Reverse flow of the Yellow Springs

Within three days, retrieve items of sufficient value from a dangerous location.
That's interesting, but where could it be?
If it were a restricted area, that would be far too dangerous. Li Yelai didn't want to be surrounded and killed by creatures from a restricted area again.

"Where is it located?" Li Yelai asked.

"The challenge location won't be in a restricted area, nor in a giant city. And certainly not in your area. There are many dangerous and unclaimed areas in this world." The captain's laughter echoed from deep within the Ark. "Therefore, don't expect to be able to prepare in advance for the challenge location. Currently, only the Ark can freely move within those dangerous areas."

"I see. Can the two of you challenge it together?" Jing Lin asked.

If they could go together, they could look out for each other.

"Of course, you can invite more Ark voters who want to take on the challenge. But I must inform you that each challenger must bring along valuable items." The captain reminded them, "Finding multiple valuable items within three days is quite difficult. You can decide the pros and cons yourself."

Li Yelai and Jing Lin nodded slightly, clearly understanding the captain's meaning.

The challenge can indeed be undertaken in teams, which is safer. However, this also increases the number of items required.

Three days is neither a long nor a short time.

If not everyone can obtain the item, fights and infighting may break out among the challengers.

The cooperation among challengers has both advantages and disadvantages.

"Could you at least tell us where we're going?" Li Yelai asked, "so we can make the necessary preparations."

“Naturally, let me see where I should take you this time. The last time it was the Abyss Labyrinth, and the last time it was the Destroying Volcano.” After a moment of contemplation, the captain replied, “This time, let’s go to the Dead Sea Destroyer.”

Li Yelai was taken aback; he had never heard of these names before.

If it weren't for this covert mission, he wouldn't have traveled far from home much.

"The Abyss Labyrinth, I seem to have heard of it," Jing Lin said. "It's said to be a huge pit in the North Asian region, a strange terrain formed after the destruction of the Calamity Mist, its depths unfathomable. Within it, there are also a large number of sleeping monsters. It's said to contain many rare and extraordinary substances, as well as the pinnacle of human technology before the calamity, and even the technological crystallization of forbidden civilizations."

"The restricted area also has technology?" Li Yelai asked.

"Hey, where do you think our human plasma cannon technology and prosthetic body modification technology came from?"

Jing Lin shook his head: "You operate in Border City No. 3, so you're not very clear on that. After all, the forbidden zones there don't follow the technological route. In fact, the technological level of some forbidden zones is frighteningly high, even surpassing that of humanity before the calamity."

"Therefore, that abyss labyrinth is a huge treasure trove for both scavengers and giant cities. Even beings from forbidden zones occasionally venture into the abyss labyrinth in hopes of unearthing some extraordinary substances or, in other words, certain technologies. But the danger is too great. It is said that a hegemon-level powerhouse once ventured deep into it, alerted the monsters within, and never returned. Fortunately, he was a hegemon of the forbidden zone, so he didn't feel sorry for him!"

Li Yelai nodded. After all, Jing Lin came from Yaoqing Giant City in the north, so it wasn't surprising that he knew these things.

"What about the others? Do you know anything about them?" Li Yelai asked.

Jing Lin shook his head: "Never heard of it."

"Humans and creatures of the forbidden zones alike are too closed off. The differences in territory and the dangers between them have limited your vision," the captain explained. "And the Dead Sea ruins you are going to are actually many of the human ships from the era of the cataclysm."

"After the calamity broke out, the entire ocean became strange and dangerous. Whether it was a warship or an ordinary sea vessel, they all seemed to be cursed, losing contact as soon as they set sail."

Li Yelai nodded slightly. He knew this; Border City No. 1 and Lava Mine City were port cities.

One of the border cities once housed a powerful human fleet. It was the main human fleet that had barely survived the calamity.

Despite the technological lag, the fleet's firepower remained formidable, boasting missiles exceeding Mach 6 and even reaching Mach 10. Under its dominance, anyone who dared to touch it was doomed. However, during one operation, the entire fleet lost contact.

"The ocean is actually the region most prone to disasters, because no humans live in the sea, so the disaster fog there devours and attacks each other, making the entire ocean a place fraught with danger."

"And those sunken ships, in the ocean, were affected by the power of the illusory realm. They gradually gathered together and twisted. Some grew flesh and blood, and some hulls merged. In the end, they turned into a dangerous island."

