Who said this card is outrageous?

The rescue team leader was a burly man in his thirties, a peak-level third-tier warrior, with broad shoulders and a full beard. He walked up to Zhang Che, looked him over, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that he appeared unharmed.

“Zhang Che?” he asked.

"it's me."

"It's good that you're still alive." The captain's tone was tinged with relief. "I hadn't seen you for the past few days, and I thought something had happened to you."

Zhang Che gave a wry smile and offered no explanation.

The rescue team then began their routine questioning of him.

It's not that I'm deliberately making things difficult, but there have been instances before where people tried to hoard teleportation cards.

After all, that's the only chance many people have in their lifetime to come into contact with spatial items, especially since it's made by a master at the mid-level extraordinary level. It's inevitable that some people will be tempted by it.

Therefore, in order to prevent this from happening again, rescuers not only need to double-check, but also need to take away any teleportation cards that have already been used.

Fortunately, Zhang Che had a clear conscience, and he immediately took out the cracked teleportation card from his pocket and handed it over.

However, the rescue team leader frowned immediately upon seeing it: the card was covered in cracks, and the entire card was almost falling apart.

Normally, a used teleportation card would at most be dull and lifeless, but the one in Zhang Che's hand was so badly damaged that it made people wonder if it was a fake made on purpose so that it was impossible to confirm.

The captain looked up, his gaze scrutinizing him: "What's going on here?"

Looking at the expressions of the rescue team leader and the other team members around him, Zhang Che knew that if he couldn't come up with a plausible reason, he wouldn't be able to leave today.

Sighing silently to himself, Zhang Che, eager to return home, didn't bother with any more words.

"I have something very important to report," Zhang Che said bluntly. "I would appreciate it if you could call a few influential figures here."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the rescuers immediately turned serious.

Those who can enter the Void Rift to carry out rescue missions are at least top-tier third-level transcendents. If even they can't make the decision, it means that a powerful figure at the mid-level transcendent level will have to decide.

The captain paused for a moment, exchanged glances with the team members beside him, and then spoke: "We need a reason. Otherwise, if we rashly alert the big shots above, we'll all be in deep trouble."

This was not unexpected for Zhang Che. He didn't intend to keep anyone in suspense and directly dropped a bombshell: "I have discovered another entrance to the rift."

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the rescuers instantly turned serious.

They have worked in the Void Rift for many years and know all too well what a new rift entrance represents. If what this young man said is true, even ordinary mid-level transcendents are probably just here to play a supporting role. The only ones who can really make the decisions are the top figures in Binhai City.

“Mr. Zhang Che, you should know that this kind of thing is not something to be taken lightly,” the captain said solemnly.

“I understand. I swear on my life that every word I say is true.” Zhang Che looked directly at the other person without flinching.

The captain didn't press further. Instead, he quickly split into two groups: one half stayed behind to watch over Zhang Che and keep watch around the area; the other half left the rift to report the matter to their superiors.

The wait wasn't too long, but every minute felt incredibly long.

The way the remaining rescue team members looked at Zhang Che changed imperceptibly.

As mentioned before, a new rift entrance has immense hidden value; if we're lucky, even Coastal City might not be able to handle it on its own and would have to seek help from the Federation.

As the discoverer, Zhang Che will definitely be noticed by the city's high-ranking officials. A third-tier card maker who is not yet twenty years old already has a promising future, and now he is about to gain the favor of important figures. People will inevitably gravitate towards him.

A rescue team member offered him a bottle of water, and someone else asked him if he needed food; their attitude was noticeably kinder than before.

……

About half an hour later, the spatial passage of the rift was reopened.

In addition to the rescue team members who had gone to report earlier, three other people also came in.

Zhang Che's gaze swept over the three men, confirming that they were all mid-level extraordinary experts.

The man at the front was muscular and wore a dark blue city guard uniform. The badge on his shoulder revealed his identity: the city guard captain, a fourth-tier warrior.

