Location: Panshi Fortress · Central Command Center
The piercing alarm, though its volume was lowered, still hummed continuously like background noise, grating on everyone's taut nerves.
Qin Weiguo sat grim-faced at the main seat, his expression so dark it seemed water could drip from it. On the virtual screen before him, an encrypted communication from Tang Zhao was displayed, elegantly worded yet every character like a knife:
Tang Zhao to Commander Qin:
The Panshan spinal fluid has been received, and the Tang Family expresses its deep gratitude. However, the matter of locating Tang Buyu concerns the family's bloodline inheritance and brooks no delay. We hope your department will uphold the spirit of cooperation and immediately dispatch elite forces to conduct a thorough search of the Linghui Academy Ruins. The Tang Family pledges that if he is alive, we must see him; if dead… his identity must also be verified.
Regarding the Nirvana Serum agreement, the Tang Family always honors its word. Awaiting your good news.
— Tang Zhao
“Hmph!”
Qin Weiguo let out a cold snort from his nostrils, his fingertips irritably tapping the cold alloy desktop.
The Tang Family… their appetite is not small! They just took the spinal fluid and are already impatiently urging them to become cannon fodder!
What kind of place is the Linghui Academy Ruins now? It's a ghoul's nest! A mutated beast's hunting ground! And there's that elusive Zhuang Han! No matter how many people are sent in, it's just filling a pit!
“Commander…”
Zhou Zhengyang stood to the side, his voice carrying a hint of weariness and helplessness.
“The Tang Family’s pressure… we cannot completely ignore it. The Nirvana Serum… is too important to us.”
“I know!”
Qin Weiguo slammed the table, his voice filled with suppressed rage.
“But we can’t sacrifice our soldiers’ lives to fill the Tang Family’s bottomless pit! The last squad sent in… not a single one returned! Not even a signal was sent out!”
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging anger, and his gaze swept over the silent crowd in front of the command platform.
Chu Hang still wore a pure white mask, standing quietly in the corner, like a lifeless sculpture.
Lin Wei lowered her head, her fingertips rapidly sliding across a tablet, her Discernment ability fully analyzing the sandbox data, fine beads of sweat seeping from her temples.
Chen Xue stood in the medical team's area, her face pale, her palm unconsciously caressing the silver crucifix, a soft silver light flowing between her fingers, yet carrying a hint of… blood-like impurities that lingered.
Xiong Yan and Li Fan stood slightly further away, Xiong Yan impatiently crossing his arms, while Li Fan's eyes coldly scanned the information on the screen.
“Symbolic search.”
Qin Weiguo slowly spoke, his voice carrying an undeniable resolve.
“Send an 'Owl Bird' armed reconnaissance helicopter, equipped with a high-precision life detector and a wide-area scanning array, to conduct a high-altitude rapid scan of the Linghui Academy Ruins.”
“Mission objective: Confirm whether there are signs of large-scale human activity, especially… Tang Buyu’s ability signature.”
“Owl Bird?”
Zhou Zhengyang was stunned for a moment.
“Commander, the Owl Bird’s firepower configuration… against aerial mutated beast swarms… I’m afraid…”
“It’s not going to war!” Qin Weiguo interrupted him, his eyes sharp, “It’s going to ‘look’! Fly high! Circle the perimeter! Take a few photos! Record a few videos! Prove that we ‘tried our best’! Understand?!”
He glanced at Chu Hang: “Chu Hang, can your rules… ensure that the helicopter is not harassed by low-tier mutated beasts?”
Chu Hang slowly raised his head, the gaze beneath his mask calm and unruffled: “Rule: The probability of Panshi Fortress aircraft encountering aerial mutated beast attacks over the Linghui Academy Ruins (at an altitude above 1500 meters)… is below 23%.”
“That’s enough!” Qin Weiguo waved a hand, “Execute the order! Take off immediately! Scanning time… control it within 30 minutes! If any abnormality is found, return immediately! Do not engage in battle!”
“Yes!” Zhou Zhengyang stood at attention and saluted, then turned and quickly walked towards the communication console.
“Commander…”
Lin Wei suddenly looked up, a hint of doubt flashing in her amber pupils.
“The energy field of the Linghui Academy Ruins… has been fluctuating abnormally intensely recently. Especially… the areas near the stadium and library.”
“Discernment shows… there are large-scale, high-intensity energy clash residues… suspected… multiple engagements between Bone Eater Realm or higher existences.”
