“How many do we have already?”
Qing Yi placed a young plant seedling into a storage device and handed it to Lan Qi behind her.
“Exactly eighty, not one more or one less.”
Lan Qi shook the storage device in his hand before tossing it into his spatial container.
“There are still four days left of training. We should be able to finish ahead of schedule.”
“Hmph!”
Ye Chengcheng rolled her eyes from the side and let out a cold snort, her face full of disdain.
Lian Qiguang turned around and glanced at Ye Chengcheng expressionlessly.
When Ye Chengcheng met his gaze, she shrank back slightly and moved behind Ji Renlin.
That sudden outburst from Lian Qiguang that day had truly frightened Ye Chengcheng.
During these past few days, although Ye Chengcheng still acted arrogant and haughty, she had restrained herself considerably. She no longer provoked others everywhere like she used to.
“Did something happen?”
After withdrawing his gaze, Lian Qiguang continued walking forward. Following closely behind him was Qiu Limuo.
Lian Qiguang’s sudden question caused Qiu Limuo to pause slightly, but he did not answer.
“Or perhaps…”
Lian Qiguang’s footsteps stopped briefly. He looked expressionlessly into the distance.
“Something is about to happen.”
“……”
Qiu Limuo stopped walking.
He raised his head and looked at Lian Qiguang. His usually cold face carried a faint trace of complexity.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.”
His indifferent voice carried a solemn promise.
Or perhaps, an oath.
“No one can guarantee that.”
Lian Qiguang looked at Qiu Limuo without expression.
“Fate is always cunning. No one can hold it in their hands.”
“I don’t believe in fate.”
“Is that so? What a coincidence. Neither do I.”
Deep within the forest, a man wearing a black cloak stood behind a tree, silently watching the group of people clearing a path in the distance.
Black mist slowly spread around him, becoming thicker and heavier.
The surrounding trees and grass were gradually corroded by the black mist, turning into nothingness.
(Control Room)
“What is going on?!”
Qing Muran’s brows were tightly furrowed as he looked at the technicians constantly typing and operating the control panel.
He questioned them sternly.
“Dean, the monitoring systems have been blocked.”
“Is it the rebels?”
“We don’t know yet. Right now, we have completely lost contact with the students. Their optical brains and communication devices have all been disconnected.”
“……”
Qing Muran clenched his fists tightly.
His expression became terrifyingly dark.
Inside the enormous monitoring room, the only sound left was the complicated metallic noise of machinery operating.
“Dean!”
Jin Anqi stepped forward.
Her expression was solemn as she gave a formal military salute.
“I request permission to go to the training area. I guarantee that I will bring the students back safely and unharmed.”
Looking at Jin Anqi, Qing Muran frowned and remained silent.
“Dean…”
“Submit a report upward.”
Qing Muran finally spoke, as if he had made a decision.
“Request government support. Dispatch military forces to the training area and rescue the students.”
“Anqi, you will go with them. Remember, ensuring the students’ safety is your priority.”
“Yes!”
Jin Anqi saluted, then quickly turned and left.
Watching her departing figure, Qing Muran remained silent for a long time.
Then he turned around and opened his optical brain.
“Old man, your granddaughter-in-law is in trouble…”
“What kind of place is this?”
Feng Qingyang leaned against a tree trunk, his face filled with despair.
“The optical brains and communication devices are disconnected. We’ve completely lost contact with the outside world. We can’t even send a distress signal.”
Lan Qi looked at the optical brain in his hand and sat down on the ground in frustration.
“Damn it! What kind of situation is this?!”
Qing Yi kicked the grass beside him and irritably ruffled his hair.
“Wasn’t everything fine just now? How did we suddenly get lost?”
“This isn’t going to be that simple.”
Ji Renlin looked at the optical brain in his hand, his brows tightly knitted.
His eyes carried a heavy seriousness.
“The optical brain being disconnected and being unable to contact the outside world—apart from those remote abandoned planets, this kind of accident should be impossible.”
