Irving, Aron, and James were engaged in a fierce battle against the Lava Giants. The entire confrontation was intense, and the monsters in the Lava Mountains and the surrounding areas could sense the ongoing struggle. Weaker creatures naturally chose to hide, while stronger ones curiously peered toward the direction of the fight, eager to observe thebatants.


    In addition to the monsters, members of the Night des were also present around the Lava Mountains. At the foot of one of the peaks, in a hidden cave, members of the Night des received thetest orders from their headquarters.


    "What is this strangemand? The headquarters wants us to search forva gems that emit a cold aura in the Lava Mountains? How can ava gem emit a cold aura? Isn''t the power ofva gems associated with fire?" The squad leader of the Night des frowned as he read the order, muttering in disbelief.


    In front of him were several ordinary members of the Night des. These members were quite weak, and they were here merely to help the Night des gather information about the surroundings of the Lava Mountains. As a result, they were unable to provide their leader with any useful intel.


    "Are you even listening to me? Do any of you have any insight into the new orders from headquarters?" The squad leader expressed his dissatisfaction with his team''s performance. Although he had noticed significant turmoil within the Night des, their headquarters could still offer them some assistance. After all, the weapons they were currently using were supplied by the Night des headquarters.


    They had no choice but to carry out the orders they received.


    After hearing his leader''s inquiry, one of the ordinary members of the Night des replied nonchntly, "Captain, I don''t think you need to worry about the new orders from headquarters. They''ve sent a lot ofmands recently, and most of them don''t concern us at all. Our strength is too weak; we can''t possibly find theva gems that are said to emit a cold aura.


    We only need to observe the surroundings. If we notice anything unusual, we can just report it back to headquarters, right?"


    After hearing this, the squad leader of the Night des felt a surge of anger. However, he was at a loss for words because he realized that what the other person said made a lot of sense.


    Just as he was contemting what to say next, an old man dressed in tattered robes and leaning on a cane walked into the cave.


    "Is this how you handle the orders from headquarters?" the elderly man asked, his voice frail and weak, directed at the Night des members in the cave.


    The squad leader looked at him with confusion. He sensed that the old man was not particrly strong, but his presence here suggested that his identity was not simple. Therefore, the squad leader asked politely, "Who are you? Why are you here? We are members of the Night des. If you provoke us, you are provoking the Night des.


    Aren''t you afraid of the Night des'' retaliation?"


    Upon hearing this, the old man chuckled. Before he could finishughing, he was suddenly ovee by a violent coughing fit.


    "Young man, although you are a member of the Night des, that does not mean you are invincible. Several elders of the Night des have already died. Do you really think your strength surpasses that of those elders?"


    After saying this, the old man took off his hat. The members of the Night des finally saw the old man''s true face, and at that moment, fear spread across all their faces. They recognized him; this old man was actually one of the elders of the Night des.


    Moreover, he was among the top three strongest elders in the Night des, the only one capable of posing a significant threat to the Shadow Celestial—Elder Astra. Elder Astra possessed a very peculiar ability. He could transfer his ailments to others and could also siphon vitality from others to himself. This bizarre ability made Elder Astra one of the most feared figures within the Night des.


    "It''s you! Elder Astra! Why didn''t you inform us of your arrival in advance? We could have prepared for your visit!" The squad leader of the Night des immediately invited Elder Astra to take a seat.


    Elder Astra did not decline; he slowly sat down in the offered chair. "I certainly wouldn''t inform you in advance because this time, I am acting on my own ord. I did not obtain permission from the Night des headquarters."


    Elder Astra''s words left the Night des members even more confused.


    "What is your purpose? If you came here without permission, you must not be looking for theva gem that emits a cold aura, right?" the squad leader of the Night des asked tentatively.


    Elder Astra coughed twice again.


    "I am indeed here to search for that gem! And I can tell you, theva gem that emits a cold aura is actually a chaotic artifact. This gem possesses immense chaotic power. I absolutely cannot allow this chaotic artifact to fall into the hands of the Shadow Celestial! I do not acknowledge him as the supreme leader of the Night des; he merely usurped the position!"


    The Night des members widened their eyes in disbelief at what they had just heard. They were shocked to learn that one of the oldest elders in the Night des openly questioned the authority of their new supreme leader.


    "You don''t need to worry too much; I won''t involve you in my struggle with the Shadow Celestial. He is aware of my dissent, and he is currently plotting against me as well," Elder Astra said in a remarkably calm tone. His speech became slower, as if he were being tormented by illness.


    "Then, what do you want us to do? You didn''te here just to chat with us, did you?" The squad leader of the Night des quickly understood the implication. Since Elder Astra had appeared before them, it meant he needed their assistance.


    Elder Astra nodded with a smile. "You are indeed very clever. I came here seeking your help. I hope you can quickly capture someva creatures. If you can manage to capture a Lava Giant, that would be ideal. However, I understand that you are not strong enough to defeat a Lava Giant, so capturing a few regrva creatures will suffice.


    I will wait here for your good news, so hurry up and go."


    Though Elder Astra''s tone was very gentle, hismand was one that could not be refused. The squad leader of the Night des quickly led his team out of the cave.


    Once the others had left, the expression on Elder Astra''s face gradually turned cold. He coughed heavily several times and spat a thick phlegm onto the ground.


    The thick phlegm contained arge number of bacteria that began to proliferate uncontrobly the moment it touched the ground, eventually corroding the surface and creating a massive hollow. Within this hollow, adder descended into the dark depths below.


    Elder Astra slowly made his way down thedder. As he entered the underground area, the enormous hollow in the cave gradually disappeared. In the pitch-ck environment, Elder Astra continued his descent.


    After about half an hour of travel, Elder Astra finally reached the ground.


    "It seems that no one has ever been here before! Then, the chaotic divine stone should still be safely stored here," he mumbled to himself.


    Suddenly, a glimmer of light appeared in the dark underground area. This light quickly expanded, illuminating the entire space. Elder Astra found himself in a concealed warehouse.


    Inside this warehouse were numerous rare weapons that Elder Astra had previously discovered. At the very center of the warehousey a gem radiating a ghostly blue light, resting in the sturdiest cab. This gem was the chaotic divine stone mentioned by Elder Astra, the same artifact referred to in the orders from the Night des headquarters as theva gem that emits a cold aura.


    "I will never let you find the chaotic divine stone! Although I am not your match right now, I will soon find allies. Once I gather my allies, I will join forces to defeat youpletely. You have no right to rule the Night des! I am the one who truly deserves to lead the Night des!"


    Elder Astra had long desired to be the supreme leader of the Night des. He had been secretly amassing his power. If nothing unexpected urred, he would soon have the ability to control the Night des. However, the emergence of the Shadow Celestial had thwarted his ns.


    The Shadow Celestial was much stronger than the previous supreme leader of the Night des. Elder Astra did not dare to confront him directly. Therefore, he could only scheme in secret, away from the Shadow Celestial''s eyes.


    But Elder Astra was also acutely aware that his actions were likely to expose him to danger. He needed to formte a strategy quickly. He had to act before the Shadow Celestial detected his conspiracy; only then could he ensure his victory over the Shadow Celestial.


    Before directly challenging the Shadow Celestial, he needed to ensure that the Shadow Celestial''s power would not increase further. Thus, he aimed to prevent the Shadow Celestial from acquiring any chaotic artifacts.