Irving, Aron, and Jas were engaged in a fierce battle against the Lava Giants. The entire confrontation was intense, and the monsters in the Lava Mountains and the surrounding areas could sense the ongoing struggle. Weaker creatures naturally chose to hide, while stronger ones curiously peered toward the direction of the fight, eager to observe the combatants.
In addition to the monsters, mbers of the Night Blades were also present around the Lava Mountains. At the foot of one of the peaks, in a hidden cave, mbers of the Night Blades received the latest orders from their headquarters.
"What is this strange command? The headquarters wants us to search for lava gems that emit a cold aura in the Lava Mountains? How can a lava gem emit a cold aura? Isn't the power of lava gems associated with fire?" The squad leader of the Night Blades frowned as he read the order, muttering in disbelief.
In front of him were several ordinary mbers of the Night Blades. These mbers were quite weak, and they were here rely to help the Night Blades gather information about the surroundings of the Lava Mountains. As a result, they were unable to provide their leader with any useful intel.
"Are you even listening to ? Do any of you have any insight into the new orders from headquarters?" The squad leader expressed his dissatisfaction with his team's performance. Although he had noticed significant turmoil within the Night Blades, their headquarters could still offer them so assistance. After all, the weapons they were currently using were supplied by the Night Blades headquarters.
They had no choice but to carry out the orders they received.
After hearing his leader's inquiry, one of the ordinary mbers of the Night Blades replied nonchalantly, "Captain, I don't think you need to worry about the new orders from headquarters. They've sent a lot of commands recently, and most of them don't concern us at all. Our strength is too weak; we can't possibly find the lava gems that are said to emit a cold aura.
We only need to observe the surroundings. If we notice anything unusual, we can just report it back to headquarters, right?"
After hearing this, the squad leader of the Night Blades felt a surge of anger. However, he was at a loss for words because he realized that what the other person said made a lot of sense.
Just as he was contemplating what to say next, an old man dressed in tattered robes and leaning on a cane walked into the cave.
"Is this how you handle the orders from headquarters?" the elderly man asked, his voice frail and weak, directed at the Night Blades mbers in the cave.
The squad leader looked at him with confusion. He sensed that the old man was not particularly strong, but his presence here suggested that his identity was not simple. Therefore, the squad leader asked politely, "Who are you? Why are you here? We are mbers of the Night Blades. If you provoke us, you are provoking the Night Blades.
Aren't you afraid of the Night Blades' retaliation?"
Upon hearing this, the old man chuckled. Before he could finish laughing, he was suddenly overco by a violent coughing fit.
"Young man, although you are a mber of the Night Blades, that does not an you are invincible. Several elders of the Night Blades have already died. Do you really think your strength surpasses that of those elders?"
After saying this, the old man took off his hat. The mbers of the Night Blades finally saw the old man's true face, and at that mont, fear spread across all their faces. They recognized him; this old man was actually one of the elders of the Night Blades.
Moreover, he was among the top three strongest elders in the Night Blades, the only one capable of posing a significant threat to the Shadow Celestial—Elder Astra. Elder Astra possessed a very peculiar ability. He could transfer his ailnts to others and could also siphon vitality from others to himself. This bizarre ability made Elder Astra one of the most feared figures within the Night Blades.
"It's you! Elder Astra! Why didn't you inform us of your arrival in advance? We could have prepared for your visit!" The squad leader of the Night Blades imdiately invited Elder Astra to take a seat.
Elder Astra did not decline; he slowly sat down in the offered chair. "I certainly wouldn't inform you in advance because this ti, I am acting on my own accord. I did not obtain permission from the Night Blades headquarters."
Elder Astra's words left the Night Blades mbers even more confused.
"What is your purpose? If you ca here without permission, you must not be looking for the lava gem that emits a cold aura, right?" the squad leader of the Night Blades asked tentatively.
Elder Astra coughed twice again.
"I am indeed here to search for that gem! And I can tell you, the lava gem that emits a cold aura is actually a chaotic artifact. This gem possesses imnse chaotic power. I absolutely cannot allow this chaotic artifact to fall into the hands of the Shadow Celestial! I do not acknowledge him as the supre leader of the Night Blades; he rely usurped the position!"
The Night Blades mbers widened their eyes in disbelief at what they had just heard. They were shocked to learn that one of the oldest elders in the Night Blades openly questioned the authority of their new supre leader.
"You don't need to worry too much; I won't involve you in my struggle with the Shadow Celestial. He is aware of my dissent, and he is currently plotting against as well," Elder Astra said in a remarkably calm tone. His speech beca slower, as if he were being tornted by illness.
"Then, what do you want us to do? You didn't co here just to chat with us, did you?" The squad leader of the Night Blades quickly understood the implication. Since Elder Astra had appeared before them, it ant he needed their assistance.
Elder Astra nodded with a smile. "You are indeed very clever. I ca here seeking your help. I hope you can quickly capture so lava creatures. If you can manage to capture a Lava Giant, that would be ideal. However, I understand that you are not strong enough to defeat a Lava Giant, so capturing a few regular lava creatures will suffice.
I will wait here for your good news, so hurry up and go."
Though Elder Astra's tone was very gentle, his command was one that could not be refused. The squad leader of the Night Blades quickly led his team out of the cave.
Once the others had left, the expression on Elder Astra's face gradually turned cold. He coughed heavily several tis and spat a thick phlegm onto the ground.
The thick phlegm contained a large number of bacteria that began to proliferate uncontrollably the mont it touched the ground, eventually corroding the surface and creating a massive hollow. Within this hollow, a ladder descended into the dark depths below.
Elder Astra slowly made his way down the ladder. As he entered the underground area, the enormous hollow in the cave gradually disappeared. In the pitch-black environnt, Elder Astra continued his descent.
After about half an hour of travel, Elder Astra finally reached the ground.
"It seems that no one has ever been here before! Then, the chaotic divine stone should still be safely stored here," he mumbled to himself.
Suddenly, a glimr of light appeared in the dark underground area. This light quickly expanded, illuminating the entire space. Elder Astra found himself in a concealed warehouse.
Inside this warehouse were nurous rare weapons that Elder Astra had previously discovered. At the very center of the warehouse lay a gem radiating a ghostly blue light, resting in the sturdiest cabinet. This gem was the chaotic divine stone ntioned by Elder Astra, the sa artifact referred to in the orders from the Night Blades headquarters as the lava gem that emits a cold aura.
"I will never let you find the chaotic divine stone! Although I am not your match right now, I will soon find allies. Once I gather my allies, I will join forces to defeat you completely. You have no right to rule the Night Blades! I am the one who truly deserves to lead the Night Blades!"
Elder Astra had long desired to beco the supre leader of the Night Blades. He had been secretly amassing his power. If nothing unexpected occurred, he would soon have the ability to control the Night Blades. However, the ergence of the Shadow Celestial had thwarted his plans.
The Shadow Celestial was much stronger than the previous supre leader of the Night Blades. Elder Astra did not dare to confront him directly. Therefore, he could only sche in secret, away from the Shadow Celestial's eyes.
But Elder Astra was also acutely aware that his actions were likely to expose him to danger. He needed to formulate a strategy quickly. He had to act before the Shadow Celestial detected his conspiracy; only then could he ensure his victory over the Shadow Celestial.
Before directly challenging the Shadow Celestial, he needed to ensure that the Shadow Celestial's power would not increase further. Thus, he aid to prevent the Shadow Celestial from acquiring any chaotic artifacts.
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