“Besides, this training area is located between the Fourth District and Fifth District, and it was personally selected by the academy.”
“How could something like this happen…”
“Senior.”
Ye Chengcheng swallowed.
Her face had turned pale.
“What you mean is…”
“Our optical brains have been blocked.”
“Could it be… could it be that we encountered escaped criminals?”
Ye Chengcheng tightly grabbed Ji Renlin’s arm, her face full of fear.
“That is the worst possibility.”
Lian Qiguang expressionlessly glanced at Qiu Limuo.
Qiu Limuo stood behind him with his arms crossed, his face hidden beneath his high collar.
His expression remained cold.
From beginning to end, even his eyebrows did not move.
It was as if none of this had anything to do with him.
Or perhaps…
It had already been expected.
“No! I don’t want to die here!!”
Ye Chengcheng screamed.
She began frantically pressing on her optical brain.
“The academy! The academy will definitely come save me!”
Looking at the hysterical Ye Chengcheng, Qing Yi rolled his eyes and turned toward Lian Qiguang.
“Captain…”
Before he could finish speaking, Lian Qiguang suddenly raised his head.
A sharp light flashed in his eyes.
He pushed Qing Yi away with one hand.
Qian Ming appeared in his hand, its blade pointing horizontally forward.
Lian Qiguang’s sudden movement shocked everyone.
They immediately became alert and prepared for battle.
“Senior…”
Ye Chengcheng’s eyes were red as she tightly hugged Ji Renlin’s arm, her face filled with fear.
Because Ye Chengcheng was restraining his movements, Ji Renlin’s eyes were filled with disgust and irritation.
However, he could not push her away, so he could only suppress his anger and softly comfort her.
“Chengcheng, there is danger right now. We are a team. We need you. Be strong, okay?”
“Senior, I’m scared.”
Ye Chengcheng’s eyes were filled with tears.
This stupid woman.
A trace of ruthlessness flashed through Ji Renlin’s eyes.
“Chengcheng, let go. I need to fight and protect everyone.”
Ji Renlin maintained a gentle smile.
He reached out and held Ye Chengcheng’s hand.
However, secretly, he used a clever force to pull away the woman clinging to him like chewing gum.
Then he “gently” pushed her toward Zhang Qi.
“Zhang Qi, watch her for now.”
“Senior!”
“Behave yourself!”
Zhang Qi, who had already been somewhat unable to tolerate Ye Chengcheng, grabbed her without showing the slightest bit of mercy.
Ye Chengcheng indeed had some beauty, but in front of a powerful enemy, there would be plenty of beautiful women in the future.
A life, however, only existed once.
“You!”
“If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll throw you out!”
Ye Chengcheng, who had just wanted to start shouting, was frightened by Zhang Qi’s ruthless warning.
Although resentment filled her heart, she could only force herself to suppress it.
Unwillingly, she followed behind Zhang Qi.
However, she secretly made a note against him in her heart.
“Hah, fighting among yourselves.”
Qing Yi sneered softly.
“Captain, there’s no movement.”
Mi Xiaobao stepped forward and spoke quietly.
“Could you have sensed wrongly?”
“Quietly tell them that no matter what happens later, follow me.”
Lian Qiguang lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear.
“Eh?”
Mi Xiaobao froze, clearly unable to understand immediately.
“Get rid of them.”
And kill them too.
Looking at Lian Qiguang’s emotionless side profile and understanding his meaning, Mi Xiaobao opened his mouth slightly.
His mind buzzed.
“Why are you still standing there?”
Lian Qiguang glanced at him expressionlessly.
His voice remained calm.
“Ah? Oh.”
Mi Xiaobao nodded in a daze.
He turned around and moved beside Qing Yi, quietly repeating Lian Qiguang’s words.
Qing Yi was stunned at first.
Then she looked toward Lian Qiguang, her eyes shining brightly.
Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Qing Yi carefully passed Lian Qiguang’s instructions down one person at a time.
