Just like the previous ruins, they followed the same method, and soon their loot was displayed on the screen.
A silver treasure chest.
Two black iron treasure chests.
A bronze treasure chest.
This time, the silver treasure chest yielded a strength potion, which Wei Huan gave to Mu Zhong once again.
Mu Chong raised his eyebrows and drank it down without saying anything more.
Both of them had enough silver equipment, so they continued to list it on the auction house.
There are always people watching the auction house; the moment they make a move, the other side reacts.
[Is it another silver treasure chest? So how exactly did I spot it?]
[This frequency is a bit exaggerated; could it be that a pro has discovered the ruins?]
What are ruins?
[Really? There are still people who don't know about ruins?]
[Speaking of which, Mu Zhong was just collecting treasure maps; the big boss was indeed developing the ruins.]
[I'm so envious of Mu Zhong, I also want to ride in the big boss's car.]
[How can I get on your bandwagon? Why don't you announce a testing process?]
Wei Huan and Mu Zhong got married; they are both men.
One sentence caused an uproar, and everyone's gossip-loving nature was aroused.
[What?! The big shot likes men?! Ugh! I'm devastated! All those 180cm long legs are for nothing!]
[Seriously? Men can marry men? I thought same-sex marriage had been abolished to help restore the population.]
[Mu Zhong is a true winner in life; I envy his effortless success.]
[No wonder Mu Zhong was able to obtain the Dark Beast Buster; he was just clinging to a powerful backer.]
The facehugger emerged from the ruins carrying a stone slab. Wei Huan's face was expressionless, and the air inside the car was freezing cold.
Mu Zhonglu smacked him and laughed, "Don't be angry. You know how strong I am. Just tell me, even without this marriage, am I qualified to get into your car?"
Wei Huan nodded, but what he saw in Mu Zhong's eyes was his persistent "depressed" nature.
Wei Huan knew that Mu Zhong's inner conflict was not about being disabled, but that he had given up his car to save his life, and thus forever relinquished his right to be an independent challenger.
His name is always followed by the two characters "Wei Huan".
This is a devastating blow to Mu Zhong's pride and integrity.
This is unsolvable.
Unless Mu Zhong chooses to leave his team and relinquish his challenger status, he will not be able to enter the Challenger World again.
Otherwise they would be bound together forever.
Wei Huan sighed and turned off the chat.
Mu Zhong said, "No need."
Wei Huan did not answer, but simply opened the door and got out of the car.
The facehugger held its two front paws high, and this time the stone slab was only the size of a rugby ball. It tiptoed and presented it to the little one.
The little dot carefully picked up the stone slab and handed it to Wei Huan, who was standing on its back.
Wei Huan took it; it was indeed a fragment of a treasure map.
However, it's uncertain whether it's the same type as the previous one.
There are many ruins, treasure maps, and paper and iron fragments in the Challenge World.
They come in all sorts of varieties, making them very troublesome to collect.
Of course, challenging legions and privately formed high-level teams, with money and manpower, can still assemble a complete map and dig up treasures.
The value of a treasure chest is generally equivalent to a single item from a gold chest, so you'll usually make a small profit. However, if you're lucky enough to get a higher-level item, you'll become rich.
Wei Jinhong's Gong's Car Team mainly focuses on finding treasure.
Whether he drove it himself or bought and sold it, Wei Huan vaguely remembered that Wei Jinhong's main vehicle had three level four vehicle parts and four pieces of gold equipment.
This level is incomparable to the Challenger Legion, but it's already considered quite good among private car teams.
Opening the silver treasure chest on the third-level highway is relatively easy.
Wei Huan took the stone slab and handed it to Mu Zhong through the carriage window, then jumped off Xiao Dian's back.
The enhanced cave beast warrior caught him.
The "royal guard" surrounded him and threw him back into the ruins.
It was still the scaly snake's den.
Poor Scaled Serpent, has its entire race been chosen by the challenge world and turned into ruined monsters?
However, this scaled snake's "home" is better managed than the previous one, with two more branching paths.
This is actually a sign that a stronger scaled serpent will appear later, weaving its lair into a terrifying maze.
That will be the time for it to turn the tables and defeat its challengers.
Wei Huan ordered the cave beast warriors to lead him to all the passages except the cesspool.
