From the moment Happy and his party entered Fox Cave, they had ordered their people to wait outside Guanlin Temple. Once they noticed any signs of the four, they were to immediately report back.
However, it had been twenty minutes since then, and there was still no reply from that side. They could not help but begin to suspect that their people had been negligent of their duties!
When Solitary Perpetual Joy received the same news again, he found himself a little unable to sit back and wait anymore.
Many of the leaders of the other sects and their high-tier martial artists were beginning to become a little impatient. Night did not last long in the game. If they did not enter Fox Cave for a while more, it would be very difficult for them to clear the second level and work through the third level in the remaining time. They had brought with them the key to enter the third level this time, and they were prepared to meet Yao Hua and his wife, the mysterious couple from the legends!
"We can't wait anymore," Situ Luoyu quietly whispered into Solitary Perpetual Joy's ears.
Solitary Perpetual Joy's expression was solemn and uneasy. But he nodded slowly!
Perpetual Joy Sect and Fallen Feathers Sect still had some matters to attend to, so if they dragged it out too much, it would not be beneficial for their operation in Fox Cave. Hence, they turned around and faced the leaders of the sects that were not really famous. Everyone's gazes lit up upon seeing their action, and Solitary Perpetual Joy and Situ Luoyu nodded.
The spirits of the leaders immediately lifted. They turned around and faced their sect members.
"Activate your qi realm! Activate your body fortification techniques!"
Right after they finished speaking…
Boom!
The hundreds of powerful martial artists looked as if they had been pumped full of adrenaline, and powerful aura exploded from their bodies at the same time! For a period of time, swarms of aura could be seen swirling around the air near the entrance of Fox Cave! The scene was incredibly grand!
"Enter the cave!"
Solitary Perpetual Joy and Situ Luoyu had stern expressions when they led their men to charge into the opened mouth of the fierce beast in a constant stream with the members of the other sects.
Once they entered, everyone stayed motionless according to their original plan and remained in the spot they appeared.
However, the situation in Fox Cave made all the people suck in a sharp breath.
There were a few carcasses of Red Foxes that had not disappeared by their feet. There were also a few carcasses slightly further away from them at the tunnel to the left.
Of course, that was not very shocking, what shocked them was that the large skulk of fox monsters across them had actually disappeared!
Most of the elites of the sects were veterans who had entered Fox Cave multiple times, so they naturally had a deep understanding of the place. Even if they did not understand it too much, the descriptions of Fox Cave in the battle replays provided to the internal members of their sects would allow them to understand the grand scenario that would greet them after they entered the place.
There was supposed to be hundreds of fox monsters not far from them, a "terrifying horde" that would shock them the moment they saw them and make them hold their breaths. Right then, however, there was only one huge and wide cave left. Aside from dozens of fox monsters scattered here and there, the place could practically be described as empty and desolate.
"How can this be?!"
When Solitary Perpetual Joy and Situ Luoyu walked out, their expressions changed drastically. They looked at the situation before them with incredulousness.
It had to be known that Fox Cave was a basin of gold that gave them their fortune. Every single time it was activated, it would give their sects around three to five high-tier martial art manuals and more than a million taels of silver crumbs.
The great players of the other sects entered one after another. When they saw the desolate and pathetic sight before them, they were all dumbfounded. Most of the large cake that they had come for had vanished without a trace, and everyone's hearts became a little empty. They felt miserable.
"Happy's not dead!" A hint of a smile gradually showed up on Red Dust's face when he thought of what had to have happened. "Don't panic, the fox monsters were probably lured into the tunnel!"
This sentence finally allowed the players from the sects to snap out of their daze. They composed themselves and became level-headed again.
"Let's go!"
"Let's go in and take a look."
The crowd swarmed to the tunnels to the left and right.
Just as they expected, right when they approached the tunnels, dense skulks of fox monsters charged out from within, and some color returned to the sect members' faces.
But it was not a good sign.
The tunnels were very narrow, and only four to five people could move side by side at the frontmost row. This meant that there were only a few people who could truly come into contact with the fox monsters.
This was completely different from the plan they had formed when they were outside!
Their goal for gathering all the sects together was to go up against the skulk of fox monsters in the cave. They would then divide the resources uniformly before they rushed to the third level. But right then? The dozens of fox monsters in the cave were definitely not enough to be divided, so who should claim them?
Chapter 194 - The Benefits That Vanished
"Damn it!"
"What the heck? It's just because their sect is slightly stronger! Do they really think they're our leaders now?"
Some of the powerful players who had entered the tunnels looked displeased.
The abnormal situation in Fox Cave had foiled all their plans!
The fox monsters had been led into the tunnels, causing most of the sects to be unable to get any resources at all. This already displeased them greatly, but Fallen Feathers Sect and Perpetual Joy Sect then told them that they had to advance quickly. This meant that they resolutely occupied the vanguard in the two tunnels to the left and right.
