Chapter Forty-Seven: Laying All Cards on the Table

The road was becoming increasingly difficult. Since the appearance of the first wave of enemies, Liu Zong and his group had encountered three waves of attacks, both large and small, within just three hours. All of these assaults, like before, came from enemies leaping out from underground to ambush them, each time with about thirty to forty attackers.

Throughout this journey, Liu Zong and his companions suffered no small amount of hardship—even both of the Seven Knights IV units had been battered to the point of deformation. Fortunately, both Liu Chun and Liu Zong were able to turn the corpses into undead, having them follow beneath the bellies of the Seven Knights IVs. In this way, whenever an ambush occurred, the undead would be the first to engage the enemy, serving as both shield and cannon fodder.

Thanks to these measures, their battles became progressively easier, and their losses were kept to a minimum. Of course, Zhu Yan and the others had no desire to keep fighting like this indefinitely; after a battle, only Liu Zong and Liu Chun could somewhat increase their strength, while the others would always be somewhat depleted. For a day or two, this could be remedied through cooking or other means, but over time, even with the protection of the Seven Knights IV, it would be impossible for them to rest easy.

So, after breaking through three defensive lines, Zhu Yan directed the Seven Knights IV to change course, taking a different route. Before them, a visible outpost was gradually left behind in the distance.

From then on, Liu Zong and his companions remained aboard the Seven Knights IV, day and night, with the machine moving steadily forward under Zhu Yan’s control. As days passed, Liu Zong lost any sense of his location or how many enemy waves they had encountered. He only knew that there were at least three battles each day, sometimes as many as five or six. The number of undead following beneath the Seven Knights IV had surpassed a hundred, and their combined strength was nearing the limits of what he could control.

Finally, the Seven Knights IV came to a halt. At that moment, Liu Zong, who had been studying shockwave ratios, sensed that it wasn’t due to an imminent battle. He put down the chicken bones in his hand and stepped out of the internal cabin of the Seven Knights IV, only to discover that they had arrived at the "seashore."

After spending so many days on the Storm Archipelago, Liu Zong had, of course, inquired about its geography. Despite being called an archipelago, the map was actually a continuous landmass, with originally wide rivers separating different regions. Because these rivers covered such a vast area, the land looked from above like islands floating in water—hence the name.

However, as the map’s level declined and its energy was completely drained, the rivers gradually disappeared, replaced by broad rivers of flowing sand. These sandy rivers expanded, becoming so vast that in some places they stretched beyond the horizon; standing on their banks, anyone could believe it was a sea.

Once the Seven Knights IV had stopped, Zhu Yan gathered all the players together. For the first time, she spread the map out before everyone and spoke seriously, “We’re almost at the first location. Let me explain our plan. Although we have the Seven Knights IV, our destination isn’t somewhere it can take us directly—we’ll need to switch routes several times.”

As she spoke, Zhu Yan gestured at the map. “Not far from here, within the river of flowing sand, there’s an abandoned forward base. I’ve confirmed this base is a branch of the ancient laboratory we’re seeking, so there will definitely be a way to return to the main laboratory from there.

“I can tell you with absolute certainty: this ancient laboratory is the research base for the Seven Knights IV prototype. Once there, we can rest for three to five days. You’ll find some of the information you desire, and whatever else you’re able to uncover will depend on your own abilities.

“Afterwards, we’ll use the laboratory’s teleportation array to travel to the territory of one of the Seven Lords. Only in the Seven Lords’ domains can we find a map or method leading to the Princess’s Tomb.

“Our ultimate goal is the Princess’s Tomb. The prototype Seven Knights I’m after is hidden there. Of course, if any of you have the ability to claim another prototype for yourselves, I won’t object.”

With that, Zhu Yan folded the map and swept a stern gaze over the gathered players. “I’ve been thorough enough, haven’t I? Any questions?”

Her explanation was detailed, and the players all nodded silently. Liu Zong finally understood why Zhu Yan had spent so much effort to secure two Seven Knights IV units at the outset. It seemed that the Seven Knights IVs were the sole means of entering the forward base and proceeding to the ancient laboratory, not just ordinary transportation for the journey.

Otherwise, given their strength, if walking was all that was required, the ten days they’d already spent would have sufficed to reach this point.

As Liu Zong pondered this, Zhu Yan approached Liu Chun. “Xiao Chun, when we enter the river of sand, release all your undead. This is the most dangerous place—there are far too many unknown creatures. The Seven Knights IV must remain unharmed, so we need fodder to clear the way.”

Liu Chun nodded confidently. “Don’t worry, Sister Yan. Though we’re not necromancers and these undead aren’t our elite forces, we’re more than capable of sending them out as cannon fodder.”

“Good. That’s all I need to hear. Let’s rest a bit longer—go to Linlin for a battle meal to restore your energy, and we’ll set out at dawn.”

With that, Zhu Yan patted Liu Chun on the shoulder and walked away, not bothering to speak with Liu Zong, who had learned of the plan from Liu Chun. He had no objections and continued quietly practicing his own skills.

After another hour or so, the Seven Knights IV began to move. Liu Chun leaped onto the Seven Knights IV – Zhu Zhi, while Liu Zong, under Xu Linlin’s arrangement, boarded the Seven Knights IV – Yellow Sand.

Unlike before, this time Liu Zong didn’t remain in the internal cabin. He stood atop the central control head, usually reserved for two operators. This was his first time standing here since completing the Seven Knights IV, and compared to his previous ten uses of the Summoning Ritual, the vantage point was vastly improved—he felt like the captain standing at the bow of a ship, guiding its course.

At the same time, three red arrows appeared before him, indicating the control mechanism of the Seven Knights IV: every three minutes, the machine would automatically analyze and display three possible routes. The player in control simply had to choose which path to take.