Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies Chapter 1271: Raising

The Lord of the Charnel Ground and the Golden-Winged Superhuman had both departed from the Demon Kingdom gate, now transformed into a massive blood pool.

Curiosity flickered in Zhang Yi's heart, yet he refrained from drawing near to probe further.

He quietly mused that the remaining two unknown Epsilons might draw closer.

Thus, he held his breath, focusing intently while lurking silently from afar.

This vigil stretched on for an entire hour.

Zhang Yi even suspected those two had already departed.

Yet at last, just as his patience waned, the towering superhuman in the black combat suit reappeared at the Demon Kingdom gate.

The towering superhuman knelt first, scrutinizing the blood pool meticulously, before rising and striding straight toward the gate.

He slogged through the thick blood pool, advancing step by step to the entrance. For caution, he gripped the protective shield in his left hand and the Knight's Longsword in his right.

Upon arriving at the gate, he probed it warily for a moment, then abruptly hoisted the Knight's Longsword overhead with both hands and cleaved down upon the enormous door panel!

BOOM!!!

Roiling black flames erupted outward, the immense power causing the ground to quake even for Zhang Yi watching from afar.

Still, that dark red door panel stood utterly unshaken. The all-out blow from a White Rook-level superhuman merely gouged a deep gash into the door, unable to shatter it.

This demonstrated the incredible durability of the door originally crafted to seal away the demonic folk.

Observing this, the towering superhuman backed away several paces, appeared to murmur to himself, then withdrew from the site.

Zhang Yi distinctly felt that strike's might matched his own maximum effort.

This individual's prowess was undoubtedly on par with his.

Zhang Yi racked his brains at length, yet failed to recall any such expert within the Huaxu Kingdom.

If one existed, he surely would have encountered them by now.

However, the opponent's choice to abandon further assaults on the Demon Kingdom gate revealed he lacked the solo power to breach it.

In that case, neither Zhang Yi nor the others could manage it alone.

Zhang Yi lingered longer, hoping to witness the Golden-Armored Superhuman's attempt next.

Indeed, soon afterward, the Golden-Armored Superhuman appeared before the gate as well.

Yet he simply extended a hand, touched the sword scar from the towering superhuman, shook his head with a grin, and departed without delay.

Only then did Zhang Yi grasp that brute force alone wouldn't suffice to access the Demon Kingdom.

It was a profoundly unique domain, apparently suppressing supernatural powers; not even Zhang Yi's spatial abilities could pierce through.

Thus, the sole path into the Demon Kingdom lay in trailing the Pagyi Family post-Prayer Festival.

But who exactly were these individuals?

A shadow loomed over Zhang Yi's thoughts. Five Epsilons together formed an awe-inspiring assembly of elite superhumans across the modern world.

The previous such convergence of Epsilons had occurred in Shengjing.

Evidently, though, these weren't his familiar contacts.

As they clashed with the Lord of the Charnel Ground and the Golden-Winged Superhuman, each unleashed tremendous might. Even if masking their full potential, the chaos forced them to reveal substantial power.

Zhang Yi was certain of one fact—he'd never crossed paths with these figures before.

For a superhuman's ability traits are strikingly unique, hard to disguise.

"The circumstances here are overly intricate. The Lord of the Charnel Ground from Sangha Monastery evidently anticipated our arrival, staging this trap deliberately and exploiting us to unseal the Demon Kingdom gate."

"Did the Pagyi Family play any role in this scheme?"

A chill glinted in Zhang Yi's gaze.

He half-suspected that he and the enigmatic Epsilons had been drawn here by the Southwest Region's machinations.

Outwardly feigning discord among themselves, yet truly deploying this ploy to summon elite forces.

Nevertheless, Zhang Yi soon rejected the notion.

Should the Southwest Region truly stand united, they could readily summon superhumans from Huaxu Kingdom's key regions for aid.

After all, a cohesive major region bolstered by an Epsilon wielding esoteric sect backing—potent enough for 20,000-point Black Chariot-level guardianship—would deter any from eyeing their Demon Kingdom riches.

No cause existed for such elaborate deceptions.

Zhang Yi massaged his temples. This puzzle proved thorny; his thoughts churned in chaos, clarity eluding him for now.

Thus, he resolved to head back first and consult Yang Xinxin for her insights.

Regarding the Demon Kingdom gate, with entry impossible currently, they could afford to observe developments.

The Prayer Festival remained a week distant, granting ample time for various pursuits.

With his reflections complete, Zhang Yi wheeled about, consulted the Smart System for his location, then summoned a Dimensional Gate and exited the Great Snow Mountain.

...

Meanwhile, Liang Yue and Mu Yan scoured the Pagyi Family's entire domain.

They abhorred the Pagyi Family's vile acts profoundly, but refrained from hasty moves at present.

Yet just then, a Pagyi Family camp fell under assault from the resistance army.

Liang Yue and Mu Yan shared a look and promptly chose to investigate.

The resistance army comprised a grassroots force in the Southwest Region, branded by the four great chieftain powers as the Snowy Plateau Region's chief source of turmoil.

However, having now beheld the Pagyi Family's atrocities up close, Liang Yue and Mu Yan started questioning the resistance army's true purpose.

Could the resistance army, defying the four great chieftains and Sangha Monastery, embody "justice"?

This "justice" warranted quotes; absent direct interaction, their nature remained unclear.

Hence, Liang Yue and Mu Yan hastened over, intent on discreet observation.

This camp housed serfs, typically watched by nearby private soldiers.

But under night's cover, patrols thinned to mere handfuls of armed guards meandering about.

In the Snowy Plateau Region, private soldiers felt no fear these serfs would flee.

For venturing beyond meant no survival options.

Within these bounds, they endured like livestock, ever menaced by "sacrifice" selections, yet eked out some extra days.

Outside the four great chieftains' shelter, not one could last a day.

It resembled sheep herded by a rancher; the owner slays some sporadically, but the herd persists.

Stray sheep, however, fall prey to all.

Certain private soldier captains had quipped as much.

For these serfs, chains proved unnecessary; merely sketching a snowy circle with a rod sufficed to confine them willingly, none daring to stray.

They viewed it not as imprisonment, but safeguard.

Yet the bitter irony lay in its fundamental truth.

Author's Note