible disaster had just been averted.
It was better that they didn't know.
Fang You slowed his pace, like an ordinary pedestrian out for an early morning stroll, meandering through the streets and alleys, casually eliminating minor bizarre entities lurking in the shadowed corners.
Around him, pedestrians laughed, haggled with vendors, or erupted into curses during their arguments.
A kaleidoscope of diverse people, their different emotions and colored motes of light appeared in Fang You's vision.
The seven emotions and six desires.
Joy, anger, sorrow, happiness.
This was the human world.
He too, with a smile, paused for a moment, then hailed a ride, arriving at the Anmen City high-speed rail station. He moved through the not-so-crowded flow of people and reached the gate.
Xiao Huan had already bought his ticket.
He extended his hand in a gripping gesture.
"Beep!"
"Passenger Zhang San, identity verification successful."
He walked in with familiarity, waited a moment, and then boarded the train bound for Shuize City.
The scenery outside the window receded rapidly, mountains stretched in succession, and rice fields lay in patches.
However, many of these rice fields were now abandoned. Using 'Bizarre Tracking,' in the dim vision, he could still see some large figures in the distant mountains.
Wandering, they were still far from the speeding high-speed train.
Xiao Huan had bought him a first-class ticket. Sitting next to Fang You was a young woman whose appearance could probably be rated 90 points.
He used "probably" because Fang You hadn't looked closely, only catching a fleeting glance as he looked out at the scenery.
Majestic peaks.
He was referring to the view outside the window.
He didn't mind.
He gradually closed his eyes as if dozing, and the interface of the Salvation Game appeared in his mind.
It was time to tally the spoils of war.
...
It would take quite some time to travel from Anning City to Shuize City.
Fang You leisurely reviewed the game records.
The spoils from this endeavor could be divided into several parts.
First, the ordinary bizarre gate missions.
There were a total of five, and they provided a modest amount of Destiny Points, with each mission yielding '50-60' points, rated between B- and S+.
Well, for those five special bizarre realm missions, the Flame Keepers had personnel present.
Only when one had their own people present could it be considered participation in a mission.
However, due to a shortage of personnel, two of these only had newcomers like Master Ming Deng and Gou Ping'an, who were purely there to gain rewards and played no leading role, resulting in lower ratings.
Moving up, there were Pei Hongjing and Yin Ling.
With A-grade ratings, they received additional rewards.
The highest was at the location guarded by Yi Luoxi, rated S+, and Xiao Huan had collected footage of Yi Luoxi's battle. It could only be described as violent; this young woman was like a human-shaped mobile artillery piece, constantly unleashing fireballs.
Her talent not only doubled her firepower but also reduced consumption and provided strong endurance.
"The Destiny Points might not be much, but the other items from special missions are the main attraction. A total of over two hundred bizarre crystals were obtained, along with over a hundred white-grade cultivation cards, more than twenty green-grade ones, and stamina potions, basic weaponry, and so on."
"More importantly, there were four Skill Seeds and ten secondary apostle recruitment vouchers!"
This was equivalent to being able to contract more new members and expand the number of personnel.
Excellent.
And both Destiny Points and bizarre crystals were harvested in considerable amounts this time, mainly from the eradication operation in the White Wood Forest.
Throughout the entire process, hundreds of missions were cleared, and the vast majority were group missions, with bizarre entities swarming.
"This part yielded 1166.6 units of Destiny Points, and over a thousand bizarre crystals. A sudden windfall."
"This is also thanks to the contributions of the brethren from the Investigation Bureau. Many missions, even if only slightly benefited from, still provided Destiny Point income."
"Not only that, but Hei Dao and An Jianyou have accumulated a large amount of 'mystery' this time, far exceeding the basic requirements for the third awakening."
Of course, they were also exhausted.
An Jianyou's mental state was still relatively full, but Hei Dao, that old brother, was not. He was currently asleep in a hotel in Anning City.
Fang You had left Hei Dao behind and gone ahead.
Xing Jinglei was currently with Hei Dao, but his 'mystery' accumulation was far from sufficient. In short, he was lagging behind, not ideal.
The first batch of rewards came from several ordinary bizarre gate missions.
The second batch of rewards came from the cleanup of the White Wood Forest.
The third batch of rewards was from the bizarre gate missions in the White Wood Forest.
Whether in terms of danger, leadership, or number of kills, it far surpassed other locations, achieving a very high rating.
And most importantly, this mission was of a higher level.
"White Wood Forest - Bizarre Gate (Special · Four-Star)"!
"Notification: The Destiny Savior solo killed 'Four-Star · Cataclysmic' bizarre entity Black Flame Giant Centipede, resulting in a comprehensive mission rating of SS+."
"Notification: Received Destiny Points, Bizarre Crystals, Skill Cultivation Cards (White, Green), Stamina Potions, Mental Potions, etc., numerous."
"Notification: Received 'Secondary Apostle Recruitment Voucher (Green) x8', 'Skill Seed (Blue) x3'."
"Notification: Received 'Intermediate Skill Selection Scroll (Blue)', 'Elementary Skill Selection Scroll (Green) x3'."
In addition to vouchers and skill seeds, there were also valuable skill books.
This was equivalent to one blue book, three green books, or six green books.
The grades might not seem high, but with Skill Seeds, many skills could be equivalent to a legacy.
The legacy of the Flame Keepers could continuously cultivate outstanding newcomers.
