"Your courage is truly terrifying," Lin Ran sighed.
Colluding with foreign races to release a teleportation gate, and plotting to harm the top prodigy special recruits of Yan University in Dragon Country…
The former could potentially lead to the fall of the Fú Lóng Mountain Range's armed fortress, a bloody battle between the stationed troops and the alien army, and an unknown number of casualties.
The latter would result in Dragon Country losing two brilliant rising stars, diminishing its future potential.
Each incident was more outrageous than the last.
Having already revealed his intentions, Zhao Wú Dí no longer felt the need to conceal anything. He said coldly, "There's no other way…"
"In this dangerous and ruthless world, money is all I can trust."
"I haven't taken few jobs killing aliens and vicious beasts either."
"Otherwise, how could I have become a captain of the special forces in the military district?"
"I'm not from a wealthy family, nor do I have grand ambitions, but I have a large group of brothers to support…"
"They have all suffered humiliation and disdain…"
Lin Ran suddenly coughed. "Enough! I'm not interested in your story at all!"
"Let's get to business. Do you have any other valuable intelligence?"
"If you do, speak up quickly."
"Don't force me to dig through your database myself…"
"Otherwise, you'll still have only one path – death."
Zhao Wú Dí waved his hand, and the information devices that had vanished from Lin Ran's sight reappeared.
"There is indeed one last, most crucial matter…"
"Though I feel you two are incapable of resolving it."
"Other than that, there's nothing else."
"If you don't believe me, go and see for yourselves."
Lin Ran raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"It would take quite something to stump us."
Zhao Wú Dí looked at Lin Ran's confident face and said gravely, "There's a reason we chose this place as one of our secret bases."
"Here, there's a teleportation platform established by dark elves, but it's damaged."
"Without a new teleportation array, it's unusable. And the dark elves were all killed by the Thunder Elementals who double-crossed them."
"The Thunder Elementals did this to intercept a special research project of the dark elves."
"All we know is that if this teleportation platform can be re-established, the channel it communicates with… leads to the tenth level of the Black Dragon Abyss!"
Lin Ran looked at Zhao Wú Dí in surprise. "The tenth level of the Black Dragon Abyss?!"
"Does the Black Dragon Abyss really have a tenth level?!"
Zhao Wú Dí nodded. "According to the dark elves' research, the Black Dragon Abyss indeed has a tenth level."
"Furthermore, the tenth level of the Black Dragon Abyss stores a treasure of immense value…"
"That is – a complete black dragon corpse, which has absorbed countless years of dragon essence from the Black Dragon Abyss!"
This news indeed sent a shock through Lin Ran and Luo Qingyan.
After exchanging a look, Lin Ran turned back to Zhao Wú Dí. "Where is the teleportation platform?"
Zhao Wú Dí gave a wry smile. "The teleportation platform is at the very bottom of this cave…"
"When the Thunder Elemental clan was围剿 (wéijiǎo - encircle and suppress) the dark elves, the dark elves, to prevent the Thunder Elementals from obtaining the teleportation platform, destroyed the teleportation array on it and used a random teleportation scroll to send the platform to a random location."
"The Thunder Elemental clan was naturally unwilling, and they frantically searched the Fú Lóng Mountain Range for traces of the teleportation platform."
"However, due to incredible luck, my brothers and I learned about this from an information broker of the Thunder Elementals and discovered the existence of the teleportation platform in this mountain."
"Unfortunately, we couldn't master spatial teleportation technology; it's too advanced."
"Not to mention that the area to be teleported to is the tenth level of the Black Dragon Abyss – so distant and so dangerous."
"Therefore, we sold this intelligence to Ye Yun, helping Ye Yun organize to guard this teleportation platform."
"Originally, after Ye Yun's people arrived, I planned to sell this thing to the Annihilation Razor, to make them fight amongst themselves."
"But now that you're here, I've told you about it."
"And it seems there's no chance to tell the Annihilation Razor anymore."
Lin Ran was somewhat speechless. "Fine…"
"For people in your line of work, your mouths are certainly tightly sealed."
"Passing information around is faster than gossip at the village entrance!"
Zhao Wú Dí coughed awkwardly. "Forced by life… forced by life…"
Lin Ran nodded, glancing over Zhao Wú Dí's communication devices to ensure no information was missed, and said, "Alright! This intelligence is quite valuable, so I won't kill you."
"I can also keep the secrets of mercenaries like you confidential."
"But in return, you must help me investigate and complete tasks for free when I need it."
"And one item must be left with me for safekeeping."
Zhao Wú Dí blinked in surprise. "What?"
Lin Ran then revealed his signature "kindly menacing" smile. "I'll take your hearts first!"
Saying this, Lin Ran waved his hand, and the "Room" domain immediately expanded.
Scalpel!
With several light sounds, an incision was made on the chests of all ten of them, including Zhao Wú Dí.
Then, their hearts flew out.
These ten hearts, along with surrounding muscle tissue, were extracted and sealed in a crystal-clear, mysterious cube.
Where their hearts had been removed, a diamond-shaped wound was opened.
Scalpel!
Lin Ran used the skill for the second time.
With another light sound, the diamond-shaped wounds on their chests healed. The only difference was that their hearts were still beating in Lin Ran's hands.
Looking at this bizarre and chilling scene, the expressions of Zhao Wú Dí and the other nine turned extremely grim.
Lin Ran's monstrously perverse methods had once again surpassed their expectations.
The ability to extract hearts from thin air and keep them alive was not just unheard of, it was beyond imagination!
Lin Ran, on the other hand, acted like a circus performer, juggling the cube containing the ten hearts, making them form a circle in the air.
Seeing the ten men staring at him intently, trembling with fear, Lin Ran smiled. "Don't worry…"
"Your hearts will be even more vigorous in my possession; I will treat them well."
"In my hands, they will be no different than in your chests, and blood supply will be guaranteed."
"This is just to ensure your loyalty…"
"After all, when cooperating with people like you, if I didn't have some means of counter-control, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night."