Finally, he pried off a flat, polygonal piece of black sheet metal from an inconspicuous wall.
The grit on the iron sheet was brushed away, revealing fine textures.
That's right, it's another treasure map fragment.
Made of iron.
This is why Wei Huan wanted to come in.
He gathered the ghost crows around him, watching them search for the treasure map. Once he found it, he showed it to them so they could memorize it.
The crow is clever, but its abilities are limited.
They can distinguish anything as long as Wei Huan has taught them.
Conversely, they don't know that this piece of iron is also a treasure map.
The patient instruction now is so that I can lie down and relax later.
Wei Huan didn't mind coming down a few more times.
That's perfect... it also avoids the awkwardness of being left in the car with Mu Zhong.
He knew very well that Mu Zhong was strong-willed and could not be defeated by mere rumors.
But the "depression" that always appeared in his glasses was very jarring.
Emerging from the ruins, Mu Zhong leaned halfway out of the car window and waved to Wei Huan.
A cheerful voice, carried on the sandstorm, rang out: "No way? Two fragments of a treasure map?"
Wei Huan then raised the piece of iron in his hand and waved it.
Mu Zhong exclaimed, "How rich! This ruin is rich!"
But that's where your good luck ends.
After leaving the quicksand area, they continued driving along the edge of the road. As they went on, apart from opening some black iron chests and bronze chests, they found neither high-level chests nor ruins.
Wei Huan yawned, stopped the car, and had Xiao Dian put them on his back so he could carry them on his way.
He planned to visit the Undead Ranch.
Unfortunately, the cooldowns on his summoned creatures were still active.
It seems that, through the ranch
After the star is upgraded, it needs a period of time to digest and absorb.
Power that comes too quickly and too easily is never a good thing.
Meanwhile, the one-star pasture is recovering at a rate of 1 point per minute, and it will take about a week to fully recover.
It's a bit slow.
But Wei Huan was already very satisfied.
This is his professional training ground.
A special space that billions of people would crave.
As long as he frequently enters and exits the training ground, he will gradually pull ahead of, or even catch up with, those true geniuses.
He summoned the undead he had recruited at the Temple of Professions the previous night, completed a one-star upgrade at the Undead Ranch, and then left.
It didn't even take ten minutes.
Back in the car, I saw Mu Zhong.
Mu Zhong was no longer selling supplies; he was using his microcosm to train his spiritual power.
256 plots of land is a considerable undertaking for him given his current level of spiritual power.
Wei Huan made himself and Mu Zhong a cup of coffee each. When he got closer, he noticed that Mu Zhong was holding the Microcosm, and his forehead was sweating profusely.
"Would you like me to train my spiritual power with you?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Zhong withdrew some of his mental energy from the microscopic world and asked, "Aren't you going to the Undead Ranch?"
"I'm back."
"So fast?" Mu Chong smiled, his eyes crinkling. "Come on, come on, I've been waiting for you."
Wei Huan smiled slightly, handed him the coffee, and then sat down in the back seat.
Wei Huan's spiritual power was strong and profound, while Mu Zhong's spiritual power was light and flexible.
When Wei Huan used his mental power to weed and turn the soil, Mu Zhong's mental power was right next to him and unknowingly became attached to him.
Time passed second by second, and the wisps of white smoke from the coffee in my hand dissipated, gradually cooling down.
Suddenly, Wei Huan's hand holding the mug trembled, his eyelashes quivered, and his lips pressed into a straight line.
He could hear Mu Zhong's disordered breathing, but he couldn't feel anything; all his attention was focused on the fireworks that suddenly exploded in front of him.
Those dazzling fireworks carried him and Mu Zhong into the sky, out of the planet, and into a magnificent nebula universe.
Time lost its meaning at this moment.
It felt like a primordial chaos that had lasted for millennia, yet also like a fleeting, brief moment.
When they came to their senses, the two were still in the car.
Mu Zhong held the Microcosm in her hand, her face flushed as she looked at him, with a faint trace of tears at the corners of her eyes.
Gazing intently.
for a long time.
Until the last vestiges of consciousness returned.
Mu Zhong said slowly, "Your mental strength has improved."
Wei Huan nodded in agreement, his face tense.
Mu Zhong coughed and said, "Then I'm going to take a shower."