They snatched most of the resources left by the fox monsters, not giving the other sects even a chance to attack, much less get the spoils of war. They just followed behind them in a closely-packed group, feeling very unhappy with the situation.
Chivalry Sect, one of the three great sects, had taken a few fox monsters in the hall. Even though they were also benefittors, the people did not hold as great of a grudge against them as they did to Fallen Feathers Sect and Perpetual Joy Sect.
Fortunately, they did not spend too much time in the tunnel. Fallen Feathers Sect and Perpetual Joy Sect also knew that they could not stay around for too long. They used their full power in the tunnel, and all sorts of arrows, throwing knives, and other hidden weapons were used to deal with the skulk of fox monsters in front of them. They advanced very quickly.
In less than twenty minutes, the tunnels that were thousands of feet long were completely cleared. The two sides met up with each other and entered the second slightly larger cave.
The first level of Fox Cave was shaped like a huge 8.
The tunnels were connected to each other, and when they met up again, they formed a huge underground cave, which was a natural gathering spot for the fox monsters. This meant that those spots would have a relatively dense population of fox monsters.
However, the players were bound to be disappointed, because the second cave was also a desolate sight.
They could not see a large skulk of fox monsters. The only thing they saw were a dozen of fox monsters scattered here and there. They were spread through the cave that was less than six hundred and fifty-six feet long and wide. There were piles of white skulls all over the place.
"Bastard!"
The anger that had been acc.u.mulating in everyone's hearts finally erupted when then players from the sects came out from the tunnels. They longed to tear Happy and his party to shreds for having entered the
cave ahead of them.
The strange situation in Fox Cave made it very different from usual. If there was anything that could have affected the distribution of monsters in Fox Cave, then the only possibility for it was Happy and his party.
They did not know how they did it and how they managed to safely shake off the pursuit of countless Blessed Realm and Mystical Realm fox monsters, but it greatly affected their operation and their opportunities to gain benefits!
"You better beg for your ancestors that I don't find you, Happy!"
All the elites of the sects with high-tier martial arts gritted their teeth with fire burning in their eyes.
"Hmph!"
Only a small number of people could maintain their calm. They were shocked and worried about Happy's party, which had already entered the second gathering spot.
They were shocked because four people who were not very well-known had easily cleared Fox Cave, even though an entire sect's elites would usually find it hard.
And they were worried because they could not really tell whether it was truly Happy and his party's first venture into Fox Cave. Even if it was, it was clear that they had not come unprepared. On top of that, no one could tell how far into the cave Happy and his party were and whether they would completely destroy the sect's plans.
This worry was clearly reflected on the faces of Solitary Perpetual Joy and Situ Luoyu!
They had thought that Happy had come with the intention to take a stroll in Fox Cave and test his luck with his abilities, which could be considered to be pretty good, so they had never bothered to include him and his party into their plan.
But by the looks of it…
"We've miscalculated." Solitary Perpetual Joy cast Situ Luoyu a profound glance. "I should have known that the person who had easily snatched a brocade box for himself in Mount Song while being a nobody, caused multiple sects to suffer losses, and managed to use the Killer Star's fierce name to avoid the divination system and shake off his pursuers would not have entered Fox Cave unprepared."
"Yeah." Situ Luoyu nodded bitterly. "I made some calculations. He took at least one-third of the benefits in the first layer of Fox Cave. We cannot take whatever remains. If this continues, the other sects will vent their disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e on us. We can only let them have those spoils, and when we enter the second layer, we'll divide the resources again."
"Okay." Solitary Perpetual Joy could also sense that the leaders of the other sects were in a foul mood right then. Their gazes were no longer as respectful and obedient as they were while they were outside Fox Cave.
Those were the signs of disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e and eventual rebellion!
If they continued to take what little remained of the resources, they might have to bear with the chain reaction and the bad consequences brought by Happy's involvement.
"Fortunately, before the fox monsters in the first level are cleared, you can't enter the second level. This means that we still have a chance to meet Happy."
Solitary Perpetual Joy spoke with an underlying meaning, and his gaze was profound, which stunned Situ Luoyu. In a moment though, he smiled and nodded in silence.
Naturally, he knew the meaning behind Solitary Perpetual Joy's words.
In truth, he was not the only one. All the sects in the area might have already thought about it, but not many of them would have the courage to carry it out.
By then, there was no one who could ignore Happy's existence and the threat he posed!
The destruction of more than one hundred powerful players from Thousand Dragons Sect outside Fox Cave told them something—without sufficient power, their thoughts could only remain thoughts.
But in the eyes of Solitary Perpetual Joy and Situ Luoyu, Chivalry Sect was full of people who presumed themselves to be gentlemen and ladies. They would definitely look down on deeds like that. Hence, the only ones who could bring that idea into fruition were them—the leaders of the two sects.
Whether or not the plan would be carried out depended on the two of them!
Solitary Perpetual Joy was not a simple character.
