Just one minute earlier.
Cheng Yunze, who was constantly monitoring Yang Zicang’s movements, quickly learned from the spies sent to disrupt the latter’s hunting of ground-bound spirits that Yang might be trying to capture one of his own teammates.
But none of his teammates were isolated.
–Captain, do you think they’re going after that lone wanderer in our city?–
–Very likely. Their psychic scanning range is too large—they might have already spotted him. This is a trap to lure him in.–
–Should we rescue him?–
Cheng Yunze hesitated. Beside him, Bai Xiaoshou walked over.
–I think we should. If we can recruit someone like him into our team, we’ll be better prepared for the year-end rankings. Also, we can keep suppressing the Red Moxel forces in the city.–
The Four Phases Squad isn’t made up solely of Silver White Moxel members; there are also a few ordinary Red Moxel fighters.
A burly man named Wang Chun said, –But it could be a trick. They must know we have someone inside who isn’t under our control. Who knows if that person is a plant?–
He added,
–Maybe Yang Zicang’s daytime disappearances are meant to create the illusion that he’s gone during the day, baiting us into a trap.–
Cheng Yunze nodded thoughtfully.
–You both make good points. After all, some of the intel we managed to buy was deliberately leaked by this guy named Robin Lo.–
He thought for a moment, then waved over a subordinate.
–Let Wu Yun use Moxel to send that person a warning. Also, we should send some people over to be ready for anything. After all, our main goal this time is to make contact with them. Since that fat guy is in the crowd, this is a good opportunity.-
Even if there’s a risk of being sent away, the losses that must be incurred will be incurred. Anyway, there are still over two months left; we’ll have a chance to recruit new members to make up for lost strength.
Several people said: –Captain Yunze, you don’t need to go. We’ll handle it.-
–Alright. Zhang Quantou, you’ll lead the team this time, with Wang Chun as vice-captain. Xiao Shou, you stay here and provide remote support as usual. Also, Jiajia, give the extracted Light Gate ability sphere to Quantou. If we confirm it’s that person, open the passage and let him in.-
–Mm-hmm.-
Ning Jiajia nodded.
That mysterious person could not only move freely on the isolated island, but also survived for over ten days in City 11, which was full of earth-bound spirits. Ning Jiajia, who always kept an eye on Cheng Yunze, had long noticed that her captain valued this person as highly as he did Yang Zicang.
As a result, she grew increasingly curious about that person’s abilities.
……
Both groups were approaching that location using various methods.
Zhang Zhiquan’s group entered the dimly lit, swirling door beside the camp and quickly made their way to the main hall of the original top team’s base in City 11.
Robin Lo’s group, on the other hand, had Yang Zicang draw a relatively safe route in the sky earlier because someone was scheduled to enter that hall today. After some commotion, they gradually moved closer using the simple map.
……
Hong Haocheng, pursued by two people, charged deep into the hall.
A flashlight beam shot over.
–Do you even know what this place is, and you dare to come here alone?-
–Hey, up ahead, stop running! Our men are on the way. If you surrender peacefully, Yang Zicang won’t take your life for no reason.-
–Cooperate with him to go to the Lost Frequency Zone, and after the city battle, you can still return to City 11—back to your own city!-
This time, the two were being unusually polite, coaxing him like they were chasing a cat that had strayed into a house.
After circling the hall for a while, Hong Haocheng gradually got a feel for the layout. Besides the upper floor, there were several passages leading down.
When the light caught his back again, a glint appeared in the young man’s eyes. He agilely slipped into a room whose door had long been removed, his voice echoing from deep within the hall.
–I just don’t want to kill you two. Don’t be ungrateful.-
Neither of them doubted his words. Over the past ten minutes, they had gleaned from their comms roughly what kind of person they were chasing.
The red zigzagging line blinked again.
{Are you still inside? If so, answer me. We’re coming to rescue you.}
–I’d sooner believe I’m the First Emperor than believe you.-
Hong Haocheng muttered, craning his neck to peek outside. The light was closing in.
He couldn’t pin any hope on others—especially not the Four Phases team, the ones behind the Red Moxel catastrophe in City 23. Trusting them would be about as smart as trusting their enemies.
The floor in the room before him was already shattered, and where the wide wall met the ground lay a massive hole leading underground. A strange, sluggish aura emanated from the pitch-black tunnel, as if the air within was abnormally heavy.
