The golden necklace rested against his chest as a steady stream of warm energy surged into his body.

When Lin Feng returned to the team, everyone was waiting. Seeing his figure emerge from the mist, Zhao Hu was the first to greet him.

"Lord! How was it?"

Lin Feng nodded: "It's settled."

He calmly patted his chest; the golden pendant was already around his neck.

He had activated the camouflage function of the 【golden chain of deception of the false life lord】. The brilliant golden light faded, leaving only an unremarkable thin chain that anyone would mistake for a common accessory.

The others didn't ask much and simply breathed a sigh of relief.

"Continue." Lin Feng raised his spear and led the way forward. "Tonight's goal is to push our levels up a bit more."

...

For the next ten nights, the team entered a frantic grinding mode.

They rested during the day and slaughtered at night. Everyone had a fire burning in their hearts.

In fourteen days, they would fight a decisive battle against Baigui County. Every extra level gained meant one more chance of victory on the battlefield.

On the first night, they roamed the areas where Trolls and Harpies appeared.

Harpies were few to begin with; they only encountered three throughout the night.

Shadow Snake assassinated one, and the team cooperated to kill the other two. After the corpses dissipated, nothing was left behind.

"The drop rate for these things is way too low," Tie Dun grumbled.

Lin Feng didn't say anything. He knew Harpies only dropped golden accessories with a one-in-a-million drop rate; it was normal for nothing to drop.

They did encounter a few Trolls, all Level 19 common monsters. The battles were easy but the rewards were meager—just two pieces of green-quality armor and leggings, which were better than nothing.

The second night, the third night, the fourth night...

The days passed one by one.

Trolls became increasingly scarce, and Harpies were even rarer. Occasionally they'd find one or two, but they dropped nothing. A few scattered pieces of green equipment were collected.

Everyone's levels rose steadily.

On the fifth night, Zhao Hu reached Level 19.

On the sixth night, Wang Wu, Arrow Eye, and Su Yurou reached Level 19 one after another. Tie Dun was also halfway through Level 18.

The seventh night.

The gray mist still churned, with visibility less than fifteen meters. The team delved deeper along a familiar route but had yet to encounter any monsters.

"Something's wrong." Shadow Snake flickered out of the mist, her expression more solemn than usual. "Lord, there are very few monsters ahead. I've traveled two miles and only encountered one lone Troll."

Lin Feng frowned slightly.

They had been farming this area for six nights, so it was true that monsters were becoming scarce. But only one in two miles was far too few.

"Let's scout further ahead," he ordered. "Go deeper and see what's going on."

Shadow Snake nodded and vanished into the mist.

The team waited in place. About fifteen minutes later, Shadow Snake returned, her eyes carrying an unprecedented gravity.

"Lord, three miles ahead, I found a massive... army." Her voice was kept extremely low.

"Orcs, at least Level 15, all wearing standard leather armor and wielding standard weapons. They are in neat formations, at least five hundred of them. There are even more further away, too many to count."

Everyone gasped.

An Orc Army? Deep ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) inside the Crying Rift Valley?

Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm. He turned to the group: "Wait here and stay alert. Shadow Snake and I will go take a look."

Zhao Hu was stunned: "Lord, just the two of you? If you're discovered..."

"More people will only make us easier to spot," Lin Feng interrupted him. "Shadow Snake can hide her presence, and I can conceal my tracks."

"You wait here. If anything happens, I'll have Shadow Snake return to send word."

Although everyone was worried, the Lord's orders were absolute.

Lin Feng and Shadow Snake vanished one after the other into the churning gray mist.

Shadow Snake led the way, her figure like a true ghost, flickering unpredictably through the fog.

Lin Feng followed closely behind, his 【windchaser boots】 making his footsteps light and silent.

The three-mile journey took the two nearly fifteen minutes. Every step was taken with extreme caution, for fear of making any sound.

Finally, they crouched behind a ridge. Shadow Snake gently parted the withered grass in front of them, and Lin Feng looked through the gap to see the scene below.

An open valley floor, at least the size of three or four football fields.

The valley was densely packed with Orc soldiers. Green skin, sturdy bodies, and knotted muscles.

