Martial Ascent to Divinity-Chapter 410 - 395: The Four-Faced

The chain-bearer stood still, nothing happened. He faced Aiden and the others, raising the Ancient Heart of Life.

Aiden and the group felt anxious and regretful, beginning to hesitate.

Suddenly, the Ancient Heart of Life in his hand exploded, transforming into a dense white light that enveloped the chain-bearer.

A powerful life aura emanated from the chain-bearer, so pure it resembled an angel among demons.

Aiden’s lips curled slightly; it was just as he expected. This Ancient Heart of Life was a trap, merely an aura, not the real thing.

The chain-bearer looked at his body, panicking.

Now, he was the brightest beacon in the dungeon.

"No one can catch me. I’ve absorbed the power of the Ancient Heart of Life! I’m about to ascend to nobility!"

The chain-bearer yelled loudly, picked a passage at random, and dashed inside, quickly disappearing from everyone’s sight.

Some people noticed that wherever the chain-bearer went, a clear life aura was left behind.

The crowd sighed.

This chain-bearer’s done for.

The Giant Bear Druid whispered, "The golden baby appeared, and it’s fake gold."

Everyone continued to dig for Ancient Tree Fossils silently; though it should have been joyful, their hearts were filled with a sense of crisis.

This place might become the vortex of the entire dungeon.

They all wanted to leave, yet no one was willing to.

It’s fine to give up on the Ancient Heart of Life, but how could they not dig the Ancient Tree Fossils?

"Dig a little and leave, dig a little more, dig a little and leave..."

Everyone recited similar phrases in their minds.

Zhou Leng dug quickly with both hands, struggling internally.

"Just five more minutes, only five minutes, it’s so dangerous... How is time passing so quickly? Another five minutes, just five, this piece is so large..."

pieces, 25 pieces, 30 pieces...

Seeing one Ancient Tree Fossil after another increase in the Magic Spirit Bag, Zhou Leng couldn’t control his hands.

Knowing full well the risk was enormous, yet unable to leave.

After all, these are Ancient Tree Fossils, an abundance of them.

Not only are they useful to the Innate, but also to the Grandmaster, and even to the Martial Saint.

With just this handful in his possession, he could ignite a national-level war in any world.

As time moved on, the miners gathered more and more Ancient Tree Fossils, yet became more tense, their hearts pounding, constantly observing other passageways.

It was as thrilling as fighting on a battlefield.

Zhou Leng, like a lizard, continuously climbed on the high walls, digging, sometimes even climbing to the ceiling.

Unfortunately, the ceiling was all rock, and evidently safeguarded by some mysterious power, unable to be dug, forcing him back down.

Others differed from Zhou Leng, each guarding a section, persistently digging deeper.

They kept digging, always finding more.

They kept finding more, always continuing to dig.

Soon, large cavities appeared along the palace walls, continuously expanding.

Before long, another team of forest tribesmen arrived.

Without a Grandmaster, Zhou Leng and Aiden and the others paid them no heed, quietly mining the fossils.

The forest tribesmen hesitated, staring at the Ancient Heart of Life for a long while, then settled to dig the fossils.

The forest tribesmen were cautious but not foolish.

Various groups started to trickle in, Tree-men, Elves, Demons, Martial Artists, and even Dwarves.

None of them were Grandmasters, and having come inside, they all glanced at the Ancient Heart of Life, underwent complex struggles, and then quietly became miners.

The sound of clinking in the palace grew denser and denser.

The thrill and joy of working echoed in the vast palace.

After collecting the 50th large piece of Ancient Tree Fossil, Zhou Leng, after much consideration, gritted his teeth, slowly sliding down the wall.

He opened his mouth, about to call for a retreat, but sensed a large piece of Ancient Tree Fossil nearby, its aura more intense than ordinary ones.

Closing his mouth, he treated the wall as an opponent, using deft claw techniques, quickly digging without wasting any of the great Ancient River’s heritage.

Extracting a large piece of Ancient Tree Fossil, suddenly, a faint rumbling sound emerged.

A familiar sensation struck him; Zhou Leng leapt off the wall, darting toward the nearest passageway.

A clear voice burst from the passage.

Everyone looked up to see a Demon Grandmaster, holding a chain-bearer.

The chain-bearer was left with only the upper half of his body.

Light emanated powerfully from the chain-bearer’s body.

The Demon Grandmaster tore off one of the chain-bearer’s arms, chewing it like a snack, staring at the Ancient Heart of Life without glancing at the gathered others.

This Demon Grandmaster was the same one they’d encountered earlier on the road.

The Desecrated Mummy, standing three meters tall, with its entire body wrapped in black burial cloth.

The surface of the burial cloth was densely covered with golden demon patterns.

In its eyes, green light flickered, like a broken bulb.

On its back, a multitude of black strips fluttered like a massive blooming flower.

"You are very clever... very clever..."

The Desecrated Mummy surveyed the entire scene.

"Greetings to the esteemed Dust of Desecration."

A demon recognized him, and the others also paid their respects.

Zhou Leng and the non-Demon Alliance individuals also paid their respects.

Ordinary demons and innate demons liked to slaughter indiscriminately whether they were happy or not, but grandmasters and higher-level demons were slightly better.

They only slaughtered indiscriminately when unhappy.

Seeing the Ancient Heart of Life, this Dust of Desecration was pleased.

"Your caution brings me joy, continue."

