Jue Jie nodded slightly. "So that's how it is?" She stepped forward, peering down into the pit, and saw that Su Li and Luo Jun were indeed digging downward, with no other scheme in play.
"I'm Jiang Shuijue, from the Jinhui Central Building. This is Ling Yi, and this is Gu Mingfeng."
As she spoke, she introduced the two men beside her. The silent, sword-wielding man around thirty was Ling Yi, while the tall, burly young man carrying a massive iron hammer was Gu Mingfeng.
"I'm Xu Haishui." Xu Haishui, relieved that Jiang Shuijue believed his words, quickly gave their names as well.
Everyone except Xu Xuehui knew of the Jinhui Central Building—it was about five kilometers from Zifeng Tower, a thirty-six-story structure.
Jiang Shuijue said, "We spotted this floating island from afar and found it strange, so we followed it to investigate. We didn't expect to run into you all under attack by monsters. My 'Fog Maze' won't last much longer and will dissipate soon, and I can't use it again for a while. Since you're trying to stop this Blood Crystal Beast, we'll lend you a hand."
"Thank you, Jue Jie." Xu Haishui was overjoyed and quickly expressed his gratitude, addressing Jiang Shuijue as "Jue Jie" just like Gu Mingfeng and the others. He could tell that among these three, Jiang Shuijue was the leader.
"No need to be polite. We're all compatriots; helping each other is only right. Ling Yi, Mingfeng, be careful—the Fog Maze is about to disperse."
"Got it, don't worry." Gu Mingfeng laughed heartily, lightly swinging his large iron hammer. The swirling mist around them suddenly vanished, and the monsters trapped within broke free. Spotting the group, they let out furious roars and charged.
"Kill!" Gu Mingfeng laughed, his skin turning rock-like as he became a stone man, swinging his massive hammer outward.
Ling Yi had remained silent throughout, his face expressionless. The ordinary sword in his hand suddenly crystallized on its surface as he flicked it, becoming razor-sharp, capable of cutting through iron like mud as he struck.
Jiang Shuijue not only possessed the special ability of the "Fog Maze" but was also incredibly fast. Just as a monster was about to strike her, she instantly shifted, appearing on the other side of the creature and plunging her twin blades into its body, moving like a ghost, eerily swift.
All three were Level 6 Spirit Source users, formidable in strength. Any one of them seemed more powerful than Xu Haishui or Ding Longyun. With their help, along with Xu Haishui, Ding Longyun, and Gong Xiao, they guarded the massive pit, preventing the surrounding monsters from breaking through.
Seizing the opportunity, Su Li and Luo Jun continued digging downward through the rain. Su Li calculated the distance—they had already dug five or six meters deep.
More and more monsters appeared, all elite or even leader-class. Even with the addition of three Level 6 Spirit Source users, they began to feel the strain.
"Su Li, hurry up and dig! We can't hold out much longer!" Ding Longyun shouted, firing another "Air Missile" at a leader-class monster charging from afar.
This was a monster none of them had seen before. It stood five or six meters tall, its upper body resembling a giant warrior clad in silver armor, while its lower half was covered in countless legs like a millipede.
It didn't dodge the "Air Missile," letting it strike its armored body. The explosion barely fazed it as it continued moving toward them on its myriad legs.
Ding Longyun gasped. His powerful "Air Missile" had hit the silver-armored monster, yet it emerged unscathed.
Gu Mingfeng roared, gripping his massive hammer with both hands, leaping into the air and slamming it down toward the silver-armored monster. His rock-like skin made him unafraid of retaliation.
With a thunderous crash, the silver-armored monster swung its massive arm, sending Gu Mingfeng and his hammer flying.
Gu Mingfeng tumbled heavily to the ground, spitting blood, his face filled with shock.
"What kind of monster is this? At least Level 7!" he exclaimed.
He had fought Level 6 leader-class monsters before, but none had thrown him aside so easily. The only explanation was that this silver-armored monster surpassed even a Level 6 leader.
The group was stunned as Gu Mingfeng was sent flying. Jiang Shuijue shouted, extending both hands, and thick mist suddenly rose around them.
After a brief interval, her "Fog Maze" was finally usable again.
Though the silver-armored monster was powerful, it was trapped within the "Fog Maze" and couldn't escape until it ended.
The group breathed a sigh of relief. Ding Longyun quickly looked down into the pit. "How far have you dug? Xuehui, check how much is left!" he urged anxiously.
