The Chu clan convened an urgent meeting. Chu Feng, along with the other high-ranking members of the Chu clan, were all in attendance. They were glancing at a recording of the white beam that had pierced the heavens, discussing what had happened with each other as they did so, and surreptitiously casting glances toward the doorway, as if waiting for something.

Two Chu scouts quickly entered the room.

All conversations paused as the hunters of the Chu clan turned to the scouts. Chu Feng shouted, "Quick, tell us what's going on!"

"Young Master, given the reaction of the clans in Liao, we believe that a hunter's inheritance has been uncovered!"

"A hunter from Liao? Do you know who it could be?"

The two scouts shook their heads. "We don't, Young Master!"

"How have the clans in Liao responded?" Chu Feng pressed.

"They immediately sent out scouting parties toward the light, and they're likely at the scene by now!"

"Is that so? It looks like there must be something to this particular ruin, then," Chu Feng murmured to himself. "Both of you, stand back and await further orders."

"Yes, Captain!" The two scouts bowed, then left the meeting room.

"Father, what do you think?" Chu Feng turned to Chu Lin, who was seated beside him.

"There were quite a few strong hunters that came from Liao—Eclipse, Devil's Eye, Graylight—all of whom have been confirmed to have perished. The Eclipse Sage's namesake technique was even recorded in the Xumi Tome. If the ruin belongs to any of the three of them, the clans of Liao would surely be going crazy about it now.

"The largest clans in China and the clans of Liao will surely rush to the scene. How could we, the Chu clan, miss such an important event?"

Chu Lin's conclusion mirrored Chu Feng's own.

Of course, the Chu clan wasn't the only clan intending to rush to the scene. A very similar conversation had taken place in the capital, in the Yun clan's conference room. After all, Liao wasn't too far from the capital, and they could get there quickly via a short-ranged teleportation apparatus. The rest of the clans in the capital would follow the Yun clan's lead.

The instigators of this hubbub, Zhang Lie and the members of Team Zenith, were unaware of just what they had stirred up. In fact, they were preparing to undergo the first trial of the castle of the Eclipse Sage.

Behind the copper gates of the castle was a long corridor, with two rows of robotic terracotta soldiers arrayed by either side.

"Captain, these soldiers aren't our first trial, are they?" Yang Ze couldn't help asking. After all, no matter how imposing they seemed, it was clear that the technology seemed outdated and inferior.

Zhang Lie smirked. "You don't think highly of these old antiques, do you? In that case, why don't you try fighting one?"

Yang Ze frowned, turning to the robotic soldiers. "I shall! I don't believe these rusty pieces of metal can best me!"

Yang Ze stepped into the corridor.

"Warning! An intruder has been detected. Begin expulsion procedure!"

"Warning! An intruder has been detected. Begin..."

The eyes of the two closest soldiers to Yang Ze began to glint with red light. Their swords blazed with red flame as they rushed toward Yang Ze.

Of course, Yang Ze couldn't back down now, not after he had claimed he would make it past these robots. A mutated-grade longsword appeared in his hands, blocking the robots' attack.

However, the robots' surprising strength nevertheless forced him to stumble back all the way outside the corridor.

The hunters gaped. From their perspective, Yang Ze had been expelled from the corridor almost right after he had stepped inside.

"Why are these robots so strong?" Fang Yi asked doubtfully.

Zhang Lie laughed. "They might look like antiques from the outside, but their interior programming and skeleton were likely enhanced by the Eclipse Sage himself."

While Yang Ze had been a little overconfident, he was still able to assess the robots' strength after the short clash. However, his pride couldn't suffer the fact that he had lost in a single blow. With a wave of his sword, he prepared to dash into the corridor again.

"Wait! Yang Ze, with your current strength, it'll be quite difficult to break through their formation. Trying to beat the trial by rushing through it will likely lead to injury, so just you stand back and watch!"

Zhang Lie pulled Yang Ze back, then materialized Venombane in his hand. He shot into the corridor like a bolt of purple lightning.

"Warning! An intruder has been detected. Begin expulsion procedure!"

"Warning! An intruder has been detected. Begin expulsion procedure!"

"Warning! An intruder..."

"Warning..."

Zhang Lie moved so rapidly that, by the time the first robot reacted, he had already reached the middle of the corridor. Dozens of robots' weapons burst into flames as they rushed toward the intruder.

Some ran toward him, others glided, and a select few even started to fly. They formed a huge web of steel all around him, blocking off his movement from all directions.

Zhang Lie only smiled. The reason he had dashed forward so rapidly was so he could hit them all with a multi-target technique. After all, he too wanted the mythic-grade [Eclipse] for himself.

"[The Boundless Blade: Downpour]!"

Genetic energy exploded from Zhang Lie's body, and drops of purple rain began to fall all around him. A huge explosion rocked the corridor.

Dozens of burning robots crashed onto the floor the moment they tried to close in on Zhang Lie. The downed robots all had one similarity: a small purplish-black hole in their forehead.

Zhang Lie's huge reservoir of genetic energy, incredible sword technique, and the lifeless robots scattered all over the corridor spoke to the gap between Zhang Lie and the other members of Team Zenith.

"Zhou Ying, if I'm not mistaken, you have some expertise in robotics, don't you? I'll leave you in charge of the scene: the cores of these robots are likely quite valuable!" Zhang Lie instructed.

"Yes, Captain!"

The hunters of Team Zenith got to work. The flames on the robots' weapons had been doused, and their terracotta exterior sloughed off to reveal a silver, metallic skeleton.

With Zhou Ying's guidance, the other hunters learned how to extract the robots' cores from their chest, and quickly finished scouring the battlefield for spoils. These robots were nothing but an appetizer for what was to follow.

After passing through the corridor, they reached a small plaza. At its center was a statue of a man with a greatsword on his shoulder, glancing coldly in a certain direction. 

The man was likely none other than the Eclipse Sage himself.

Beneath the statue and all around the plaza, untrimmed grass grew rampant, in counterpoint to the marble perfection of the statue.