Qin Weiguo frowned deeply: “Specific coordinates?”
“Cannot pinpoint.”
Lin Wei shook her head, “The energy residue is covered by a… extremely chaotic pollution source. It’s like… an energy storm generated by a large number of ghouls evolving simultaneously or… devouring each other.”
“Devouring each other?!”
Chen Xue exclaimed, her face even paler, “They… they are killing each other?”
“It could also be… being driven to slaughter by something.”
Li Fan’s cold voice rang out, a dark golden vertical pupil phantom flashing in his eyes, “Just like… raising Gu.”
Qin Weiguo’s heart tightened. Raising Gu?… Could it be…
“No matter what it is!”
Qin Weiguo forcibly suppressed the unease in his heart.
“Tell the Owl Bird to avoid that area! High-altitude scan! Take the photos and come back immediately!”
The order was given.
An “Owl Bird” armed reconnaissance helicopter, painted with the Panshi Fortress emblem, slowly ascended from the fortress’s top-level hangar.
Its rotors stirred up massive air currents, emitting a dull roar.
It carried no heavy weapons, only a high-precision scanning pod and multiple high-definition cameras mounted beneath its fuselage.
The pilot was an experienced veteran. He glanced at the mission brief—high-altitude reconnaissance, rapid scan, no low-altitude flight, no engagement—and couldn't help but curl his lip.
This mission… what was the difference from sightseeing?
The helicopter gained altitude and flew towards the Linghui Academy Ruins like an arrow shot from a bow.
Location: Zoo · Abandoned Giraffe House Observation Deck.
Ling Chen leaned against the rusty railing, a tough blade of an unknown mutated plant, casually broken off, dangling from his mouth.
Below, Tang Yinmeng was gripping the Bone Eater Dissection Knife, practicing on several mutated rats the size of wild dogs, driven over by Zhuang Han.
Her movements were still clumsy, each swing of the knife accompanied by a noticeable tremble, her amber pupils filled with nervousness and… a hint of fear forcibly suppressed.
The Mu Xi face pattern on the dissection knife flickered with faint, eerie light, as if silently mocking her clumsiness.
“Use your wrist! Not your arm!”
Ling Chen’s lazy voice drifted over.
“That knife is alive! Feel its ‘pulse’! Don’t treat it like a fire poker!”
Tang Yinmeng bit her lower lip, trying hard to concentrate.
She could feel the cold touch from the knife handle, and… the chaotic and greedy will deep within the blade.
She tried to inject a faint trace of mental power into it.
Buzz—!
The dissection knife trembled violently! The eerie light flared! The blade tip shot out like a venomous snake!
Pfft!
A pouncing mutated rat was instantly pierced through the skull! Dark red blood flowed down the blade, instantly absorbed by it! The Mu Xi face pattern seemed… to become clearer by a fraction!
“Ugh…”
Tang Yinmeng grunted, a cold wave of resentment surged back along the knife handle, causing her brain to throb with pain! But she held onto the knife handle tightly, not letting go!
“Not bad.”
Ling Chen’s lips curved into a playful smile.
“Progress. Remember this feeling… pain… is the price of power.”
Just then!
Buzz—!!!
An extremely faint, yet unusually clear engine roar, like a swarm of bees buzzing, came from afar, from high in the sky!
Ling Chen’s scarlet pupils instantly snapped open! His lazy expression vanished!
In its place was a… sharp and… excited… look, like a falcon spotting its prey!
He suddenly looked up!
The sky was cloudless, and an armed helicopter painted with the Panshi Fortress emblem was rapidly sweeping across the sky above the west side of the Zoo!
At an altitude of about 1500 meters, the scanning pod beneath its fuselage flickered with a ghostly blue light, like cold eyes, scanning the ruins below!
“Owl Bird?”
Ling Chen’s lips slowly curled into a cold arc.
“Panshi people? At such a low altitude… are they… sightseeing?”
He instantly understood the other party’s intention—symbolic search! Going through the motions! Flying high, taking a few photos, and going back to report! As for finding someone? Go to hell!
An indescribable sense of being underestimated, and a… mischievous… excitement… instantly surged into his heart!
“Heh… You think you can come and go as you please?”
Ling Chen muttered to himself, dangerous light flickering in his scarlet pupils.
“Do you think this place is… a public toilet?”
He slowly stood up. The sunlight outlined the perfect contours of his naked upper body, his newly grown muscles containing explosive power.