"That is the Dead Sea Shipwreck. A dangerous place pieced together from countless ships, and inhabited by some remnants of the Calamity Mist!"

"Of course, there are also plenty of treasures inside. Technology from forbidden civilizations, the peak firepower of humanity before the calamity, unique substances from different types of calamity fog, and if you're lucky, you might even find a complete warship. These are all targets you can take out."

Li Yelai and Jing Lin both frowned; they could tell from their expressions that this person was not easy to deal with.

Moreover, if these wrecked ships were still considered vehicles, wouldn't they fall apart?

“Have any Ark voters ever challenged this place?” Li Yelai asked.

"Of course, Black Umbrella, Chu He, and Mingxing have all challenged this place and achieved their goals," the captain said. "As for the others, you won't be able to see them."

Wow, they're all familiar faces.

Li Yelai's eyes flickered, and then he asked, "If I ask them for their experience, it wouldn't be considered a foul, would it?"

“Of course not, that’s between you two,” the captain replied.

“Very good, then please help me contact Chu He!” Li Ye said.

"Can!"

"Are you very familiar with Chu He?" Jing Lin asked.

"It's alright. After all, he owes me quite a bit," Li Yelai replied. "Compared to the others, I'm more willing to believe him."

"As a major creditor, he probably wishes you were dead," Jing Lin retorted.

At the same time, a white light flashed, and a figure walked out from the white light, and laughed: "You are right. If the big creditor dies, wouldn't I make a fortune? But I don't like to take advantage of others."

The newcomer was none other than Chu He. He arrived as swiftly as ever.

Moreover, this time, he seemed to be in a very good mood. Even the psionic beings, who were all overlord-level powerhouses, were cheering.

Even though his face was blurry, Li Yelai could still feel his smile.

At the same time, Li Yelai sensed a strange sense of unease. Even the blank mask in the strange space showed slight fluctuations.

Without Li Yelai touching them, the Blood God's mask appeared simultaneously on both blank masks.

A powerful urge to kill surged, an unprecedented situation, and the power of the Blood God reacted?

What's going on? Li Yelai suppressed his bloodlust and restrained the two masks.

After becoming the Chosen One of Chaos, he also made a deal with Chu He and had contact with him, but there was no such phenomenon at that time.

Why is the Chu River now causing a surge of Blood God power?
Chu He also paused, his gaze turning to Li Yelai. Clearly, he had also sensed something.

As the overlord, he caught the fleeting killing intent. After looking at Li Yelai for a few seconds, he suddenly looked at Jing Lin: "Oh, isn't this Camellia? Copper Mask, you invited him too?"

"I suppose so. We're discussing challenging for the fourth spot. The location is the Dead Sea Ruins. Captain, I heard you've also challenged there, so I'd like you to come and give us some insights. That way, we can be better prepared," Li Yelai said, suppressing his excitement.

"I see," Chu He said after a moment of contemplation. "The dangers inside the wrecked ship are mainly threefold: the remnants of the Calamity Mist tribe that parasitize the wrecked ship, the possible presence of forbidden objects, and the strange changes in the ship itself."

"What changes?" Jing Lin asked.

“Some of the ship's hulls have been given autonomous consciousness and may try to stop you by any means necessary. Last time I just passed by the missile bay, the missiles inside activated on their own. They didn't kill me, but they attracted a large number of the Chaos Mist Remnants. It's extremely dangerous,” Chu He said. “Therefore, when you are on your mission, it's best not to make too much noise. Remember to wear oxygen tanks or other similar devices, and do not damage the hull unless absolutely necessary, otherwise there may be a large-scale collapse.”

Li Yelai and Jing Lin nodded silently, noting all of this down. The official Jucheng government would provide the two with the necessary equipment.

"Alright, that's all I wanted to say. I only went for three days and visited very few places, so I can't offer you any more advice," Chu He said.
“That’s enough, thank you,” Li Yelai replied.

“Copperface, I’ve found the ancient dragon you need, but we’ll need some time to prepare before we can successfully hunt it,” Chuhe said.

"This is good news," Li Yelai nodded.

Now, he has the reins to control corpses, and as long as there is a powerful ancient dragon corpse, he can unleash extremely strong combat power.

Putting everything else aside, even 70% of Gu Long's combat power would be enough for him to crush many strong opponents.