To Zhang Che's surprise, this person, who seemed to be very serious, was surprisingly enthusiastic when he spoke, and could even be described as a bit talkative.

"Zhang Che, right? I'm Ju Honglin, the captain of the First Brigade of the City Guard." He extended his hand and shook hands with Zhang Che. "I heard you discovered a new entrance to the rift?"

"Yes." Zhang Che nodded.

Then Ju Honglin turned around and began to introduce the two people behind him.

"This is Ms. Lin Ruoxi, the vice dean of the Alchemy Academy at Binhai University, a fourth-level alchemist." His tone carried a hint of respect.

Lin Ruoxi was a beautiful woman who looked to be in her early thirties. She wore an elegant long dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders, and she exuded a gentle and refreshing aura.

She smiled slightly at Zhang Che, a smile that was sincere and full of goodwill, giving Zhang Che a very good first impression of her.

Moreover, I will soon be joining the Card Masters College of Binhai University, and we will have many more opportunities to meet in the future.

Ju Honglin continued, "This is Lu Chen, the representative of the Adventurers' Guild."

Lu Chen was a cold and handsome middle-aged man, who looked to be around forty years old. He was tall and slender, wearing a black trench coat and carrying a long sword at his waist. He exuded a cold aura that kept strangers at bay, and he hadn't uttered a single word since he entered.

When Ju Honglin introduced himself, he simply nodded slightly as a greeting, but his expression remained unchanged, as if he were wearing a mask.

Chapter 80 Going Home

Zhang Che didn't care. Now that the other party was the big boss, he had to be cautious and not expose Ah Li.

Moreover, although Lu Chen looks cold, his eyes are not offensive; he is probably just quiet.

After a brief introduction, Ju Honglin got straight to the point: "Let's go, take us to see that entrance/exit."

The rest of the process went much more smoothly. Under the mutual supervision and witness of the representatives of the three forces, Zhang Che led them through the swamp area to the small silver vortex hidden among the rocks.

Then the three of them took turns going forward to carefully check the stability and connectivity of the vortex, and each went in and out several times to confirm that there was indeed a hidden world outside.

When Ju Honglin returned from the exit, his expression had changed from calm to excitement. He patted Zhang Che on the shoulder, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement: "Good lad, you've done a great job this time!"

After Lin Ruoxi returned from the exit, her gentle smile became more sincere. She didn't say much, but her eyes showed more approval as she looked at Zhang Che.

Lu Chen was the last to complete the confirmation. His expression remained unchanged, but judging from his slightly quickened pace, he was well aware of the importance of this discovery.

"We'll stay here for a while to observe and confirm the stability and safety of the entrance and exit before we go back to report," Ju Honglin said to Zhang Che. "As for you, go back with the rescue team first. We'll handle the rest."

Of course, Zhang Che will also benefit, but what he will actually gain depends on the value that this rift entrance can bring to Binhai City.

Considering Zhang Che's interests, the rewards will definitely not be collected all at once before being distributed. The first batch of rewards should be released after the higher-ups have finished their research in a few days.

Zhang Che naturally had no objection to this. He nodded and followed the members of the rescue team toward the space passage.

After watching Zhang Che and the others disappear completely, only Ju Honglin, Lin Ruoxi, and Lu Chen remained at the scene.

The spatial passage remained silently there, as the surrounding silver mist gathered again, shrouding the swampy area in a hazy veil.

Ju Honglin's enthusiasm waned, replaced by a more serious expression. He squatted down and traced patterns on the ground with his fingers, sensing the residual energy fluctuations.

"He's hiding something." A cold voice came from behind.

Ju Honglin turned around, and Lu Chen was still standing there expressionless, arms crossed, looking like a sword drawn from its sheath.

This was the first time he had spoken since entering the rift. His voice, like him, was cold and sharp, but without any malice; it was simply his nature.

"And there are other things I haven't mentioned," Lu Chen added.

