High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 329: Going Deeper

Outside the viewport was the dark universe and the distant arc of Earth. The engines switched to ion propulsion, accelerating silently.

Three minutes later, a distorted mass of light appeared ahead.

"We’ve arrived at the jump point," Lin Zhaowen said. "Hold on tight. It’s going to be bumpy."

The ship plunged headfirst into the mass of light.

The familiar feeling of weightlessness and spatial distortion washed over him, far more intense than that of a Teleportation Array.

Xu Wuyi felt his organs churning, but he circulated the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace, and his Qi and Blood stabilized his body.

About ten seconds later, the turbulence stopped.

The scene outside the viewport had changed.

A dark purple sky, two pale suns, and twisted, ink-green vegetation.

The Celestial Spirit Star Realm.

The ship began to descend, its altitude dropping rapidly from tens of thousands of meters. Lin Zhaowen operated the control console, and the topographical map on the screen refreshed quickly.

"Our current position is on the southwest side of the Dark Blood Mountain Range, about two hundred kilometers from Outpost Seven, and eighty kilometers from the designated ambush point, ’Canyon 7-B.’"

Lin Zhaowen brought up a map. "The ship will land twenty kilometers from the canyon. We’ll travel the rest of the way on foot."

Liu Yue opened her eyes. "Is the landing zone secure?"

"Theoretically, yes." Lin Zhaowen pushed up his glasses. "The military deployed jammers in this area three days ago to disrupt the Werewolf Race’s reconnaissance."

"But we’re on a timer. The jamming effect only lasts for seventy-two hours. So we have to complete the mission within three days, or pull out and move to the next ambush point."

Shi Gang clenched his fists. "Three days is enough."

The ship continued its descent, finally hovering at a low altitude above a dense forest.

The hatch opened, and a rope was lowered.

"We’re here." Lin Zhaowen put away his datapad and was the first to get up. "I’ll go down first and establish a perimeter. Liu Yue second, Shi Gang third, Xu Wuyi fourth, and Zhou Ming will bring up the rear."

The five of them slid down the rope in order.

When Xu Wuyi landed, his feet sank into soft, humus-rich soil.

The air was filled with a familiar, acrid smell of vegetation and the scent of sulfur. The pull of Gravity also felt stronger here than in the Federation.

Zhou Ming was the last one down. He retrieved the rope.

The ship ascended silently, disappearing into the dark purple sky.

Lin Zhaowen had already activated his portable scanner. A ring of pale blue ripples spread out.

"No large life forms detected within a three-kilometer radius." He looked at the screen. "We can move out."

Liu Yue took a small box from her tactical pack. Inside were five black, soybean-sized devices.

"Miniature communicators, the implantable kind." She handed one to each person. "Place it behind your ear for subcutaneous implantation. The effective range is fifty kilometers, and it’s on an encrypted channel. The Werewolf Race’s listening devices won’t be able to intercept it."

Xu Wuyi took the device and pressed it behind his left ear. After a slight stinging sensation, the device merged into his skin.

"Comms check." Liu Yue’s voice rang directly in his mind.

"Loud and clear," Xu Wuyi replied.

The voices of Shi Gang, Lin Zhaowen, and Zhou Ming followed, confirming the comms were working.

"Good." Lin Zhaowen displayed a holographic map. "Our current position is here. Canyon 7-B is to the northeast, twenty kilometers as the crow flies. But the direct route passes through two Werewolf Race patrol zones. I suggest we take a detour along this path."

A winding blue path appeared on the map, increasing the total distance to thirty kilometers.

"This route is ten kilometers longer, but it bypasses all known Werewolf encampments and patrol routes. Estimated time of arrival: four hours."

Zhou Ming glanced at the path and nodded. "Works for me."

"Then let’s move out." Liu Yue put the box away. "I’ll scout ahead. Shi Gang, take the rear. Lin Zhaowen, you’re in the middle, monitor the environment at all times. Xu Wuyi, Zhou Ming, you two watch the flanks."

Xu Wuyi didn’t say anything, simply following orders.

’He knew that among the five of them, his own strength was likely the greatest, and that he was the key to assassinating Milo. But that didn’t mean he was infallible.’

’When it came to experience exploring the Star Realm, he was undoubtedly a rookie. At most, he’d only been a few times, which was nothing compared to the others.’

The five-person squad began to move.

Liu Yue was at the front. Her steps were so light they were almost silent, her figure flickering in and out of sight within the dense forest.

Shi Gang brought up the rear, carrying his shield. His heavy footsteps left deep prints in the soft ground.

Lin Zhaowen was in the middle, holding the scanner, his eyes glued to the screen.

Xu Wuyi and Zhou Ming flanked them, one on the left and one on the right, watching the dense forest on either side warily.

The vegetation of the Dark Blood Mountain Range was predominantly dark red and ink-green, with twisted, bizarre shapes.

The branches of some trees drooped like tentacles, while the leaves of some bushes had serrated edges.

After they had traveled for about five kilometers, Liu Yue suddenly stopped and raised a clenched fist.

Everyone immediately dropped into a crouch, taking cover behind vegetation or rocks.

Xu Wuyi held his breath and spread out his Spiritual Perception.

Two hundred meters ahead, there was movement.

Not a Star Beast. Footsteps—heavy and chaotic. And there were quite a few of them.

"Werewolf patrol." Liu Yue’s voice came through the communicator, hushed and low. "Six of them. All warrior-class, no War Generals. One hundred eighty meters out and heading our way."

Lin Zhaowen checked the scanner data. "Can’t avoid them. They’re on the only viable path."

"Then let’s take them out." Shi Gang licked his lips. "Six warriors. It’ll be quick."

"We have to be quiet," Zhou Ming said. "If they raise an alarm, it’ll alert the entire area."

Liu Yue looked at Xu Wuyi. "Your Flame ability. Can you use it to dispose of them silently?"

Before setting out, the five of them had discussed their respective abilities to ensure seamless coordination.

Xu Wuyi nodded. "I can."

"Good." Liu Yue pointed to herself, then to Xu Wuyi. "We’ll take them. Shi Gang, protect Lin Zhaowen. Zhou Ming, provide cover from a distance."

Zhou Ming had already taken out his sniper rifle, quickly setting it up on a nearby rock and fitting a long suppressor to the barrel.

Liu Yue drew the curved short-sword from her waist. The blade reflected no light under the pale sky.

Xu Wuyi gripped his long spear.

Like wraiths, the two of them split up and crept toward the patrol.

Xu Wuyi executed his Instant Shadow Step in the dense forest, his figure practically melting into the shadows.

He circled around to the patrol’s flank and rear, and through a gap in the bushes, he saw the six Werewolf Warriors.

They were moving in single file along a game trail.

The lead Werewolf warrior was sniffing the air warily, while the ones behind seemed a bit more relaxed, exchanging low growls with each other.

At a distance of fifty meters, Xu Wuyi stopped, dropped to one knee, and leveled his long spear.

He glanced in the other direction.

Liu Yue had already crept to within thirty meters, hidden behind the trunk of a twisted tree.

Zhou Ming’s voice came over the communicator: "Sniper in position. Ready to fire at any time."

Liu Yue’s voice followed. "Three... two... one..."

Move.

Zhou Ming’s sniper rifle fired first.