–To hell with it!-
Hong Haocheng rushed to the hole, tossed a pebble, and after hearing it wasn’t deep, he jumped down without hesitation.
Moments later, the two reached the door. Their light swept across, revealing the great hole. With no other choice, they helplessly raised their rings:
–You saw it—he went underground. There’s only two of us, so we’re not going down.-
Among the advancing group, the newcomer Robin Lo’s expression tightened.
{You all stay at the door and don’t move. The other routes down there were sealed off by the Lost Illusion Company long ago. He won’t get away!}
Everyone stared at Robin Lo in amazement—how did this guy know about the Lost Illusion Company?
–Master Lo, how do you know the Lost Illusion Company blocked that place down there?-
–Heh, want to know? That’s top-secret intel—it costs a thousand Chronos.-
The fast-moving crowd looked speechlessly at this agile fat man; what useless info demands a thousand Chronos?
……
Hong Haocheng had no idea where he had ended up. The underground was pitch black, but with the light from his amplified Chronos, he could barely make his way through.
–No way—this way is blocked too.-
He touched the thick wall that sealed off the stairs ahead.
Many of the walls in the underground rooms were broken through, yet some paths that clearly led upward were instead sealed tight. It seemed the only way down was the place he had come from.
–Damn it.- He couldn’t help muttering, thinking that if Xufei were here, he wouldn’t be suffering such humiliation.
He sensed the light point representing the wish talisman inside the ring.
Hong Haocheng gritted his teeth and pressed on; at worst, he could make a wish to follow a new fate trajectory.
He passed through another broken wall, behind which the stones were again haphazardly piled on both sides of the room, and the stairway leading upward remained blocked.
The further Hong Haocheng walked, the more uneasy he became.
Why were these walls torn down? The stones were stacked on either side, as if someone had cleared a path leading deeper inside.
Staring at the wide gap, a thought suddenly struck him: the floor had been broken open and the walls here demolished because whatever was brought in couldn’t possibly come down the stairs!
It couldn’t pass through the doorway, so it had to smash through the walls to get in!
–Such a huge hole.-
A sudden chill crept up the boy’s spine.
He abruptly wondered if a giant earth-bound spirit might burst out of the surrounding darkness and grab him.
At that thought, Hong Haocheng nearly made a wish to flee on the spot.
Thump, thump—clatter, clatter.
Faint footsteps, shouts, and the sound of explosions came from behind.
Outside, Zhang Zhiquan and Robin Lo’s teams had clashed head-on, the two sides like raging torrents that, after a brief pause, deployed their amplified Chronos and force fields. Triangles and quadrilateral polylines spread out in waves, like an invisible water surface rippling with raindrop-like geometric patterns.
Among the crowd, Robin Lo cowered at the rear.
[Wang Yu’an! Protect me! Just keep an eye on the others.]
{Master Bin, you can rest easy.}
Seeing the trajectory of the swings, Robin Lo crushed one ability sphere after another given by Yang Zicang. The swords and axes aimed at the crowd immediately changed course, but a twisted splash of water still dripped onto him.
[I neutralized 150N.]
Robin Lo’s face changed drastically. A few drops of water, and yet they carried Chronos! Luckily, the other side clearly wasn’t aiming to kill. Still, he quietly edged back a step.
–Looks scary, but that’s all the Chronos boost you’ve got?- someone roared.
Red light flared up on everyone in succession, but the false flames of their weapons instead shifted more from gold to white.
In the chaos, Zhang Zhiquan’s voice rang out in fury:
–It’s you! I’ll remember your voice even as a ghost!-
–That fat bastard’s over there!-
Several figures rushed toward the stone steps of the main hall, heading inside. Meanwhile, Fist Zhang, almost losing his mind, led a few men to go after Robin Lo in the melee.
–Fist, watch out for their talismans!-
Someone in the team, afraid he might lose his cool, reminded him.
The man had barely finished speaking when several cudgels rained down on him. The two beside him immediately brandished their Chronos war tools and rushed forward to block the attacks.
Zhang Zhiquan looked at the fat man’s smug face, realizing they were already exposed, and decided it was better to step forward and show off. He snarled,
–Just wait. At the arena at year’s end, I’ll beat you until you cry for your mom and dad.-
–So how about you make way and let us in? There’s someone inside we’re looking for.-
–Like hell you will!-
Two figures clashed fiercely together.
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