Castle of Black Iron

The First Abyss was too large. Even if all the human knights in the Lion Fortress entered the First Abyss and spread at the same height on average, they would not see each other within hundreds of square miles.

If not the illuminating battle qis in battles and the battle qi lusters in flight, they could only have a visibility of a few miles in the First Abyss.

The First Abyss was a huge, deep well. If not entering the hotspot regions in the First Abyss on purpose, they would have a very low possibility to encounter human knights or demon knights in the First Abyss.

The hotspot regions in the First Abyss were closely related to the interests of both humans and demons, for instance, the Tiewei Mountain Range which was abundant in earth-elements crystals.

The fiercest battle in the First Abyss happened in Tiewei Mountain Range.

The team of Mountain Lifting Hermit entered an underground tunnel of the First Abyss, which was not the hotspot region. At least before those mysterious places and items behind the tunnels were exposed to the public, those deep and serene tunnels would not become boisterous.

There were numerous underground tunnels in the First Abyss. As a result, the First Abyss was like a piece of cheese with many small holes in it. Until today, demons and humans had just explored a small part of these underground tunnels. As for what was in the other tunnels and where they led to, it was still a mystery.

If the contingent of pioneers on the earth's surface could arrive here, they would love this place.

With these tunnels and caves, the First Abyss was like a maze full of treasures, secrets and dangers.

Compared to the earth's surface and the First Abyss, the underground tunnels and caves in the First Abyss composed a fantastic and magnificent world.

After entering one cave for half a day, the black fog released by the vines started to fade away as their visions gradually recovered.

After entering the underground cave for a day, Zhang Tie saw many ruined pyramids. It seemed that those pyramids were destroyed by an irresistible power. They might have lain in the pitch-dark tunnel tens of thousands of years and were quietly telling the history of human civilization being buried underground.

Underground, each pyramid might hide many secrets. Those ruined pyramids might have been explored by many knights.

On the 3rd day since they entered the underground cave, Zhang Tie saw a wide area of purple crystals covering hundreds of square miles; all the crystals were above Class III and higher than 0.5 m, making it look like a splendid purple sea. If it was on the earth's surface, those crystal clusters would be worth a lot. There were precious ores and semi-precious stones among those crystal clusters such as aquamarines, topazes, fluorites, magnesites, calcites and zinc crystals...

Watching those purple crystal clusters and those precious associated ores and semi-precious stones on the earth's surface, Zhang Tie suddenly understood why Mountain Lifting Hermit wanted a space-teleportation equipment.

As a knight who usually accessed to such places and saw numerous precious objects; however, due to limited conditions, he could not take away too many of them. Even if he could take some of them back to the Lion Fortress, his achievements would not match his labor force and identity as a knight. Zhang Tie could feel how depressed Mountain Lifting Hermit was.

Additionally, a space-teleportation equipment with resources inside indicated a greater ability to explore the Earth-elements Realm and dangerous situations, a stronger viability and a better logistic service; especially the latter two points which counted most for knights. Without a stronger viability and a better logistic service, knights could only move in a short distance even though they could fly.

By then did Zhang Tie realized how lucky he was with Castle of Black Iron.

As for Zhang Tie, Castle of Black Iron's space and great food supply ability could almost satisfy all of his demands.

On the 4th day, since they entered the underground cave, the team of Mountain Lifting Hermit had met their competitors.

Coincidentally, Zhang Tie had met some of them before.

...

"Mountain Lifting Hermit, long time no see..." After hearing the sound drifting from the front, the team of Mountain Lifting Hermit stopped at once.

At the same time, they saw another team of knights flying from afar.

That was also a team of human knights. Additionally, it seemed that the head of that team knew Mountain Lifting Hermit as he hailed the latter. Mountain Lifting Hermit didn't prepare to defend them; he just stopped. Therefore, the others of his team realized that those flying towards them must come from the Lion Fortress too.

Zhang Tie also stopped as he watched those knights flying close to them.

The head of the opposite team was an old man with silver hair in a green robe. His long eyebrows were as white as snow under the pair of slim eyes while his cheeks were red. He looked like an immortal. Given his qi, he could match that of Mountain Lifting Hermit. Therefore, Zhang Tie knew that the old man was also an earth knight.

The old man was followed by 9 knights. Besides the 4 men and 2 women that Zhang Tie had seen on the airboat of Zhang Clan in Tianlu Palace in Taixia Country, there were 3 elder ones whom Zhang Tie had not seen before.

