As noon approached, the sky above the ruins deepened into a brilliant shade of orange, casting a fiery glow across the crimson ground. Azrael, Luo Bingqing, and Elyara stood several kilometers away from the raging sandstorm, their eyes fixed on a group of people who were cautiously advancing toward the swirling wall of sand. "Do you think the thing about being able to enter the core area only around noon, specifically at about three o’clock is true?" Luo Bingqing asked in a low voice. "I actually went to check the sandstorm last night," Azrael replied, his eyes narrowing. "I extended one of my hands inside, and it was nearly torn apart within just a few seconds." Both Luo Bingqing and Elyara were visibly startled by Azrael’s words. "You mean even with your current stat points, you couldn’t last a few seconds inside that sandstorm?" Elyara asked, her voice laced with shock. Among the three of them, Azrael possessed the greatest defensive capabilities. Hearing that even he could not endure the storm for more than a few seconds made them realize just how terrifying the sandstorm truly was. Azrael nodded, then explained, "From what I deduced last night, even a peak Epic-level warrior wouldn’t be able to last long inside that sandstorm. Considering everything, if there’s no hidden path to reach the core area of the ruins other than passing through the storm, then it might indeed be true that only at noon can you enter without dying." While they spoke, the security forces finally arrived at the edge of the sandstorm. They had chosen a section along the side of the raging storm, carefully avoiding the people from the Transcendent Organization they had spotted earlier. It wasn’t that they feared those individuals, but before taking any action, Morrison wanted to confirm that entering the core area was actually possible. If they struck first and killed the members of the Transcendent Organization stationed at the outer edge of the sandstorm, only to discover that they still could not enter the core area even at noon, it would create unnecessary complications. The moment they killed those people, the remaining members of the Transcendent Organization inside the core area might be alerted that outsiders had entered the ruins. Stopping before the roaring storm, Morrison and his forces waited for several minutes. Soon, the time approached three o’clock, and Morrison noticed the intensity of the sandstorm gradually weakening. At exactly three o’clock, the sandstorm suddenly lost much of its fury, and everyone could sense the grinding, slicing sand within slowing dramatically. Even so, Morrison did not dare to take unnecessary risks. He gestured to one of the Class-rank warriors standing behind him. Seeing the signal, the warrior dragged forward the bloodied body of the member of the Transcendent Organization who was barely clinging to life. The man struggled weakly to break free, but his severe injuries left him helpless. Before bringing him here, Morrison had cut out his tongue and broken his jaw, making it impossible for him to even cry out and warn anyone. The Class-rank warrior exerted a bit of force and easily hurled the struggling, half-dead man into the sandstorm. Under normal circumstances, the man would have been shredded to pieces within seconds of being thrown inside. But Morrison and the others watched closely as the man instead landed roughly on the ground within the storm, miraculously unscathed by the deadly grinding sands. "It seems he wasn’t lying," Morrison murmured with a pleased smile and turned to the fifty members of the security forces behind him. "Once we reach the core area, our first priority will be to deal with the people of the Transcendent Organization. Do not wander off needlessly..." His gaze swept across the entire group as his aura of a peak Epic-level warrior pressed down on them like an invisible weight. "Do you understand?" He asked in a commanding voice. "Yes, sir," The security forces replied in unison. Although they did not particularly like Morrison, they could not deny his overwhelming power, and there was an undercurrent of fear in their voices. The old man nodded in satisfaction at their unified response and turned back to the sandstorm. "Move," He ordered, stepping forward into the weakened storm first. At the same time, he cast a sharp glance at Lark, a Level-37 Epic-level warrior, and instructed him in a serious tone. "Lark, take ten people with you and eliminate those stationed at the outer edge of the sandstorm." "Yes, sir," Lark replied quickly. Selecting two other Epic-level warriors and eight Class-level warriors, he disappeared into the storm to carry out the order. Morrison continued to advance with the rest of his forces, pushing deeper into the storm. Despite the still-swirling sands, now greatly weakened, Morrison and the others could vaguely discern the outline of a massive structure ahead. When he caught sight of that distant silhouette, Morrison’s eyes gleamed with greed as he knew they were getting close to the core area. Suddenly, he sensed something and without a word, he raised one finger to the side. A powerful bolt of lightning instantly condensed at his fingertip and shot forward, tearing through the veil of sand. A deafening crash followed by the pitiful roar of a monster echoed through the storm as a shadowy figure was blasted away by the searing lightning bolt. For more chapters visit NoveI(F)ire.net "Stay alert, there are sand scorpions and other monsters here," Morrison said calmly as they pressed forward. Heeding his warning, every member of the security forces heightened their vigilance. Although several monsters ambushed them along the way, none were strong enough to pose a true threat and they were swiftly slain. During this time, using the tracking devices carried by all members of the security forces to maintain contact, Lark and his team, who had gone ahead to eliminate the Transcendent Organization members at the outer edge soon rejoined the main group. As they drew nearer to the outline of the structure, the strength of the monsters they encountered began to increase noticeably. However, with ten Epic-level warriors, forty Class-level warriors, and the overwhelming might of a peak Epic-level warrior like Morrison, the security forces easily dispatched every creature that crossed their path. Around fifteen minutes later, Morrison finally saw the end of the sandstorm and his eyes lit up. "We are almost there..." He told those following him, quickening his pace. Excitement rippled through the ranks of the security forces as they heard his words, and they hurried after him. As they moved, none of them noticed the three figures who, keeping a cautious distance, had been silently trailing them all along. Soon, Morrison emerged from the weakened storm and the moment his gaze fell upon the colossal structure ahead, his eyes widened in shock. The other members of the security forces were equally stunned and they drew sharp breaths of cold air as their hearts pounded. "Such a massive sand castle..." Morrison muttered in a low voice, staring at the monumental fortress before him. The structure stretched tens of kilometers wide and rose nearly four hundred meters high, its golden-brown walls gleaming faintly in the waning light. Azrael and the others, who had been following the security forces from a distance diverted their path slightly and emerged from the storm some distance away. When their eyes fell upon the enormous sand castle, they too were momentarily struck speechless. However, through the shifting winds, Azrael soon caught faint voices drifting from the far away and as he listened closely, his expression gradually grew serious.