They held spears, battle-axes, and bows, wearing standardized black leather armor with a uniform insignia on the chest—a ferocious beast's head.

The Orc Army was arrayed in the valley, their formations rugged yet orderly.

Patrols moved between them with synchronized steps, the clanking of their armor plates faintly audible.

Several black flags fluttered in the mist, embroidered with the same beast-head insignia.

The minimum level was 15, and there were at least a thousand of them.

Lin Feng's pupils constricted slightly.

This was no longer a simple gathering of monsters; this was... an organized army. They had discipline, units, flags, and a command structure.

"An Orc Army..." he whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear.

Shadow Snake tilted her head slightly, an inquiring look in her eyes—should they get closer?

Lin Feng shook his head gently and pointed at the dense patrols below. Getting any closer would be too risky.

The two crouched behind the ridge and observed for another fifteen minutes. They saw units of soldiers rotating shifts, smoke rising from the back of the camp, and several larger, better-armored Orc officers gathered together, seemingly discussing something.

Then, Lin Feng made a gesture—retreat.

The two slipped away as silently as they had come, disappearing into the gray mist.

When they returned to where the team was, everyone was waiting anxiously.

Seeing Lin Feng and Shadow Snake emerge from the mist, Zhao Hu hurried to meet them.

"Lord, how was it?"

Lin Feng was silent for a moment before slowly saying: "There is an Orc Army. At least a thousand, minimum Level 15, and fully armed."

Everyone looked at each other, their shock beyond words.

"Then... are we still continuing?" Tie Dun scratched his head.

Lin Feng shook his head: "We won't touch that area for now. We'll grind on the outskirts and get our levels up first."

He didn't explain further, but he took a deep look toward the north.

The secrets of the Crying Rift Valley were far greater than imagined. But that wasn't something to be touched right now.

Right now, the primary goals were to level up, survive the Nightmare Tide, and destroy Baigui County.

...

On the eighth and ninth nights, the team continued to operate in the areas where Trolls and Harpies appeared.

That Orc Army hung over everyone's hearts like a dark cloud, but no one said a word. The priority now was to increase their strength.

The tenth night.

The gray mist churned, and the night was deep.

The moment the last Troll fell, two glows of leveling up lit up simultaneously.

A Wang and Scarface Liu had both reached Level 19 at the same time.

The two were stunned for a second, then grinned foolishly. Scarface Liu gripped his newly exchanged green longblade, his hands shaking with excitement; A Wang held his shield, his eyes slightly reddened.

"Level 19... I'm Level 19 too!" A Wang murmured.

Zhao Hu walked over and slapped him on the shoulder: "Alright, stop grinning like an idiot. Pack up!"

The group cleared the battlefield; they had only obtained two pieces of green equipment that night, which was better than nothing.

But no one complained; everyone's levels had reached their intended targets.

Lin Feng's gaze swept over everyone:

He himself was halfway through Level 19.

Shadow Snake and Zhao Hu were at the cap of Level 19.

Wang Wu, Arrow Eye, Tie Dun, and Su Yurou were all halfway through Level 19.

A Wang and Scarface Liu were Level 19.

After ten nights of hard grinding, they had finally pushed the team's overall level up.

"Withdraw," Lin Feng ordered. "Let's go home."

...

At the north gate of Beacon Fire Town.

Nine figures walked slowly, weariness on their faces but satisfaction in their eyes.

Zhang Ping had been waiting at the gate for a long time. Seeing everyone return, he hurried to meet them: "Lord! You're finally back! The Nightmare Tide is only three days away, and everyone is preparing..."

Lin Feng waved his hand and interrupted him: "I know. Let everyone rest well and prepare for battle."

He turned to the group: "Go back and rest. In three days, we'll first withstand the Nightmare Tide, then destroy Baigui County."

Everyone responded in unison and dispersed.

Lin Feng walked into the Council Hall alone, went up to the second floor, and pushed open the door.

He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, the image of that Orc Army flashing through his mind.

The secrets of the Crying Rift Valley were not for him to touch for now. Once Baigui County was destroyed and Beacon Fire Town had a firm foothold, it wouldn't be too late to explore slowly.

For now, rest first.

He closed his eyes and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Outside the window, the sun was setting in the west.