After Mu Chong returned to his room, Wei Huan also went back to his own room, intending to take a shower.
The water flow was too low; the water collector only produced half the amount of water needed in the desert. He had to put his clothes back on and lie on the bed for a while, until he estimated that Mu Chong had finished washing before getting up.
The round trip took a full half hour.
Taking a shower for an average of three minutes is excessively long.
Mu Zhong's gaze towards him was a little strange.
Mu Zhong hesitated, then asked, "You wouldn't, would you?"
Wei Huan said, "No."
"Oh~" Clearly, she still didn't believe it.
Wei Huan couldn't explain it clearly, so he didn't bother to explain it anymore.
Time flies, and it's almost dark again.
Mu Zhong reopened the chat section that he had closed for half a day.
[Where was the leg severed? Will it affect anything?]
[The inner thigh, what do you say?]
[So pitiful.]
Don't be sad, we will always support you.
[Wei Huan will definitely make it to the front; tier 4 and tier 5 tanks are no problem for him. Your legs will recover sooner or later.]
[There's definitely no problem in Wei Huan's car.]
Wei Huan frowned upon seeing these comments.
Beneath the seemingly sympathetic remarks lay a sense of excitement at having pried into someone's secrets. And even after an entire afternoon, four hours had passed, the topic hadn't cooled down. It's hard to imagine what kind of offensive comments had been made during that time.
Wei Huan tapped the screen, opened his chat window, and was about to type something.
His hand was pressed down by Mu Zhong.
What are you trying to say?
Wei Huan said, "With this free time to gossip, they should have enough equipment blueprints."
"A threat?" Mu Zhong was a little surprised, then nodded. "That is indeed a good idea."
Wei Huan did not expect Mu Zhong to agree.
Mu Chong laughed: "You think I would advise you? The knife has already cut my flesh, why should I tolerate it? Do you think I enjoy letting others trample on my good intentions?"
Okay, you drive carefully, leave this to me.
Wei Huan thought for a moment and shook his head: "I also have something to say."
"What?"
Three minutes later, the World Channel broadcast two important announcements.
The first point was made by Mu Zhong.
[Mu Zhong: Adventure difficulty has increased, treasure chests are harder to open, and the discounted sale is temporarily suspended. It will resume depending on the actual situation.]
The second message came from Wei Huan, who almost never speaks in the chat room.
[Wei Huan: Recruiting one teammate for a Tier 3 vehicle. Must be quiet and hardworking; skill level is not important. Those interested can contact Mu Zhong to apply.]
[Ahhh? A Tier 3 tank? I want to sign up!!]
[Why are you ending the event? I just accumulated enough points. If you've started, don't stop! This constant changing of events, are you kidding me?]
[Are support items also banned from sale? Supports already have a tough time making a living, so please sell any support items you have.]
[I checked the vehicle performance rankings, and the scores aren't even up to Tier 3. Can you please stop lying?]
[It's actually quite easy to understand. The purpose of these events is to attract visitors. If they stop now and reopen later, I bet a single person that prices will go up. We've seen plenty of capitalist tactics.]
The chat room vibrated, and sure enough, everyone's attention shifted from the gossip to various complaints.
Wei Huan didn't explain. Together with Mu Zhong, they refreshed the same message in the chat room again and then ignored it.
Just as darkness fell, Mu Zhong got up to cook, while Wei Huan drove the vehicle away from the dangerous edge of the area before the sandstorm hit.
There was silence for a moment.
It should have been done using the Eight Trigrams.
The challengers in Zone 1006, who were having dinner, all started their Level 2 challenge night with anger, fear, and complaints.
Wei Huan initially thought such comments would continue, but soon, different voices emerged in the chat room.
[Duan Yucen: So there are really that many idiots with low emotional intelligence in this world?]
[Duan Yucen: Really? You don't understand? You really don't understand the meaning behind Wei Huan and Mu Chong's announcements?]
[Duan Yucen: This is just digging your own grave.]
[Liu Chengzhi: Shh, why are you saying that? It'll make us even more competitive for a spot on the bus.]
[Duan Yucen: I'm the conductor myself, I don't go on other people's buses, and I speak my mind. With this level of emotional intelligence, I shouldn't be a challenger and cause trouble for others.]