"Of course, Dean Lin and I aren't blind." Ju Honglin smiled, stood up, and patted the mud off his hands. "Although it's not obvious on the surface, the residual energy fluctuations around here are quite obvious, and they should be at the mid-level extraordinary level."

Lin Ruoxi nodded and said softly, "The two different energy remnants most likely indicate that two fourth-tier extraordinary beings entered the rift through the entrance and then fought each other."

Ju Honglin continued, "It is probably because of this that the young man named Zhang Che discovered this entrance and exit."

After all, given the size of the Void Rift, it's impossible for it to give birth to a mid-level extraordinary creature. Therefore, the energy fluctuations left behind could only be from outsiders.

Zhang Che probably took advantage of the situation after both sides suffered heavy losses to gain some benefits.

As for the plot of mutual destruction, which only appears in vernacular novels, it was not even within the scope of the three people's consideration.

As fellow mid-level transcendents, they knew all too well how difficult it was to kill a powerhouse of the same level.

Their limited understanding led to a misjudgment.

Ju Honglin was giving a long and detailed analysis when Lu Chen suddenly interrupted him: "There's a third one."

Ju Honglin was stunned for a moment: "What?"

“There should be a third mid-level transcendent being fighting here.” Lu Chen’s gaze fell on an inconspicuous corner on the ground. “It’s just that the power the opponent wields is quite similar to the other one, and a while has passed, which is why people misjudged the situation.”

Ju Honglin didn't refute after listening, but sighed, his tone tinged with envy: "Sword Heart is really useful, isn't it? Besides combat, it's also so effective in reconnaissance. It's a pity that I didn't have enough talent back then to become a sword cultivator like you."

Lin Ruoxi couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted his lament: "Alright, alright, who cares what happened before? The most important thing now is to quickly monitor whether this entrance and exit can maintain its existence for a long time. As for what benefits Zhang Che gained, that's his own luck, we don't need to worry about it."

They're not gangsters; they wouldn't rob someone for something so trivial. They couldn't bear the embarrassment.

And if you're really short on materials, just go hunting yourself; there are plenty of murlocs out there right now.

After being told off by Lin Ruoxi, Ju Honglin scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and shut his mouth.

Lu Chen then returned to his silent state and began to help her set up the alchemical devices used to confirm the stability of the rift entrances and exits.

……

On the other side, after Zhang Che left the Sky Rift with the rescue team, he finally embarked on his journey back to the city.

It was evening when they entered the city, and the setting sun bathed the entire city in a golden glow. There weren't many pedestrians on the streets, and occasionally a squad of city guards could be seen patrolling by. The atmosphere was noticeably more tense than before Zhang Che left.

He first went to a restaurant and had a nice meal.

After eating dry rations and compressed biscuits for more than ten days, I feel like I've come back to life when I eat hot food now.

Seeing how ravenously he was eating, the proprietress assumed he had fled from somewhere and gave him another bowl of soup.

After finishing his meal, Zhang Che returned home and washed himself thoroughly from head to toe. The hot water rinsed his wounds, some of which still throbbed slightly, but this pain actually made him feel at ease.

After finishing all that, he changed into clean clothes, lay down on the bed, and fell asleep almost the instant his head hit the pillow.

That sleep lasted for a whole day.

When he woke up again, it was completely dark. The streetlights outside the window were shining with an orange glow, and a few barks could be heard from afar. He was stunned for a moment before he finally realized that he had left the rift.

Chapter 81: The Aftermath of the Sweep Operation (Bonus Chapter, Please Read!)

"Phew, this must be what they mean by feeling like a lifetime has passed..."

Of course it wasn't that exaggerated, but Zhang Chun still couldn't help but sigh.

Zhang Che felt completely relaxed after getting out of bed. Apart from the wounds on his body that had not yet fully healed, most of the fatigue he had accumulated since entering the rift had been completely dispelled by this nap.

Although the process was difficult, even life-threatening, the final reward was worth it all.