After receiving the order, Feng Qingyang and Lan Qi both had a flash of understanding in their eyes.
They looked at Lian Qiguang and firmly nodded.
Time passed slowly.
The surroundings were so quiet that it made people afraid.
Other than their breathing and heartbeat, the only thing surrounding them was the increasingly tense atmosphere.
Lian Qiguang tightened his grip on Qian Ming.
His breathing gradually became heavier.
Suddenly, his eyes darkened.
He jumped up quickly.
“They’re coming!”
A horrifying crack tore through the ground and shot toward them.
As Lian Qiguang dodged, the others also hurriedly avoided it one after another.
A crack more than half a meter wide appeared where they had just been standing.
Following the end of the fissure, it continued spreading endlessly.
Because of Lian Qiguang’s warning earlier, Qing Yi and the others all followed behind him when they dodged.
“What the hell is this thing?”
Zhang Qi shouted.
His voice could not hide his panic.
It wasn’t over yet.
Holding Qian Ming tightly, Lian Qiguang remained expressionless as he stayed alert to his surroundings.
Suddenly—
The earth shook violently.
A group of people staggered and supported each other, almost unable to remain standing.
“Little fatty, be careful!”
Qing Yi grabbed Mi Xiaobao by the back of his clothes and stabilized him before he fell.
“Boom! Boom!”
A series of earth-shaking explosions rang out.
Following the crack, the ground began splitting apart and spreading in all directions.
“Ahhh! Senior, save me!!”
As the crack continued approaching and the ground began collapsing, Ye Chengcheng screamed.
She desperately grabbed onto Zhang Qi and refused to let go.
With his movements restricted, Zhang Qi felt suffocated with anger.
Looking at Ye Chengcheng, who continued screaming in panic, a ruthless look flashed through his eyes.
As the collapse came closer and closer, Ye Chengcheng was filled with terror.
Tears streamed down her face.
She looked completely disheveled.
Just as Ye Chengcheng continued retreating with the collapsing ground behind her, she suddenly felt a powerful force strike her from behind.
Her footing instantly disappeared.
With a scream, her entire body fell toward the collapsing ground below.
Before losing consciousness, the last thing Ye Chengcheng saw was Zhang Qi’s vicious yet satisfied expression.
Lian Qiguang, who had been forced to retreat continuously, did not miss this scene.
He looked at Zhang Qi expressionlessly.
A trace of regret appeared in his heart.
Originally, he had planned to personally finish that woman off.
“Boom!”
With a deafening explosion, dust filled the air.
The path behind them was blocked.
The ground behind them also began cracking and continuously collapsing.
“Captain! What do we do?!”
Qing Yi looked at the collapsing ground in front and behind them in terror.
Her voice trembled.
Facing Qing Yi’s question, Lian Qiguang remained silent.
Suddenly—
A cold hand grabbed Lian Qiguang’s wrist.
His expression tightened.
He raised his head.
Qiu Limuo was staring at him with tightly furrowed brows.
His eyes were fixed on him.
“Come with me.”
The cold words carried an unquestionable force.
Lian Qiguang’s eyes flickered slightly.
He twisted both hands and easily broke free from Qiu Limuo’s grip.
Before Qiu Limuo could react, Lian Qiguang suddenly exerted force.
His palms struck heavily against Qiu Limuo’s chest.
Qiu Limuo’s entire body was sent flying backward.
Looking at Lian Qiguang gradually moving away, Qiu Limuo’s usually emotionless eyes carried a trace of shock…
and sadness.
Don’t go.
Qiu Limuo stretched out his hand.
His lips moved.
But his voice was swallowed by the earth-shattering sound of the collapse.
Lian Qiguang expressionlessly watched Qiu Limuo being thrown away from the collapsing area.
He ignored the hand reaching toward him.
Then he turned and left.
Qiu Limuo.
No matter who you really are, and no matter what your purpose is…
You and I are ultimately not people walking the same path.