The equipment and weapons of the 9 knights behind the elder were evidently more advanced than that of the team of Mountain Lifting Hermit.

It seemed that Zhang Tie had left a deep impression to the 4 men and 2 women. The moment the two teams drew closer, the 6 pairs of eyes had gazed at Zhang Tie.

Although being at the end of the team, Zhang Tie's figure and bald head made him eye-catching.

At the sight of Zhang Tie, the 2 female knights of the other team had moved a few steps back; especially when Zhang Tie threw his glance at them, the two female knights both felt uncomfortable.

"Brother Anguo..." Mountain Lifting Hermit hailed the head of the other team with a glassy-eyed look.

As the old man with long snow-white eyebrows knew the temperament of Mountain Lifting Hermit, he didn't mind Mountain Lifting Hermit's indifferent attitude. After throwing a glance at Zhang Tie, he looked at the 6 young knights in his team and asked, "You know someone in the team of Mountain Lifting Hermit?"

As an earth knight, Mountain Lifting Hermit had a very sensitive feeling. The moment his team members behaved abnormally, he'd sense it right away.

"Grand elder, when we came to the Lion Fortress this time, we entered the tunnel of the Earth-elements Realm together with a knight in the team of Mountain Lifting Hermit...ahem..ahem...that brother is really sturdy...erm, he's also heroic and unruly. Therefore, he's very impressive to us. We've not imagined that we could encounter him here once again!" A young man considered a second before replying.

"Hahahaha, if so, you should make friends with each other..."

Although it was a polite suggestion, the two female knights felt jarring. They even felt bashful repeating what Zhang Tie had said last time.

"Brother Anguo, what's your rule in this journey to the hieron?" Mountain Lifting Hermit suddenly asked.

After hearing Mountain Lifting Hermit's question, the old man's eyes gleamed. After being silent for a second, he replied, "As human knights, although we all want items in the heiron, I feel that it's unnecessary for us to fight to death only for those trivial items in the holy war and it would make others to mock us. After entering it this time, private combats and setting traps are forbidden inside. We will depend on our own abilities. As for the waifs, anyone who could get it first would own it. Anyone who dared violate this rule would be punished by the rest of us. What do you say about that?"

"What a major clan! That's great!" Mountain Lifting Hermit nodded.

"Hahahaha...this is a good method. I also agree with you..." With thunder-like laughter, another group of lights arrived from afar in a split second.

The head of this team was a fat man in a robe of a ministry councilor with floral patterns on it.

At the sight of this man, both Mountain Lifting Hermit and the white-eyebrow elder frowned faintly.

Zhang Tie watched the latter team of knights as he sighed with emotions inside, 'What an accidental encounter! The "Young sister" that I met a few days ago outside the entrance of the Earth-elements Realm is also in this team.' Compared to that a few days ago, this "Young sister" had changed a set of purple imperial costume and made a snail-shaped bun, which made her more enchanting.

The "Young sister" also caught sight of Zhang Tie as she replied with an arrogant harrumph. Closely after that, she turned around and moved her eyes away from him. However, her plump breasts became firm at once...

'What a woman! She still didn't forget to show off her physical capital at this moment.' Zhang Tie touched his bald head as he almost burst out into laughter.

"Old Monster Qi, why are you here..." Mountain Lifting Hermit watched that fat head with an icier expression.

"Hahaha, as you're here, I'm here too!" The fat man replied with a smile as he took out a diamond-shaped piece of metal which shined exotic luster like a magic, "Without my object, you cannot enter it. I've spent a lot on this object and this chance. If you don't like me, I will leave right away..."

"If so, do you agree with our rule?" The white-eyebrow elder asked.

"I do, of course, I do! Why not?" The fat man patted his chest, causing his fat belly to quiver all over, "I was even scared of being trapped by you two. Although I have a bad reputation, what I've said was like a fart which could never be regretted at all. Otherwise, even if I didn't feel it disgusting, the others would feel it disgusting. After eating my fart, my words would always be smelly. If so, nobody would stay with me anymore. Am I not right?"

After hearing such funny words, Zhang Tie couldn't stand bursting out into laughter...

The moment Zhang Tie burst into laughter, the fat man changed his face right away. With dangerous, gleaming eye lights, he watched Zhang Tie, "Brat, why do you laugh..."