[Zhang San: Well, since someone brought it up, I'll just remind you, "keep quiet and diligent" is the key.]
[Li Si: I've been watching this for a long time. He was injured while on a mission. Even if he got into Wei Huan's car, it's his good fortune! I ask you, what were you doing when he was clearing out the dark beasts in the wasteland? What were you doing when he was risking his life? Your peaceful life is his medal of honor, and you expect your sympathy?]
[Duan Yucen: Applause! Mu Zhong has won the university league championship for our A-level university for two consecutive years. He's a reserve member of the Dragon Group and a dual-profession player; his future is bright. Putting everything else aside, I just want to ask you, don't you love the dancers' "bloodthirstiness"?]
[Wei Huan: Hmm, Bloodlust works very well.]
After saying this, Wei Huan inexplicably turned to look at the kitchen.
Then he saw Mu Zhong looking at him and smiling.
Wei Huan then smiled.
The chat room had turned into a debate, with some people stubbornly arguing and refusing to admit their mistakes.
Even with such intensity, Wei Huan felt it was far better than one-sided sympathy.
What Mu valued most was never sympathy.
What he wants is respect, recognition earned through his own abilities.
The argument in the chat room was still going on during dinner.
The two groups started hurling insults at each other, while Teng Jiayang led a group of neutral people to mediate.
District 1006 was also full of energy and bustling with activity today.
Mu Zhong took out a bowl of the food they had prepared in the rest area and heated it up.
The braised beef was cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of saltiness. The rich broth coated the large chunks of meat, seeping into every fiber, making it tender and flavorful.
Another dish, braised chicken, was served.
Freshly slaughtered roosters, paired with premium roasted rooster sauce, are incredibly delicious.
While eating, Mu Zhong said, "I didn't originally intend to kill it. It's too domineering. It chases chickens all over the yard, and if it catches one, it jumps on its back and pecks at it. Chickens fly everywhere and feathers are scattered all over the place. We clearly brought in Sanhuang chickens, how did it turn into a fighting rooster?"
Wei Huan paused in his eating, then asked uncertainly, "Are they chasing a hen?"
"ah?"
"..."
Mu Chong blinked, picked up a piece of chicken, put it in his mouth, and buried it in the rice.
Mmm, it smells delicious.
I opened boxes during the day and collected all the materials for level 3 vehicle lights.
Wei Huan set off again, with much better visibility.
Yesterday, the level 2 headlights could only illuminate 1 meter ahead; tonight, with the same sandstorm, however...
You can see four or five meters away.
The smaller one, with his 380cm long legs, would occasionally appear in the headlights' beam. The anal-peeling guy would run around under his thighs, sometimes circling in front of the car, sometimes circling to the side.
The gap between elites is becoming apparent, and Wei Huan decides to search the tomb more thoroughly tonight to see if he has missed anything.
Just then, a ghost crow flew through the sandstorm, cawing loudly.
Wei Huan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately turned the steering wheel and drove off in the direction of Ghost Crow.
"We've discovered ruins," he told Mu Zhong without turning his head.
Mu Zhong turned off the water and looked out the kitchen window.
The misty sandstorm completely blocked the view, and the sand and gravel hitting the windows gave a feeling of impending doom.
He was a little worried: "The ruins are more dangerous at night, don't get out of the car."
After thinking about it, he simply put down the work he was halfway through, went to the back seat, leaned on the seat, and looked around nervously.
After a while, Mu Zhong pointed to a ball of light ahead and asked, "Have we arrived yet?"
Wei Huan saw the ghost crow stop and nodded: "We've arrived."
Mu nodded: "Is this ruin really that beautiful? We need to be even more careful. It's a law of nature that the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it is."
Wei Huan sensed something was wrong: "Beautiful? What did you see?"
After exchanging glances with Wei Huan for three seconds, Mu Zhong described, "On a ruin shrouded in a ball of light, the hazy white light blocked the wind and sand. It looked like an oasis inside, and I could see a faint green."
Wei Huan then described it as: "Pitch black, ruins and broken walls."
Mu Zhong stroked his chin: "So? Is it because my mental strength is too low, and I was tricked?"
"Whether it's true or false, let the dead investigate and we'll find out."