He slowly raised his right hand, fingers spread!
Buzz—!!!
Above his palm, the air instantly twisted! A dense scent of blood permeated the air! Dark red blood surged from his palm!瘋狂凝聚、壓縮、塑形！
In just a few breaths!
A giant Blood Spear, over three meters long and entirely dark red, was shockingly formed! Its tip flickered with a chilling, heart-stopping sharpness! Emitting the terrifying pressure of the Bone Eater Realm!
At the spear tip! A point of extreme dark red light frantically condensed! Compressed! Emitting a terrifying sharpness that seemed to tear everything apart!
“Little Yinmeng,” Ling Chen’s voice carried a hint of playful tenderness, “Watch closely… This is… Blood Ripple’s… true way of playing.”
Tang Yinmeng suddenly looked up, seeing the destructive Blood Spear in Ling Chen’s hand, her pupils suddenly constricted! A fear from the depths of her soul almost suffocated her!
Ling Chen’s scarlet pupils locked onto the increasingly close black speck high in the sky! The cold arc on his lips… widened to its extreme!
“Let’s give our old classmates… a… ‘surprise’!”
Before he finished speaking!
His right arm muscles suddenly bulged! His bone-spurred elbow joint let out a teeth-grinding crack! His entire body’s strength erupted like a volcano! He savagely hurled the giant Blood Spear in his hand…!
Whoosh—!!!
The Blood Spear tore through the air! Emitting a shrill, distorted shriek! Like a blood-colored meteor from hell! Carrying a terrifying momentum that sought to destroy everything! Instantly crossing a thousand meters! Piercing straight into the sky!
Target—Panshi Fortress “Owl Bird” armed reconnaissance helicopter!
Location: Panshi Fortress · Central Command Center
On the giant holographic screen, the real-time footage and scanning data transmitted by the “Owl Bird” helicopter were displayed in split-screen.
In the footage, the Linghui Academy Ruins appeared exceptionally grotesque under the blood moon, like a massive scar. Broken walls and crumbling ruins, utterly desolate.
Scanning data refreshed like a waterfall, life signals were weak and scattered, mostly low-tier ghouls and mutated beasts, with no signs of large-scale human gatherings, and certainly no ability signature of Tang Buyu.
“Report! Target area scan completion 85%! No abnormal life signals detected! Requesting return to base!” The pilot’s voice came through the communicator, carrying a hint of relief after completing the mission.
Qin Weiguo looked at the screen, expressionless.
This result… was expected.
“Permission to return to base.”
Zhou Zhengyang ordered into the communicator.
“Owl Bird received! Beginning turn for return…”,
The pilot’s voice suddenly cut off!
Zzzzt—!!!
A harsh static burst from the communicator! The real-time footage on the screen violently shook and distorted! Finally… it instantly turned into a blinding snowstorm!
“What’s going on?!”
Qin Weiguo suddenly stood up!
“Report! Lost contact with Owl Bird! Signal… completely cut off!” The communications officer’s voice was filled with unbelievable panic!
“Switch to emergency channel! Activate emergency positioning!” Zhou Zhengyang roared!
“Emergency channel unresponsive! Positioning signal… lost!”
The technician’s voice trembled, “Last coordinates… over the Zoo!”
“Zoo?!” Qin Weiguo’s pupils constricted! An ominous premonition instantly gripped his heart!
“Quick! Retrieve the last image data transmitted by the Owl Bird! Quick!”
Lin Wei’s voice was more urgent than ever! Her Discernment ability had allowed her to capture a trace of… an extremely unusual… energy burst!
The technician’s fingers furiously tapped on the control panel!
Buzz—!
The main screen flickered! A short, noisy video, only a few seconds long, was forcibly restored and played!
The screen shook violently! It was the forward view from the helicopter cockpit! Below was the blurred outline of the Ling Hui Zoo!
Suddenly!
A… dark red… meteor-like… giant object!
With a terrifying shriek that tore through the air! From the bottom left corner of the screen… at an incredible speed… it shot up into the sky! Instantly filling the entire frame!
What was that?!
Immediately after!
The screen suddenly went black! But in the last frame before it completely blacked out!
A… face… was infinitely magnified! Filling the entire screen!
Scarlet pupils! Like burning flames! Lips curled into a huge, mocking smile! That smile was grotesque! Wicked! Carrying a playful disdain that looked down on all living things!
The thirty inky black blood patterns at the corner of his eye were clearly visible.