The Dust of Desecration shot towards the murals, casually discarding the chain-bearer’s corpse, leaping up high, plucking two Ancient Hearts of Life with both hands.

He landed on the ground, scrutinizing carefully, his eyes flickering rapidly, his emotions stirred.

"Good, very good!"

Suddenly, an Ancient Heart of Life exploded, transforming into a blinding light, enveloping Desecrated Dust.

Everyone sneaked a glance, each with their own thoughts.

Desecrated Dust didn’t mind.

"It seems this one is the real deal."

Suddenly, a black eagle about seven or eight meters long flew in, scanning the surroundings before charging straight at Desecrated Dust.

"Get lost!"

Desecrated Dust was furious, clashing with the Grandmaster Giant Eagle Druid.

The ground trembled, a fierce wind swept through, and no one dared approach within a hundred meters of them.

The rest either burrowed into their dug-out holes to continue digging or stood by the passage entrance, ready to escape at any moment.

Zhou Leng quickly rushed to the entrance of the passage they came from.

Fortunately, it was extremely spacious here, allowing the two Grandmasters to fight without affecting others.

Desecrated Dust attempted several times to flee into the passage, but the Grandmaster Druid was too fast, preventing their escape.

"It’s about time, let’s go." Zhou Leng shouted loudly after approaching his teammates.

"Just a little longer, just a little longer," came the voice of Vigorous Root from within the big hole.

"The Grandmasters will only fight over the Ancient Heart of Life and won’t bother with us. They might even run away while they fight." Cyan Flame’s voice was filled with hesitation as well.

Zhou Leng also began to waver.

"Then, dig for ten more minutes, no more than that."

"Okay!"

Zhou Leng quickly started digging at a spot near the passage where he sensed something.

As expected, the two Grandmasters fought for a while and then charged into a passage.

In the distance, tremors continued to resound.

Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed through the nearby passages.

"The Black Eagle Druid got the Ancient Heart of Life, kill him, kill him..." The frantic voice of the Desecrated Mummy reverberated continuously.

A chill ran down the spines of Zhou Leng and his companions.

This shout was sure to attract numerous Grandmasters.

Now, all the nearby passages were unsafe.

Zhou Leng gathered his teammates and said, "We have no other choice, we must hide. There’s a ready-dug hole, let’s enter the cave. Tree-man and Cyan Flame, find a way to block the entrance, leaving only a vent. Can you do it?"

"Very easily," said Cyan Flame.

Everyone immediately entered the large cave dug by Vigorous Root, then watched as Cyan Flame used magic to control the soil, sealing the cave.

From outside, it looked just like a wall with small holes.

Zhou Leng breathed a sigh of relief and said, "We can dig slowly inside and go out once the battle outside calms down."

"This is safer, no more being on edge," Vigorous Root remarked.

Everyone dug in different directions.

In the distance, the faint rumbling continued without end.

The Grandmaster battle was ongoing.

Suddenly, the rumbling neared.

Then, a voice in Demon Language resonated through the area.

"Where is the Ancient Heart of Life? Who saw the Ancient Heart of Life? Everyone, come out. If you don’t, you’ll all die!"

Rumbling...

The ground trembled, and the wall sealing the cave was shattered by the Grandmaster’s power, collapsing and revealing a huge opening.

Inside the cave, Zhou Leng and the others exchanged glances.

"Come out, speak up, and we won’t kill you!"

Hearing "we," everyone’s heart sank with helplessness as they walked out of the cave.

Zhou Leng turned his head, looking up at the mural of the Mother Tree, where five Demon Grandmasters were standing.

Leading them was none other than a Four-sided Duke.

The Four-sided Duke appeared humanoid, with two arms and two legs, clad in resplendent golden armor. Inside the armor, flesh pulsated, and a red cloak billowed behind.

His head was enormous, resembling an inverted four-sided pyramid.

The pyramid’s apex plunged deep into his neck, with a devilish yet human face on each side.

The faces were like black gold.

Atop the pyramid, four pairs of black demon horns towered high.

He stood over six meters tall, like a general on a battlefield, his gaze calm, his presence heavy.

Though he scanned the entire area, everyone felt as if he gazed at the sky, deeming none worthy of a second glance.

Standing behind the Four-sided Duke were four Demon Grandmasters.

One was a Rusted Iron General, his body a fusion of flesh and steel, and it was him who had spoken earlier.

Another was a Gallows Fiend, with a head and body resembling a mutated guillotine, his head a massive blade, sides supported by bones, neck hollow, and below was a humanoid body. Standing ten meters tall, he wielded a shield in the left hand and a sword in the right. The shield was covered with monster skulls, and dense ribs circled the sword’s hilt.

One was a Flesh and Blood War Chariot, and another a Giant Insect Knight, standing on another side.

All non-demon Innate beings witnessing this fell into deep despair.

If it were just the other four Demon Grandmasters, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

But now, the Four-sided Duke had appeared.

The Four-sided Duke, the Intestines of the Black Sun, and the Desecrated Codex were commanders among the demons, utterly unlike those who fought alone.

The appearance of each heralded a war.

Even human strategic and tactical masters, along with Demon Spirit Masters, when battling against a Four-sided Duke, could expect only a fifty-fifty chance of victory.

Zhou Leng could no longer conceal his identity and silently donned the High Priest Badge of the Ice Snow Divine Sect on his chest, standing at the forefront of his team.

His teammates were moved, thinking that if it were them, they might not possess such courage.

These were five Demon Grandmasters, after all.