Mu Zhong took a deep breath and exhaled: "Challenging the world is indeed dangerous. My attributes are already high enough, but I still almost fell into a trap."
"Or perhaps you are right," Wei Huan comforted him.
No, you are right.
"Um?"
"After your undead went in, my Oasis was ruined, hahaha!"
"..."
What should have been a perilous exploration suddenly turned into something ridiculous.
The upper limit of the level 2 challenge also determines the upper limit of the monsters.
This ruin monster, capable of creating illusions, may be very powerful, but unfortunately, it encountered the completely "supermodel" Wei Huan, and the result became quite ridiculous.
Wei Huan possesses high mental strength and is unaffected by illusions.
His undead creatures have no mental power, are fearless, and just charge forward.
The result was that the opponent's most prized tactic was completely ineffective.
Soon, they learned about the general situation ahead by looking at the items displayed on the projected screen.
[Obtained 10 Phantom Lizard Scales]
The summoned creatures ganged up on a lizard, and the message about the scales falling off was sent over, but the message about opening the treasure chest still hasn't popped up.
Mu Zhong said, "I've seen information about the Illusion Lizard in the library. Its scales are special; they absorb sunlight during the day and release light at night. By adjusting the angle of its scales, it can create light projections."
Its combat power is not strong, but once it enters the illusory light, its five senses will be clouded, and once it believes...
If you believe it, you'll die within half an hour if you spend the night in the sandstorm.
This isn't a treasure chest monster; it's a wandering alien.
Wei Huan nodded.
As the challenges continue, an even greater danger is slowly creeping in.
He glanced at the number of people in the chat room and noticed that there were two fewer people than before the meal.
People die every day in this world of challenges, so it's normal for two people to be missing after nightfall.
In fact, careful observers will notice that it is not normal for two people to be missing so early in the night.
It can only be said that as soon as night fell, wandering monsters attacked the challengers.
After the phantom lizard died, the light before Mu Zhong's eyes also disappeared.
Under the pitch-black night sky, the wind and sand howled fiercely, and in the distance, one could vaguely see the eerie ruins everywhere.
"Is that... human civilization?"
He saw the walls—truly ruins.
Wei Huan shook his head: "No."
Mu Zhong thought for a moment and said, "There is a theory that all civilizations that fail in the challenge will eventually appear as ruins on the next challenge arena."
"That's a saying."
Wei Huan suddenly felt down.
He returned from the failure of humanity's challenge, and the thought that human civilization might reappear in such a way from some ruin in the future only served to illustrate this.
It hurts like having your heart ripped out.
"There are often special items in the ruins of civilizations that the undead can't distinguish. Do you want to go in and explore?" Mu Zhong asked, watching the undead army that had already entered the ruins.
Wei Huan nodded, and before Mu Zhong could persuade him, he said, "I'll go in at dawn."
Mu Zhong laughed: "Very stable, Captain."
"Um."
Wei Huan didn't know if his rebirth meant he had a mission to change the ending, but no matter what, he couldn't let arrogance ruin him.
Soon, the undead army's exploration brought back good news.
[Obtained Silver Spirit Ring x1]
[Obtain Aerodynamic Tire Modification Blueprint x1]
[Obtain Aerodynamic Tires (I) x4]
[Obtain 8 air ducts]
[get...]
Mu Zhong exclaimed happily, "Special blueprints have been produced!"
Wei Huan's eyes lit up, and he nodded.
Without pausing, the two immediately retrieved the blueprints from the warehouse.
Click [Learn].
The [Create] button was immediately activated.
[Aerodynamic Tire Modification]
[Yes/No]
Click [Yes]
[1% of aerodynamic tires manufactured, time remaining 00:09:59]
"Ten minutes." Mu Zhong's eyes lit up. "Sure enough, technological blueprints were found in the ruins of civilization, and the quicksand problem has been solved."
"Um."
Just like the challenges they are currently facing.
The challenge to the world seems to always involve choosing a technological civilization and a biological civilization for a competitive clash.
In the challenging world, amidst the ruins of biological civilization, potions that enhance physical strength and psychic abilities have appeared.
The ruins of technological civilization produce all kinds of technological blueprints and materials.
It's like an evolutionary plunder.
The victors, carrying everything the losers had to offer, along with their own strengths, eventually became a more advanced civilization.
Losers, destruction!