He was a very good professional player. Even though he was not as outstanding as Class One Hall, his subordinates had come into possession of many resources and great players. If anyone compared the strength of their sects as well, they would find that Perpetual Joy Sect was much stronger than Fallen Feathers Sect.
He was the one who was the most displeased with being set up by Happy!
"Once we meet him, we must make him give up a few items."
When Solitary Perpetual Joy said that, killing intent flash briefly in his eyes, but he had Situ Luoyu fixed at the corner of his vision.
He could not tell whether Situ Luoyu would have the same thoughts as Chivalry Sect and whether he would want to have this extremely good player join them, since he was not affiliated to any sect just yet.
When he sensed Solitary Perpetual Joy's gaze, Situ Luoyu spoke. "It's very easy to meet them. We just need to keep one fox monster alive."
Solitary Perpetual Joy laughed while feeling relieved.
"Let's go! We'll allow those small sects enjoy some benefits to avoid them saying we're petty… Huh? The people from Chivalry Sect arrived!"
When they redirected their gazes, they noticed the fifty or so people from Chivalry Sect walking out of the tunnel in a grand manner. They were headed toward them.
A fierce glare shone briefly in Situ Luoyu's eyes!
It did not escape Solitary Perpetual Joy's notice. He smiled briefly, then cast aside Situ Luoyu's matter and took the initiative to head toward Chivalry Sect.
"Haha, Brother Red Dust, you're finally here! We've left behind the left tunnel for you, since you requested it. Go on…"
"Oh? Then we'll receive your gift as a sign of respect for you!"
Red Dust had just arrived, and he did not understand the situation. When he saw that the crowd was still gathered in the area, he did not think much about it. He just voiced his gratitude and quickly led his people into the left tunnel.
He did not notice the faulty wording in Solitary Perpetual Joy's ambiguous speech. He also did not notice that most of the sects in the area had become enraged and displeased toward his sect!
Chapter 195 - The Mechanism in Fox Cave
Since the resources were scarce in Fox Cave, the discontentment from various sects became clearer, and their disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e as well as all sorts of other emotions became stronger as they acc.u.mulated!
Many of the sects formed their own cliques in secret.
They no longer believed in the three sects who led them. In fact, they believed that the three sects had used the chance to intentionally be heavy-handed and limit their chances to obtain resources.
However, due to Happy's existence, the resources in the second level of Fox Cave, and the mystery around the third level of Fox Cave, which no one had ever entered before, the animosity between the sects was maintained at a delicate level. No one wanted to be the first to break the balance of the alliance between the sects.
Fallen Feathers Sect and Perpetual Joy Sect might have witnessed all of it, but they were more concerned about Happy and his party, whose strength remained unfathomable and whose whereabouts were unknown.
They had to get rid of the unstable element if they wanted to carry out their plan!
As time passed, the number of fox monsters in Fox Cave reduced. The people from the sects cleared up all the fox monsters at the entrance to the second level of Fox Cave, which was the third gathering spot.
But there was always one vixen left behind in the two tunnels, as if there was no one who would care about them, and they just ran about madly.
"Scree!"
A fiery-red vixen with beautiful curves smiled in a coquettish manner. She pursued a high-tier martial artist from Perpetual Joy Sect. That sect member had already activated his high-tier body fortification technique, and when he was attacked, he only swayed a little before continuing forward while looking around him.
There were multiple high-tier martial artists from various sects in the cave and tunnels. They only watched everything quietly. They did not stop the man, and neither did anyone go up to kill the vixen.
All the people gathered at the entrance to the second level!
Before long, two players with high-tier body fortification techniques and two vixens trailing behind them returned to the entrance. They arrived in front of Situ Luoyu and Solitary Perpetual Joy to report what they saw.
"All of us are here. There's no one in the first level now."
"It's the same on my side. I can't find those guys!"
The two people's answers made the leaders of the two sects scowl. However, they did not doubt the accuracy of the information. Aside from the two top-tier martial artists who could withstand the vixens' attacks without problem, there were also two groups of top-tier martial artists who had joined them to search through the entire first level of Fox Cave.
A single person might not be able to notice Happy and his party, but if an entire team joined them, no matter how complicated Fox Cave was, it was impossible for them to leave behind any blind spots or undiscovered areas.
The two leaders were silent. They cast each other a glance with solemn looks.
"Looks like they logged off after making their way to this point."
"That brat, he's smart!"
"What should we do now?"
The two of them felt a little bleak and regretful. They had been ready to take down Happy and earn a whole load of money from him, but they did not expect that he would run until even his shadow could not be found. Just as the rumors said, he was not easy to deal with!
"Since he left, let's forget it. We'll have plenty of chances in the future to make him give up his money! We should focus on our main task right now. Let's enter the second level!"
"Alright."
They redirected their gazes and looked at the leaders of the other sects. When their gazes landed on Red Dust, who was already a little impatient from all the waiting, their pupils narrowed a little.
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