The Legend of Immortality

The dark world possesses its own social order and structure. The societal hierarchy of the dark world resembles a pyramid, with the president of the Dark Society at its apex. Through his conversation with Christopher, Liu Lei finally learned what the Church and the Dark Society were vying for—an asteroid, one whose arrival had been sensed by both the president and the pope. Neither of them, however, could ascertain the magnitude of the energy contained within it. This asteroid was currently housed in Area 51 in the United States.

Christopher's group was one of the five that the Dark Society had dispatched for this mission. Their primary task was to enter the laboratory in Area 51 where the asteroid was stored, retrieve it, and defend against potential attacks from the Church during the process. As for the perimeter and the manner of entry into Area 51, the other four groups were responsible. According to intelligence from the Dark Society, the Church had sent a deputy commander of a Crusader regiment, a cardinal, a templar knight, six of the twelve Golden Knights, and an unknown number of silver and bronze-level warriors. Among them were renowned hunters, including the top-ranked Cardon and the seventh-ranked Ichiro Hashimoto.

When the morning sun streamed through the window, Liu Lei, gazing at the golden rays, suddenly felt a desire to step outside. Within minutes, he found himself walking down the street, secretly pleased with his status. Fortunately, unlike ordinary vampires or zombies, he could bask in the sunlight without fear. Yet, today, New York's streets felt different—flowers were everywhere, most notably roses, with nearly every woman carrying a bouquet. Liu Lei shook his head and glanced at his watch—February 14th. No wonder the florists had been busy the night before. Surprised by the thought of Yan Fang instead of Qin Yunyi when seeing the roses, a wave of loneliness swept over him. He laughed bitterly to himself. It had only been a few decades, yet he still had thousands, if not more, of years ahead of him. How would he live those years? Perhaps he could cultivate a beautiful offspring to accompany him. He shook his head, casting aside this selfish thought, and continued walking.

The day of action soon arrived. After a brief meditation session, Liu Lei sensed ten dark presences soaring through the night sky. Rising swiftly, he prepared for the mission.

A flight spell was cast on the grounded werewolves, allowing the eleven members of their group to travel through the night, arriving at their designated meeting point at dawn. The famed Area 51 lay fifty kilometers to the southeast. The group was cautious to mask their auras, knowing the Church would likely be on alert. Despite their precautions, they felt no traces of the Church's light energy, suggesting that, like the Dark Society, they sought to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Upon meeting the other teams, Liu Lei realized the Dark Society had invested heavily in this operation: three dark mages, two bloodline dukes, and five tier-three werewolves with advanced shape-shifting abilities. The werewolves, ranked from high to low, were divided into three levels, and Der, a tier-one werewolf, had only basic transformation skills. This formidable force greatly outnumbered the Church's contingents, signaling the Dark Society's serious intent to seize the asteroid.

The team spent the day in hiding, preparing for the night's operation. The five group leaders convened to strategize the evening's plans, assigning tasks to clear military personnel from the perimeter, intercept Church attacks, and be wary of bounty hunters. Christopher's group had already been designated to retrieve the asteroid, and, with Liu Lei's support, Christopher declined offers for additional reinforcements. After Liu Lei demonstrated his strength and Christopher reassured the others, they reluctantly accepted him as a teammate. Though Liu Lei was displeased by the reluctance, he understood that earning trust in such a short time was never easy. Everything was ready, and they awaited the night's action.

When the full moon rose, the dark beings began their work. The werewolves and vampires swiftly subdued the guards, and one of the dark mages cast the large-scale "Slumber" spell, enveloping Area 51 in a blanket of sleep. The team moved unobstructed into one of the world's most secretive locations. Despite the overwhelming dark energy, the Church and the hunters had yet to act—presumably hiding in the shadows, waiting for the Dark Society to deliver the asteroid to them.

Christopher, eyes closed, led the way, clearly sensing the immense energy emanating from the asteroid. Four high-ranking werewolves protected him, while the rest of the team followed cautiously, on alert for any ambush. 

The group took several winding turns, entered an elevator, and descended to the lowest level of the facility. Stepping out of the elevator, they were greeted by a vast underground world: a massive hall filled with the most advanced equipment in the world, with flickering screens and large vats of growth media connected by countless tubes. Christopher quickly crossed the hundred-meter hall and approached a massive alloy door, opening his eyes as he spoke, "This is it."

One of the dark mages grabbed a sleeping guard nearby, using magic to extract his memories and discover the door's opening mechanism. After a series of biometric scans and password inputs, the door finally opened, and the group cheered.

Just as they celebrated, a sudden change occurred. A massive cross-shaped spear shot through the narrow gap of the door, striking a tier-two werewolf standing nearest to the entrance before continuing to fly toward Christopher. The unfortunate mage, unable to react in time, barely dodged the incoming attack, while a tier-three werewolf behind him swung a massive axe, sending the spear flying back.

Christopher, enraged, shouted, "The 'Holy Lance'! Hackman! What are you doing here? I thought only Maguire was supposed to come…"

Hackman, dressed in a suit, stepped out of the doorway, holding the "Holy Lance" and smiling. "Why shouldn't I be here? And Maguire's here too, look—many old friends have arrived." 

As the Church's forces revealed themselves, Christopher noted the familiar faces: "Ronald, El, Pacino, Robbins, Russell, Hoder, Maguire..." He counted them off. "The Church truly takes us seriously, Hackman. Five cardinals, two templar knights, the Crusader's general and his two deputies—twelve Golden Knights, and nearly half the Church's power gathered here."

Hackman grinned, pointing his spear behind him at the asteroid sealed in a glass chamber. "It's not about respecting you, but about respecting this."

Liu Lei finally saw the asteroid that had stirred both the forces of light and darkness: an irregularly shaped rock, faintly glowing with a seductive blue hue. Liu Lei sensed its immense energy, yet something about it seemed to reject his own "Great River True Qi." Frowning, he tried to channel the energy, but as soon as he did, he felt a brief tremor from the asteroid, the blue light flickering ever so slightly. However, no one else seemed to notice.

Christopher quietly approached Liu Lei and whispered, "They don't know your strength and won't be prepared for you. Once we've tied down their main forces, you can slip in and seize the asteroid." Liu Lei nodded in agreement, and Christopher turned to Hackman, casting a spell of "Dark Flame." "Take that as a return for your spear!" 

The werewolves let out a mighty roar as they transformed, preparing to battle. The vampires spread their wings, soaring through the air to engage the Church's forces. The templar knights, leading the charge, protected the cardinals. Meanwhile, the Crusaders advanced under heavy magical assault from the dark mages. As the battle raged on, the disparity in strength became clear. It seemed the Dark Society's defeat was only a matter of time.

From the moment the fight began, the Dark Society was pushed back. The werewolves formed a defensive circle around the more vulnerable mages, while the vampires harried the enemy from above. The mages unleashed a torrent of spells, but their circle was at risk of breaking under the relentless assault from Hackman and his Golden Knights. With a mighty clash, the tier-three werewolf's axe shook with every impact against the "Holy Lance." It was clear that their defenses would not hold for long. Meanwhile, Maguire and his Golden Knights stood firm at the alloy door.

With the tide of battle turning, Liu Lei, his body shielded by the "Blood Corpse Technique," surged forward with unrelenting force, his fists shattering through the ranks of the enemy, and cleared his path toward the asteroid.