Chapter 459: Chapter 25: The Motley Treasure-Hunting Band
Two teams of people appeared simultaneously from the east and west sides of the square.
The mercenary groups gathered in the square, varying in size; some had even more numbers than these two teams, but it was these two that unavoidably caught everyone’s attention.
The group from the east was divided into three colors in their formation; dozens at the end were all dressed in yellow robes, while those in the middle wore uniformly Divine Court trademark black robes with gold thread. All of them were expressionless, especially the leading man and woman. The man, in particular, shone bright like moonlight, instantly seizing everyone’s breath upon his appearance.
Divine Court!
The yellow robes signified palace disciples of Divine Court, all of whom had attained Small Success in Dark Earth cultivation.
The black robes with gold thread symbolized Core Judgement Officers, possessing at least Peak Dark Earth Cultivation.
The two young individuals at the front, both of supreme grace, were evidently the Divine Son and Goddess of Divine Court.
Though the exact cultivation levels of the Divine Court’s Divine Son and Goddess were unknown, one thing was certain: Divine Court undoubtedly boasted the most outstanding strength in this treasure hunt.
For this venture into the Ancient Hero Treasure, Divine Court actually dispatched the Divine Son and Goddess, as well as Core Judgement Officers with at least Peak Dark Earth Cultivation.
The mere arrival of Divine Court’s team, with the astonishing aura emanating from them, was enough to make the eyes of the mercenaries smart with pain.
Turning to the group from the west, in stark contrast to the uniform attire of Divine Court, their outfits were a gaudy mishmash to the point of dazzling onlookers.
Zong Shaoqing from Divine Court briefly glanced forward, his long eyelashes quivering slightly before he indifferently retracted his gaze.
Leading was a pot-bellied Imperial Tax Officer, accompanied by a Black Armor Knight.
Following behind were about a dozen Imperial Soldiers, dressed in red capes and silver helmets, marching in perfect unison.
Compared to the formal attire of the front ranks, the eclectic group of seven or eight people following them seemed quite out of place.
The youngest, looking no more than eleven or twelve with rosy cheeks and pearly teeth, was Baozi, a Little boy. The most outrageous was a middle-aged woman in her forties at the end, carrying a chef’s attire on her back.
This naturally led to suspicions: was this really a trip to the Heroic Graveyard in search of treasure or just a leisurely outing to the countryside?
Seeing the bewildered expressions and the wild bulging eyes of the crowd, Jin Nuo massaged his temples.
It was only after gathering with Yue Jinghua that he realized her so-called "few teammates" actually numbered up to eight people.
Apart from two sturdy-looking men who had a bit of a mercenary air to them, one of whom was a Cultivator who could control Dark Beasts, the rest were simply unsightly.
Jin Nuo pulled Yue Jinghua aside into a corner for a bit of "man-to-man" communication, "Where did all these irrelevant people come from?"
"Brother Jin Nuo, these are the core members of our small team," Yue Jinghua pointed to Weiwei, "That’s our Healer, her healing techniques are top-notch."
"She can stay," Jin Nuo considered, since he hadn’t brought a Healer on this mission and venturing into the tomb was unpredictable, it was fitting to have a Healer along.
"The one with the cooking shovel, she’s a Spiritual Food Master, a Four-star Mercenary, our team’s major deity!" Yue Jinghua gestured with his lips, "Her cooking can quickly restore everyone’s stamina."
Spiritual Food Master?!
Jin Nuo suddenly found the spatula carried by Chi Xi adorable.
"That Ye Zi, she looks fierce, but she’s a living compass; no maze can trouble her, she can help us find a way out," Yue Jinghua poked Ye Zi once more.
"Let her... stay as well," Jin Nuo swallowed, then glanced at the little boy, Yue Chen, "Isn’t that kid also some kind of Healer or Spiritual Food Master?"
"Oh, he’s my younger brother, too young; I can’t rest easy leaving him alone," Yue Jinghua blinked.
Thus, the most diverse and widest in age range recorded adventure team in the Eastern Continent was splendidly born.
As the mercenaries were trying not to laugh, someone suddenly recognized the man in the black armor at the front of the team.
"By the Creator God, am I seeing things? The leader of this Mixed Army turns out to be a big shot from the Imperial Black Dragon Camp," just when people wanted to ridicule the July Mercenary Team, someone recognized Jin Nuo’s identity.
Black Dragon Camp, Dragon Rider Team.
The mercenaries present suddenly fell silent.
The elite of the elites in the Dragon War Empire, said to only accompany the emperor in personal campaigns, the Dragon Rider Team.
Where there’s a Black Dragon Knight, there must be a Sub-black Dragon mount.
Remembering the incredible strength and equally impressive destructive power of the Sub-black Dragon, no one dared to underestimate Jin Nuo and his team anymore.
The appearance of these two teams added unpredictable elements to this Ancient Hero adventure.
Let’s not speak of the influence of the Divine Court for now; the Dragon Battle Army is also an infamous entity.
Everyone knows that even if some variables occur during the adventure and someone else seizes the treasure, as soon as they leave the Ancient Heroic Tomb, they may face endless pursuit.
Thinking of this, many mercenaries began to recoil, realizing that fighting desperately for treasure in the Ancient Heroic Tomb, only for it to become a hot potato once obtained, was a thankless job. They’d rather take on a few mercenary missions and work for real.
Over the next quarter hour, individuals from the Mercenary Teams began to leave the Ancient Hero Statue.
It wasn’t until around Noon that Lady Qingyan, accompanied by Luo Lin and others from the Mercenary Branch, arrived fashionably late.
Without any surprises, after the arrival of the Mercenary Branch, they also dispatched a top-tier setup including three Five-star Mercenaries like Luo Rui and dozens of three to four-star mercenaries.
Luo Rui glanced at Yue Jinghua following behind Jin Nuo and others, his face filled with scorn, feeling as if the July Mercenary Team insulted the dignity of mercenaries.
Lady Qingyan surveyed the surroundings, and seeing no one else joining or leaving, raised her hand.
"Welcome everyone to this Ancient Hero Treasure hunt. On behalf of my late husband Mo Lin, I would like to thank you all," Lady Qingyan said gently, clarifying the relationship between General Mo Lin and Dragon Slayer Hero Mo Kang, "My late husband had a longstanding wish during his lifetime; he hoped to witness the Ancient Hero Treasure left by our ancestors with his own eyes. I am already an old woman, and my remaining days are few, so I’ve enlisted Miss Luo Lin from the Five Saints Branch to fulfill his wish on behalf of both my husband and me."
After speaking, the visibly thinner Lady Qingyan, who had lost much weight over the past few days, leaned on her cane, staggered as she took out a red bead from her bosom, and slowly walked toward the Ancient Hero Statue.
Everyone held their breath, even Yue Jinghua was curious, wondering where exactly the Ancient Heroic Tomb, sealed for a thousand years, was hidden.