"Survival Base?"

Upon hearing this news, everyone quickened their pace. Could there really be a survival base in this place? For them, this is absolutely great news!

Indeed, in the center of the barren plain stood a giant castle, solitary and grand, spanning a radius of about ten kilometers. It even looked like a small city!

Within this survival base, there appeared to be sections designated for accommodation, entertainment, trading, and more. Various robots were operating within, yet the streets were empty, as if the city was newly established.

This city lacked any walls or defensive measures, with signs in each direction labeled "Home Survival Base."

"What do you think?" a young man asked cautiously, "Do you think it's safe there?"

Someone immediately shook their head, "This place doesn't have any security precautions. How could it be a survival base? Once night falls, the roads will inevitably be overrun by monsters."

"Yes, if it truly were a survival base, it should be a completely enclosed area, barring those monsters outside, not resembling a normal city."

"Moreover, the city's architecture is similar to the standard buildings of the Hong Yun Empire—slightly sturdier at best. Even as an enclosed environment, it might not withstand those monsters."

"Brother, our squad can no longer afford to delay!"

In this squad, there were two severely injured individuals—one had a broken leg, the other's shoulder was nearly severed.

The reason was simple: once scratched or bitten by those monsters, one quickly becomes a monster. These two sustained their injuries during recent battles and opted to take drastic measures by cutting away their limbs as a last resort.

With a severed hand or leg, there's hope for recovery in the future. But if the entire body gets infected, there would be no hope at all. Fortunately, this method worked out—although survival wasn't guaranteed, as the virus coursing through the body takes time. In the case of the two who hesitated, they still ended up becoming monsters.

Despite their tough decision, these two cling to survival.

Traveling stealthily, their stamina and energy have decreased significantly, making it difficult to control their injuries. They need to find a place to attend to them soon. Otherwise, even if they don't turn into monsters, their condition won't be good.

"Let's check it out," the one called Brother decided after pondering for a moment, going for it, "Since it dares to call itself a survival base, it should have some unique features. Perhaps it's truly a green oasis in the desert?"

"You stay here!"

"Brother!" Upon learning the youth planned to scout it out himself, the others grew nervous.

They were not related by blood; before coming to this Ancient Cave Heaven, they didn't know each other. But the crisis of a monster attack forged a revolutionary friendship among them!

The youth named was Graye, hailing from a Ninth Grade Empire, ranked 12th on the Summit Ranking! If it weren't for him risking his life multiple times to save them, their numbers might be even fewer today.

"Brother, you've taken care of us all the way here. Let me check it out this time!" Faced with an unknown establishment, everyone was vigilant—who knew if it posed a new kind of danger.

"I'll go; I'm confident!" Graye, being a Seventh Grade Divine Breath powerhouse, could even challenge a first or second-grade Divine Cultivator. If even entering the city was dangerous for him, others wouldn't stand a chance.

If Zhang Menglong were here, he probably couldn't resist calling him a "Holy Mother." To him, if someone were willing to stand out in such a situation, he'd be more than happy!

But Graye had his own reasoning. A genius martial artist without brains wouldn't have survived this long—envy will always shadow such talent, as for those reckless geniuses, their graves have long been overgrown.

Graye's intuition suggested that although this place seemed out of step with its surroundings, even abrupt, it likely wasn't dangerous—perhaps even offering unforeseen gains, for opportunity favors those who dare to try first.

"Alright, don't fight me on this," Graye said, "Take care of those two. If I encounter any mishaps, leave immediately."

"Be careful." Seeing Graye's resolve, the others didn't persist.

Graye leapt forward, suppressing his presence as he approached the city.

He searched diligently for signs of life within. In this vast city, there was only one presence.

"Could it be another Heavenly Pride teleported nearby?" Graye guessed. If there was someone here, it probably wasn't exceedingly dangerous.

He remained prepared for anything, yet upon reaching the city boundary, found no anomalies.

However, he hadn't noticed two floating objects at the city's top: a metal block embedded with a unique gemstone and a golden transparent sword.

After cautiously surveying, Graye noted the city's perimeter marked by boundary stones about 100 meters apart, with clearly inscribed words:

"New guests, please pay for accommodations at the Home Survival Base entrance; free-riders beware, first warning, second time at your own risk!"

"The marks are fresh, probably made recently," Graye observed, "The etching was rigid, likely done by machines. This city couldn't have been manufactured long ago—who's behind this?"

He glanced at the central direction—a large archway, presumably the entrance mentioned. But Graye didn't plan on heading there immediately. Given the mention of a warning, he wanted to test its severity!

Graye stepped across the boundary stone, moving further into the city.

Instantly, the golden transparent sword atop the city seemed to sense him, vibrating, before sending a projectile shooting toward Graye—too fast for the eye to follow.

Graye's danger instincts detected the sword qi rushing at him, but upon seeing it, realized evasion was impossible, understanding he couldn't dodge the golden sword!

He closed his eyes in despair; was this the warning from the survival base's owner?