By now, Su Li and Luo Jun had dug about seven meters deep. According to Xu Xuehui's estimate, the Blood Crystal was just three meters away. The deeper they dug, the harder it became, and the slower their progress.
Meanwhile, the Blood Crystal Beast continued its relentless approach toward Zifeng Tower, now less than two hundred meters away.
Those left behind at Zifeng Tower watched the floating island-like monster draw closer, frantically moving supplies onto rafts of various sizes. If the floating island truly collided with the tower, they would escape on these rafts with their goods.
"Hang in there a little longer," Su Li replied grimly, his face drenched—sweat and rain indistinguishable. The pit they were digging was filling with rainwater, now up to their knees, making it increasingly difficult to continue.
"Two meters..." Xu Xuehui stared into the pit, murmuring. They were now just two meters from the Blood Crystal's location.
"Only two meters left?" Ding Longyun perked up, regaining his energy.
The "Fog Maze" soon dissipated, and the trapped monsters roared and charged again.
"Everyone, hold on! Just two more meters!" Ding Longyun shouted, activating his newly mastered special ability, "Death Charge," and colliding with a giant ape.
The ape was sent flying.
The group's fierce battle had yielded significant gains—not just in Spirit Source but also in learning special abilities.
Killing a leader-class monster guaranteed a special ability, while elite monsters offered a chance. With so many elites around, killing enough would eventually yield results.
The newly appeared silver-armored monster was overwhelmingly powerful, charging like a silver war chariot. Even Gu Mingfeng with his rock-like skin had been thrown aside, proving it surpassed Level 6 leader-class monsters.
Suddenly, Gong Xiao shouted. Seeing that if everyone dodged, the silver-armored monster would charge straight into the pit and attack Su Li and Luo Jun—who would have no room to evade—she made a decision.
She stepped forward, activating "Storm Shield" to withstand the monster's charge.
With a deafening crash, the silver-armored monster didn't break the "Storm Shield" but sent both it and Gong Xiao flying.
Gong Xiao grunted as she was thrown back. Ling Yi seized the moment, leaping into the air with both hands on his sword. The blade was fully crystallized, faintly glowing, as he slashed at the silver-armored monster.
Sparks flew with a sharp clang. The strike was immensely powerful, and Ling Yi's crystallized sword was incredibly sharp, capable of cutting through iron. Yet it couldn't penetrate the silver armor, repelled by a strong rebound force.
For the first time, his usually expressionless face showed a hint of seriousness.
"Su Li, get up here! We can't handle this monster!" Ding Longyun thought, realizing even his "Air Missile" couldn't damage it. Its defense was too strong. Only Su Li's Dragon Rhinoceros Sword might work.
Jiang Shuijue, who possessed the "Fog Maze," knew it had time limits. She couldn't keep the silver-armored monster trapped forever, let alone kill it.
Hearing Ding Longyun's shout, she glanced at the pit and saw a figure emerge—Su Li, whom Xu Haishui had introduced earlier.
Su Li climbed out and immediately spotted the silver-armored monster. A vertical slit-like mark appeared on his brow, and a message flashed in his mind.
"Name: Silver Armor Giant Beast. Level: 7. Leader-class Spirit Source Beast. A tank among Spirit Source Beasts, with off-the-charts defense, impervious to water and fire. Its thick silver armor grants near-invincible defense, making it hard for ordinary weapons to harm it. Its only weakness is its eyes, which it guards carefully. Killing it guarantees the special ability 'Silver Armor Coverage.'"
A Level 7 leader-class monster? No wonder it was so powerful, and the group couldn't withstand it. This was Su Li's first encounter with one.
Jiang Shuijue watched Su Li with surprise.
After all, the three of them couldn't match the silver-armored monster, yet Ding Longyun called for Su Li. Did he think Su Li could handle it?
She had no time to ponder as Su Li activated "Spider Walk," narrowly dodging the Silver Armor Giant Beast's attack.
The beast wasn't just defensively overwhelming; its millipede-like legs gave it terrifying speed and immense striking power. It had almost no weaknesses.
Su Li sidestepped the charging beast, his Dragon Rhinoceros Sword scraping along its body.
With his immense strength, the sword screeched against the silver armor, leaving a deep, hair-raising scratch nearly two centimeters deep. But it couldn't fully cut through the thick armor.
The armor's thickness exceeded two centimeters.