Cave Refuge

Hearing his companion's sigh, another guard's expression did not change: "Such matters are not for us two small pawns to decide, anyway, it's just a matter of meeting soldiers with generals and water with earth. We just need to follow orders, do whatever is arranged for us by the higher-ups, and not worry about anything beyond our control. We can't manage those anyway.

Did you notice the person who just flew over with Sword Flight? His reaction was even faster than that of our base's Special Team, do you know who that was?"

Upon hearing his companion's query, the guard did not answer directly, but instead rolled his eyes first: "I'm just a mere guard, how would I know the information about the experts in the base.

Besides, there's nothing strange about him leaving earlier. He was alone plus he took a direct route through the air, so leaving first is normal. It would be strange if he were at the back.

However, opportunities in the wilderness are not on a first-come-first-serve basis. Even if you are the first one to reach the destination, there might still be a chance that you're paving the way for those who arrive later, so being first doesn't necessarily mean having an advantage."

Subsequently, although the two guards on the city wall continued gazing in the direction where the people had gone, they also chatted non-stop. Their chatting wasn't due to idleness, but rather a way to enhance their attention and prevent delayed response from lack of concentration.

Because of the unhindered straight line created by Sword Flight in the air, Dong Tianyu arrived at the source area of the spatial fluctuations in less than five minutes. Hovering over two meters above the gradually expanding nascent spatial portal, Dong Tianyu hesitated for a while before deciding to approach and check out the scenery on the other side of the spatial portal.

Just as Dong Tianyu was about to move closer for inspection, he suddenly heard someone shouting from behind: "Brother, please halt."

On hearing this, Dong Tianyu instantly got goosebumps; the phrase was just two words different from "fellow Taoist, please halt."

Nevertheless, after hearing the shout from behind, Dong Tianyu subconsciously stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the person behind him.

The person who arrived behind him was a twelve-person squad, all uniformly dressed in black short-sleeved uniforms, each carrying a cold weapon—a large saber, and a firearm.

Seeing that Dong Tianyu had stopped and not moved forward, the team leader immediately spoke up: "I am Leonard, Captain of the Special Team from Magic Capital Base. Ahead is a spatial portal that is about to form. Once this spatial portal fully forms, otherworldly creatures will pass through to this side, so please do not approach the portal."

While cautioning, Leonard, along with his teammates, slowly walked up to Dong Tianyu. When there was no more than five steps between him and Dong Tianyu, the opposing party and his teammates immediately stopped and did not come any closer.

Seeing that Dong Tianyu did not show any impatience on his face due to his warning, and did not attempt to continue moving forward, Leonard then greeted enthusiastically: "Brother, you were the one who flew over us with Sword Flight from the sky just now, right? I haven't seen you before in the base, did you just move to Magic City?"

Seeing Leonard's enthusiastic and familiar inquiry, Dong Tianyu replied quite straightforwardly: "I just finished the process today."

Realizing that Dong Tianyu was willing to continue interacting, Leonard became even more enthusiastic: "Hey, I say brother, seeing your method of Sword Flight, it doesn't seem like you are a Martial Artist from the Path Entry Realm floating in the air. Are you a Natural Awakened or an Artifact Master?"

"Artifact Master?"

Seeing the puzzled expression on Dong Tianyu's face, Leonard immediately began to explain: "An Artifact Master is actually what used to be called an Awakener."

Observing the puzzled expression on Dong Tianyu's face, Leonard didn't keep him guessing, and directly explained: "An Artifact Master is essentially what was previously known as an Awakener. In the past, to obtain Awakening Skills, one needed to communicate and forge a contract with a Strange Creature, after which they would acquire a Special Skill."

Previously, establishing a contract with Strange Creatures to acquire Special Abilities was known as being an Awakener, and the acquired abilities were known as Awakening Skills. However, we all know clearly that frequently using those Awakening Skills would consume one's Life Vitality.

Although methods for replenishing Life Vitality have now been discovered, it cannot be denied that the more frequent the use of Awakening Skills, the greater the consumption of Life Vitality. Additionally, as their usage increases, the power of the Awakening Skills also continuously enhances. To put it bluntly, it's essentially trading life for combat power, or simply, gambling with one's life.

Originally, there was no comparison, and because it was convenient, they were called Awakeners and Awakening Skills. But now, gradually, some people can awaken Special Abilities directly without making a contract with Strange Creatures and using the naturally awakened abilities only consumes physical strength or internal energy, without any depletion of Life Vitality.

As more people obtain Special Abilities through natural awakening, the Officials have made distinctions by renaming those who establish contracts with Strange Creatures to acquire Special Abilities as Artifact Masters, while those who awaken Special Abilities naturally without the use of external objects are called Natural Awakened, and simply put, also known as Awakeners.

After Leonard finished explaining, Dong Tianyu suddenly asked, "What are those who elevate their Cultivation Level through their own Cultivation called?"

Hearing this, Leonard unhesitatingly replied, "Isn't that obvious? They are still called by the original term: Martial Artists."

After speaking, Leonard looked at Dong Tianyu with a somewhat strange expression, not understanding why Dong Tianyu would ask such a simple question.

Just as Leonard was about to continue questioning, unbeknownst to them, many people had already arrived at the scene. Seeing Leonard talking with Dong Tianyu, the newcomers did not approach but took a different direction towards the spatial passage.

However, these people did not actually approach the spatial passage, but like Leonard and Dong Tianyu, they stopped at a distance from it.

As more and more people silently surrounded the spatial passage, Leonard did not continue to chat with Dong Tianyu but instead focused on the newcomers. When his gaze swept across some acquaintances, both parties would wave in greeting.

As Leonard surveyed the crowd and noticed no new arrivals, the spatial passage, which was only as big as a fist when Dong Tianyu had just arrived, now had a diameter of about two meters.

Accompanied by a 'buzzing' sound, a creature about a meter tall with a long sharp spike on its mouth and six wings on its back, looking very much like a mosquito, emerged through the transport passage.

The giant mosquito-like creature just exited the spatial passage and upon seeing the humans who had already surrounded it, just as it prepared to flap its wings, over a dozen large hands made of mud suddenly appeared from the ground and firmly grasped the six mosquito legs standing on the ground.

Before the mosquito had time to struggle, a brownish-yellow ball suddenly flew over from behind Leonard, striking the giant mosquito very precisely.

Before the giant mosquito could react, the ball that hit the target suddenly exploded, and the initially fist-sized brownish-yellow ball rapidly expanded after shattering, wrapping the immobile giant mosquito in mere seconds.

As the body of the giant mosquito was completely enveloped, the substance—expanding and turning a lighter color resembling jelly—suddenly hardened like amber.

Following that, two individuals behind Leonard quickly ran to the controlled giant mosquito, directly lifted the controlled creature, and did not linger here; instead, they returned directly to the Magic Capital Base with the object.

The entire process was extremely smooth, as if rehearsed hundreds of times, and during this process, the spectators surrounding the area remained quiet, watching Leonard's team act without interfering.