Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 784 Challenge Dungeon 40

Cheng Yan cautiously began, "Wouldn't this be too much trouble for everyone? Our strength is weak, and we might be a hindrance..."

“No.” Yun Chu’s tone was firm, her eyes sincere. “Everyone has their own strengths. I see that Mr. Cheng is exceptionally fast, and Ms. Cheng also has healing abilities. They are both needed by the team. Moreover, one more person means one more strength and one more pair of eyes.”

She paused, then looked at Xie Yipei, "Captain, what do you think?"

Xie Yipei received Yun Chu's look and understood. He nodded and said succinctly, "Okay. But you must follow orders."

Seeing that the other team leader had agreed, Cheng Yan didn't hesitate any longer. He pulled his sister along and bowed again, saying, "Thank you so much for taking us in! We will definitely follow orders and won't cause any trouble!"

"Welcome to the team." Yun Chu's smile deepened, and she gestured to Su Yining, "Yining, please help Miss Cheng treat her injuries."

Su Yining stepped forward in response, and a soft healing light enveloped Cheng Yan. A trace of color returned to Cheng Yan's pale face, and she thanked her gratefully.

The team has expanded to twelve people.

Xie Yipei wasted no time and immediately ordered the entire team to return to camp.

With the addition of Cheng Yan and his sister, he adjusted the formation, letting Cheng Yan follow Lin Xun to learn reconnaissance and adapt to the team's rhythm, while Cheng Yan was protected in the middle of the team.

On the way back to camp, they encountered two more sporadic "hunters," but the team easily dealt with them.

Cheng Yan and his sister witnessed the team's formidable strength firsthand.

Ding Sheng and Cao Luo were like an insurmountable barrier, Yin Chengxu and Miao Yiming's arrows never missed, Lin Xun and Du Ruo's assassinations were precise and deadly, and Lu Ting's attack was swift and thunderous.

Xie Yipei's command was even more proactive in anticipating the enemy's moves, while the exceptionally beautiful captain's wife, Yun Chu, not only set up a magical concealment formation, but also replenished everyone's health during the breaks in the battle, and the talismans and pills she used had excellent effects.

Those "hunters" who had nearly killed the siblings were like lambs to the slaughter in front of this team.

Cheng Yan was deeply shocked, and at the same time, a strong desire arose within him—if only he and his sister could become that strong...

When they returned to the camp, the "sky" had completely darkened, with only a few scattered light sources in the distant ruins and the dark red background light of the "hunting ground" itself providing extremely limited illumination.

Inside the camp, the array that Yun Chu had set up in advance was operating smoothly, perfectly concealing the internal aura and light.

Occasionally, the heavy footsteps or roars of the "hunters" could be heard outside, but they seemed to ignore the camp that was just a stone's throw away.

This sense of security allowed Cheng Yan and his sister, who were new to the place, to breathe a sigh of relief, and their tense nerves could finally relax a little.

The group ate some high-energy compressed food and drank water to replenish their energy.

Xie Yipei arranged the night watch shifts: Ding Sheng and Cao Luo would take the first half of the night, Lu Ting and Miao Yiming would take the second half, and the others would take the time to rest.

Yun Chu checked the formation again to make sure it was correct before sitting down next to Xie Yipei. Xie Yipei naturally put his arm around her waist and whispered, "Are you tired? Lean on me and rest for a while."

Yun Chu was indeed somewhat exhausted, both mentally and physically from drawing talismans and maintaining the formation.

She didn't refuse, gently leaning against his strong arm and closing her eyes.

Outside the camp, the roars of the "hunters" and the movements of the unknown creatures could be heard from time to time, but they were all blocked out by the formation.

Cheng Yan leaned against the corner of the wall, watching Xie Yipei and Yun Chu resting together in the dim light, and then looked at his younger sister who was sleeping soundly beside him, feeling at ease. He felt a mix of emotions.

It was gratitude, it was relief, and it also gave rise to a vague expectation for the future.

That night, under the protection of the Cloud Beginning Formation, the Divine Travel Guild's temporary camp safely passed through the first, and perilous, night of the "Crimson Hunting Grounds."

The morning light brought little warmth; on the second day of the "Bloody Hunting Ground," the oppressive atmosphere and the pungent, fishy smell seemed even stronger.

After a night's rest, everyone in the camp had basically recovered.

With further treatment from Su Yining, Cheng Yan's injuries have been largely healed.

After yesterday's observation and brief adaptation, Cheng Yan has gained a preliminary understanding of the team's instructions and rhythm. The initial bewilderment in his eyes has lessened, replaced by a focus and a brighter light of learning.

Based on the intelligence obtained yesterday and the continuous reconnaissance feedback from the Fire Iron Flying Ants, Xie Yipei adjusted today's action plan.

The suspected hideout in the western area has been marked as a high-risk zone, and no further contact will be made for the time being, but its surrounding activities need to be more closely monitored.

Today's focus is on clearing out the small to medium-sized "hunter" groups that have been identified within a three-kilometer radius of the camp, and attempting to advance further into the southern and southeastern areas that were not explored yesterday, in order to expand the safe zone and the range of resource acquisition.

The team split into two groups again.

Xie Yipei led Ding Sheng, Cao Luo, Lu Ting, Yin Chengxu, Miao Yiming, and Cheng Yan to the South District.

Yun Chu, along with Lin Xun, Du Ruo, Su Yining, and Cheng Yan, stayed behind at the camp to provide support from the center and offer early warnings and intelligence through the Fire Iron Flying Ant Network.

The first half of the day went smoothly.

Several small-scale "hunter" gathering points were discovered in the southern district, mostly composed of C-level and a small number of B-level "hunters". With the tacit cooperation of Xie Yipei's team, they were eliminated one by one, and the harvest was quite good.

Although Cheng Yan did not directly participate in high-intensity combat, his excellent speed and observation skills played a role in reconnaissance and luring the enemy, which also earned the team members' initial recognition of this newly joined young man.

However, just as the team ventured deep into a complex abandoned industrial area in the southern district, preparing to clear the last marker point—a small community suspected to be led by a B-level "hunter"—a sudden change occurred.

Images transmitted back by the fire ants showed that the marked point contained not the expected five or six "hunters," but a group of more than twenty!

What's even more chilling is that the lead "hunter" is unusually large, nearly three meters long, covered in a thick, blackish-red carapace that looks like solidified lava, with sharp bone spikes extending from its joints, and a cold, almost intelligent, cruel light flashing in its single eye.

The energy fluctuations emanating from its body had reached the S-level!

"Captain! The situation has changed! An S-rank 'Hunter' leader has appeared at the target point, leading more than twenty mid-to-high-level 'Hunters'! We recommend an immediate retreat!" Lin Xun's urgent voice rang out in the team channel. Through the shared vision of the Fire Iron Flying Ants, everyone saw the chilling scene.

Xie Yipei's pupils contracted sharply, and he made a decisive decision: "Everyone, immediately evacuate to the abandoned cooling tower area in the southeast according to Evacuation Plan No. 3! Hurry!"

As the order was given, the S-rank "Hunter" leader seemed to have noticed the spying from afar. Its single eye suddenly turned towards the direction of the Fire Iron Flying Ant, and it let out a deafening roar!

The sound waves, carrying a powerful mental impact, spread out, and several nearby fire iron flying ants instantly lost contact.

Immediately afterwards, under the command of the S-class commander, more than twenty "hunters" rushed towards Xie Yipei's team at an astonishing speed, like a black tide!

They were no longer as disorganized as before, but had formed a subtle encirclement and attack formation!