Yuan Gang's face darkened as he saw the grinning face in front of him.
"So, this earthquake and mudslide weren't natural disasters," Yuan Gang spoke in a deep voice. "I was puzzled why the earthquake in Jinnan Mountain was so much stronger than in the city center of Cangnan. Looks like these are all the 'nightmares' you created."
Yiyu lightly clapped, a smile playing on his lips. "As expected of Commander Yuan, you guessed it right away."
"Your target is Lin QiYe?" Yuan Gang frowned. "A rookie in the 'Chi' realm, and yet you, an ancient 'god,' have personally intervened?"
"Intervene is a bit much to say. After all, 'I' here is just a nightmare projection. My true self is still being hunted by the Medium Squad," Yiyu sighed helplessly. "As expected of Squad 002, the special squad. Ever since I entered 'Klein,' I haven't been in such a miserable state for a long time."
"So someone else is dealing with Lin QiYe? Are they your Followers?" Yuan Gang keenly picked up on the important detail.
Yiyu simply kept smiling and didn't reply.
"Looks like I've hit the nail on the head," Yuan Gang said calmly. "You sent this 'nightmare projection' to stall me, which means your Followers haven't reached the 'Hai' realm yet. You're afraid my intervention might disrupt your plans, right?"
"They say you, the Deputy Captain of the Upper Capital, have courage but no strategy. It seems that's not the case after all," Yiyu mused. "Even if you've guessed correctly, it's pointless now. The strongest person in Cangnan, you, are trapped. Squad 136 has orders to stay in the city and won't be coming to help. Dealing with a bunch of rookies, 'Hai' realm is overkill."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Gang's pupils constricted. "How do you know about the orders from the Night Watch higher-ups?"
Yiyu just smiled without responding.
"So you've planted Followers within the higher-ups."
"That's not important." Yiyu extended his hand as if conducting a symphony, gently waving through the air.
The sky, the earth, the mountains, the rain... everything trembled as if it had come alive. At the same time, Yuan Gang felt an unprecedented coldness descend upon his heart.
"Fall into my 'nightmare,'" Yiyu murmured softly.
"Commander, Commander?"
An instructor stepped out of the tent, looking around but not spotting Yuan Gang.
"Strange, where did the commander go? He was just here..." The instructor scratched his head in confusion.
"Could he have gone to a village for the rescue?" another instructor suggested.
"I don't know." The first instructor shook his head and pondered for a moment. "Let's wait a while and then contact the rescue teams to ask. Normally, the commander wouldn't disappear like this during such a crucial time."
"Right."
Jinnan Mountain
In the pouring rain, a military transport vehicle sped along the mountain road, its headlights piercing through the misty rain, barely illuminating the path just a few dozen meters ahead.
Lin QiYe and the others sat inside the vehicle, studying the complex map in their hands, constantly recording their position and looking for the most suitable route to the village.
Screech—!!
Suddenly, the vehicle made a sharp stop, nearly throwing the passengers behind out of their seats. The vehicle skidded across the muddy road and came to a halt in a perfect arc.
"The landslide up ahead has blocked the road. The vehicle can't go any further," the instructor driving the vehicle shouted.
Lin QiYe and the others exchanged glances, quickly stowing away their maps and getting out of the vehicle. Instructor Hong knocked on the glass at the front of the car, saying, "We'll stop here."
The heavy rain poured down incessantly. The silent valley seemed to echo only with the relentless sound of rain. Several figures dressed in black military raincoats jumped out from the back of the vehicle, splashing mud as they swiftly ran into the dense forest.
Without the vehicle, there was no need to follow the main road and waste time. They had already planned out the fastest route to Village 1 on the vehicle, and while the weather made this route seem suicidal to an average person, it was far from difficult for them.
The nine of them lined up in a long formation, swiftly weaving through the dense forest.
The person running at the front wasn't Instructor Hong, but Lin QiYe. With the dark clouds blocking the sun, the forest was pitch-black, and the rain further obscured their vision. In such harsh conditions, the average person wouldn't be able to see trees even two meters away. This kind of environment would certainly slow progress considerably.
But with Miracle Field, Lin QiYe could perfectly avoid all obstacles, allowing the others to follow his lead and push forward at full speed.
At the very end of the group was Instructor Hong, the only "Chuan" realm expert among them. With his vast experience, his presence at the rear provided a great sense of security for the team.
No one spoke, no one complained about exhaustion. Even Bai Li Tu Ming, usually the most talkative, was silent, running forward without a word.
This wasn't the time for chatting or complaints. A life... was no joke.
Every second they saved could mean another life saved when they reached the village. They had to stay focused and conserve every bit of energy.
They passed through two forested areas and rushed along a stream in the valley. The once gentle creek had turned into a raging river due to the influx of rainwater, now flowing in the opposite direction.
Boom—!!
Thunder rumbled in the dark clouds above, and the soil and rocks on the side of the valley, softened by the rain, began to tumble down, pulling more debris with it. It was like a brown wave, rumbling and mixing with the thunder, heading toward the narrow valley.
Lin QiYe was the first to notice this. He quickly turned around and shouted, "To the left! Landslide!"
Molly quickly raised her hand, preparing to use her Forbidden Domain to shatter the incoming rocks. But in front of her, Bai Li Tu Ming suddenly grabbed her wrist, speaking sternly.
"No! The structure of the mountain is too fragile right now. Using Myriad Frequency Shift will only speed up the collapse. Let me handle it!"
Taking a step forward, the Yao Guang pendant on his chest glowed with golden light. The golden energy gathered into a thick wall of light on the left side of the group. A large amount of soil and rocks, carrying enormous kinetic energy, collided with the golden wall, the golden light flickering as it finally stopped the rushing debris.
Bai Li Tu Ming extended his hand again, and the brilliant golden glow returned to the pendant on his chest. He didn't show off as he usually did but quickly returned to the group and continued running without a word.
Behind him, Molly stared at his silent back, seemingly seeing him in a new light...
This version of Bai Li Tu Ming… was kind of cool?