Fang You opened them on the spot.
Starting with the elementary skill selection scrolls, three green-grade skills immediately appeared, classic three choices.
"Blade Slash," "Bizarre Tracking," "Shadow Step."
"Bizarre Tracking," "Palm Lightning," "Copper Skin."
"Cannon Fist," "Cloud Chasing Stab," "Mental Shock."
Green-grade skills seemed... to have fewer options?
Indeed, there were quite a few less.
He naturally chose those he didn't currently have skills for, picking 'Shadow Step', 'Copper Skin', and 'Mental Shock'.
Shadow Step was equivalent to a low-tier version of Illusionary Void Step, but it couldn't fly.
Copper Skin's effect was as its name suggested, a defensive skill.
Mental Shock was even simpler.
He glanced at them briefly and put them on the exchange list, setting different recommended weights and different exchange prices.
Then he looked at the remaining Intermediate Skill Selection Scroll.
At first, he hesitated, but after opening three elementary ones, the facts showed that the types of elementary skills might not be many, and the repetition rate was too high.
He wanted entirely new skills more.
Ultimately,
He settled on a skill called 'Fission Lightning'.
...
He had no intention of using several of these skills for himself; it was the collective strength of the Flame Keepers that truly mattered.
He simply put them up for a high price and got them for free.
Glancing at the scenery flashing by outside the window, Fang You's thoughts gradually drifted back to the past.
That figure.
Maggot-Man Priest! Avatar! Throne-level!
"Just an avatar possessed incredibly powerful strength, already exceeding the category of a three-star bizarre entity. Then, is the Maggot-Man Priest, a Throne-level being, comparable to a five-fold or even a sixth-fold awakening?"
"Did he originate from the deeper reaches of the bizarre realm? Is it possible that one day, his true form could enter the Blue Star?"
"On the Blue Star, are there still similar beings?"
"Maggot-Man Priest, what is he sacrificing to?"
The more he thought, the more pressure he felt.
There were many things to do currently. First, the bizarre realm must be explored... but that was under the premise of finding a way to move freely within it.
Second, foreign countries.
He had to make a trip abroad.
Xiao Huan had collected a lot of intelligence for him. The situation in foreign countries was much more severe than in Donghuang, with some smaller nations already reduced to hellscapes.
He was not a selfless saint. With his limited capabilities, he had to prioritize the safety of his own countrymen.
However, there might be beings similar to the Maggot-Man Priest abroad, and they must be identified, otherwise, the holes through which bizarre entities infiltrated the entire Blue Star would only grow larger.
And the Investigation Bureau.
"The Investigation Bureau wants to have a formal conversation with me. This is not a bad thing."
"The current timing and my own strength are sufficient to support deeper cooperation."
"Let them come to me."
He pondered, and continued to handle various matters on the Salvation Game interface in his mind.
He yearned to return.
Because, in addition to all the rewards mentioned above, not long ago, just as the sun rose, a prominent golden notification had appeared.
"Notification: 'Maggot-Man Priest Avatar' has been killed, and six associated bizarre gates have been closed. All bizarre entities surging from this bizarre gate have been eradicated, achieving the hidden achievement - Crisis Annihilation. Destiny Points +100, and base level two permission has been unlocked ahead of schedule."
"Level Two Permission: The main base can be upgraded, buildings such as the training ground and lounge can be upgraded, and the fourth level of the base can be opened, allowing for more base entrances."
There were no longer any personnel inside the base, and the main base was currently undergoing an upgrade.
He yearned to return, but as he rested with his eyes closed, he gradually drifted into a deep sleep.
In his dream, the sky was azure, without any bizarre entities, and the Blue Star was at peace.
...
"Slurp~"
"Slurp~"
In Anmen City, at a roadside eatery, An Jianyou was already on her third bowl of noodles. She patted her slightly rounded stomach and let out a contented sigh.
So comfortable!
Wiping her mouth, she looked at the pedestrians walking by on the street, at the gentle sunlight, and her lips gradually curled upwards.
Such peace, such tranquility, also had a part of her contribution.
"Alright, alright, I'll bring you back some local specialties, be good," she said to the girl on the video call.
She then turned her head to look outside, tilting her neck, and faced the dazzling sunlight.
It felt so good.
...
A few streets away,
Xing Jinglei walked out of the hotel. The nearly midday sun was scorching. He spread his still bandaged arms and bathed in the sunlight.
It was a warmth different from the places swarming with bizarre entities.
He ignored the strange glances from passersby and let out a hearty laugh.
Foolish people, do you know that today's peace is due to my bloody battle?
You don't understand!
But this kind of peace... it's not bad either.
He grinned and returned to the hotel, knocking on Hei Dao's door, "Old brother, let's go have some fun. My treat."
After a battle, it was time for some fun.
Men's friendships were often this simple.
But Hei Dao refused.
He had already put on his gear. "Not a second can be wasted. The more sweat you shed in your free time, the less blood you'll shed on the battlefield."
"I'm leaving, you do as you please."
Hei Dao picked up his huge weapon case, walked past Xing Jinglei, and disappeared from his sight step by step.
Just like that, he left?
Continuing to train? You've only rested for a short while!
Xing Jinglei stared blankly at the retreating figure, stomped his foot, "Damn it! Now I don't even feel like having fun. It's just lifting weights, I can do that too!"
He chased after him.