"And one more thing," Chu He said calmly, looking at Li Yelai, "This is private."

Li Yelai nodded, and then the two entered a private space.

In the private space, Chu He spoke: "I don't know what you have, nor do I know your identity. But if you are in dire straits, you can pray to some great being. Don't take the wrong step."

After a few seconds of silence, Li Yelai said, "I don't want to be your enemy, I really do. I hope you won't take any wrong turns either."

“Me too, Copperface.” Chu He chuckled.

Both Li Yelai and Chu He vaguely sensed the other's special nature, but neither of them pointed it out.

"Well then, I'll be going now. See you next time. I hope you can pass the challenge." Chu He said, then turned into white light and disappeared.

When Jing Lin saw Li Yelai return to the hall alone, he asked, "He's gone? What did you two talk about? You were being so secretive."

“It’s nothing, but you’d better be careful of Chu He. I suspect he might have some connection with Chaos.” Li Yelai shook his head and then said, “Alright, I’m going to break through to the fifth level of enlightenment now. You prepare your equipment, and we’ll see you later.”

"Row!"

Then, both of them left the ark.

Unbeknownst to them, after they had all left, the captain gave a faint smile.

'I thought these two Chosen Ones of Chaos would start fighting on the ship.'

On the other side, Li Yelai's consciousness returned to his room, and he opened his eyes.

"Welcome back, teammate. Did you get it?" Little Mad King asked. She was still sitting opposite Li Yelai, protecting him.

Li Yelai nodded: "Yes, I got it."

He opened the wooden box, revealing a bottle of pale golden magic potion inside. A powerful dragon aura emanated from it, and Li Yelai could almost see a giant golden dragon roaring before him.

In the darker part of the wooden box were some messages from the giant city.

Li Yelai picked up the message, and Xiao Kuangwang leaned over as well. The two of them sorted and read it using the coded language of "Night Receiver".

The city has learned the approximate location of the main headquarters and will send a team to the vicinity, expected to arrive in five days.

They will cooperate with Li Yelai's actions within the headquarters, carrying out feint attacks or assassinations.

Following this, Fenxiao launched an operation against the second border city, and the authorities have begun mobilizing troops.

Once Li Ye obtains confirmation of Fen Xiao's exact actions, a siege can be launched.

After reading all the intelligence, the two crushed the envelope and burned it.

“I thought the comrades would launch a feint attack directly,” said Little Mad King.

"That's normal. It's right that they don't get close. Do you know you're bound to encounter a powerful enemy?" Li Yelai grinned. "Now that I'm the church's chosen one, the church is no longer my enemy. And my inevitable powerful enemy will appear before me through various coincidences or accidents."

"Tell me, if I trigger the 'inevitable encounter with a powerful enemy' event, who will it be?"

Little Mad King's expression changed slightly, and he finally said sincerely, "It's really bad luck that the Blood God faction let you in."

"Hey, Blood God made such a choice, it's time to advance to the fifth level of awakening."

A dozen minutes later, the main hall of the headquarters, a fortified stronghold located deep in the mountains, was easily defended and difficult to attack.

Reli took his seat in the center of the Ascension Hall that night, surrounded by various instruments filled with precious medicines from the church. The walls were also engraved with mysterious patterns.

Unlike large cities, the church's resources are given top priority to those chosen by God.

Even if some members of the church need these drugs to save their lives, they cannot go against this rule.

In order to prevent any accidents from happening during the awakening of the chosen one, the servants prepared a large amount of stabilizers and various expensive auxiliary drugs.

At this moment, a group of people, led by He Liu, Bai Ya, and Gongsun Gonggong, were nervously guarding the vicinity of the Awakening Room.

The legion loyal to Li Yelai was stationed outside the Awakening Altar, preventing anyone from approaching and disturbing the Chosen One's ascension.

Inside the room, Li Yelai drank the potion in one gulp.

Unlike the strange smell of the potions from before.

This potion actually tastes somewhat sweet?
Li Yelai was somewhat surprised, but soon he felt the pain.

It was as if he had swallowed a series of sharp weapons, which were cutting open Li Yelai's mouth, throat, and esophagus.

"Indeed, I underestimated you." Li Yelai sneered, his voice as sharp as a drawn sword.

Meanwhile, within the illusory realm, the projection stepped into the Well of Souls! (End of Chapter)