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Chapter 254 Arrival at the Coastline! (3 words, 15th update, please vote with monthly tickets!)

People were coming and going in the passageway.

Passengers who had just finished dinner or watched the fireworks display were returning to their cabins in twos and threes.

Many people still had the afterglow of excitement on their faces, and without exception, they were talking about the miraculous, crushing massacre that had taken place in the Ghost Hunting Grounds that afternoon.

"Fifteen of them! In less than a minute! My eyes almost popped out of their sockets!"

"The captain of Project Hidden Dragon lives up to his name! He's fucking ferocious!"

"You didn't see that flash of light! Wow! It was like a living dragon! One bite at a time, crunchy and delicious!"

"I heard that Manager Wang's face turned green with shock! Hahaha!"

"That's a true genius! Compared to Captain Fang, we old guys have wasted our lives all these years!"

The buzzing of voices was filled with awe, amazement, and a hint of self-consciousness.

Among the passengers engaging in conversation were several composed second-tier grandmasters.

however.

When Fang Qingyu, carrying the Eternal Night Territory, brushed past them like an invisible ghost.

They were completely unaware.

At most, I felt that the air around me seemed colder and more stagnant than elsewhere, as if a faint electric current swept across my skin, bringing a momentary tingling and itching sensation that was fleeting and was attributed to the air conditioning on the ship or my own illusion.

The Eternal Night Territory, combined with the second-tier positional suppression of the Border Patrol, provides a powerful advantage.

Unless one is a third-tier being with special perception abilities, Fang Qingyu's stealth on this ship is virtually impossible to counter.

Fang Qingyu's gaze pierced through layers of darkness.

He kept his eyes firmly fixed on the graceful, wine-red figure not far ahead.

He Manhe walked slowly, her high heels making a dull thud on the thick carpet.

She seemed quite angry at Fang Qingyu's undisguised murderous intent and his stubborn attitude.

Fang Qingyu could even "see" that beneath her meticulously combed chestnut-brown curly hair, the muscles on the side of her neck were slightly tense, clearly indicating that she was suppressing her anger.

Instead of going to a bar or other public area to relax, she went straight into the depths of the passenger residential area.

Soon, she stopped in front of a luxury suite marked "B-17".

She swiped the sensor lock, pushed the door open, and the heavy door closed silently behind her.

Isolated from inside and outside.

Fang Qingyu's figure appeared like a ghost in the shadows of the corridor outside door A-17.

The eternal night spread silently, swallowing up the light in this area and making it even dimmer.

They did not attempt to crack the access control system.

With the addition of spatial origin characteristics to the Eternal Night Warp, physical barriers are no longer absolute obstacles.

Fang Qingyu waited patiently for about half a minute.

After confirming that no one was passing through the corridor and sensing that the adjacent suite A-18 was empty.

Om-!
The core of the Eternal Night Territory rippled slightly.

Fang Qingyu's figure, like an ink droplet merging into water, silently "seeped" into the door of suite A-18.

The suite was pitch black and empty.

Fang Qingyu didn't stop.

Night Warp has been activated once again!

This time, his target was the thick wall separating him from the A-17.

The viscous darkness, like a living thing, silently enveloped Fang Qingyu, and then, like water, "flowed" towards the cold alloy wall.

There was no collision, no vibration.

The rules of space were temporarily "softened" under the authority of the Eternal Night Domain.

Fang Qingyu's figure seemed to pass through a layer of viscous gel, extremely slowly yet with unusual stability, "penetrating" from the wall of A-18 into the interior of suite A-17.

The entire process was completely silent, without even disturbing the flow of air.

It was as if it were just a deeper shadow, blending into the room's original darkness.

……

Suite A-17, living room.

The light was an ambiguous, warm yellow.

He Manhe took off her high heels and stepped barefoot onto the soft, long-pile carpet.

With her back to the wall through which Fang Qingyu had penetrated, she walked to the wine cabinet in the center of the living room and poured herself a glass of amber-colored liquor.

He tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

The wine slid down her throat, causing her to furrow her brow slightly before letting out a long breath.

"You ungrateful brat."

She muttered a curse under her breath, her voice tinged with offended anger, "You're asking for it."

at this time.

Tuk-tuk-tuk.

There was a gentle knock on the suite door.

He Manhe's anger vanished instantly, and she regained her relaxed and controlling demeanor.

"Come in."

Her voice was calm.

The door slid open.

Four figures, dressed differently but all possessing the aura of the second rank, filed in.

After entering the room, they immediately closed the door behind them, their movements clean and efficient, displaying a well-trained and capable demeanor.

The four of them did not sit down, but walked straight to the center of the living room and stopped a few steps away from He Manhe.

Immediately, they knelt down on one knee in unison, heads slightly bowed, their posture extremely respectful.

"Secretary-General!"

The four of them whispered in unison.

Fang Qingyu hid in the deepest shadow in the corner of the wall, the Eternal Night Domain perfectly concealing his aura, heartbeat, and even body temperature.

Like a real ghost.

A cold gaze swept over the four people.

Three men and one woman.

He Manhe held a wine glass with her back to them, gently swirling the ice cubes in the glass, making a crisp clinking sound.

"Go ahead."

Her voice was devoid of emotion.

The one kneeling at the front spoke first, his voice low and hoarse: "Reporting to the Secretary-General, I have currently recruited two veteran martial arts masters. One is Zhou Tai, at the peak of the second tier, whose fist techniques are wide and powerful, and whose ability to attack head-on is extremely strong. The other is Liu Suifeng, at the peak of the second tier, who is good at point-killing and breaking through qi, and whose speed is extremely fast."

After he finished speaking, the person next to him followed up with a report, his voice slightly hoarse and magnetic: "I have contacted three second-tier Chosen Ones."

The third person pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light: "I only have one person here, 'Thousand-Machine Poison Hand' Elder Mo, a master of poisons, at the peak of the second tier."

The last one was concise: "Two. You, skilled in intelligence gathering and assassination. Mad Lion, a power-type grandmaster, peak second tier, bloodthirsty, but obedient."

He Manhe listened quietly and then took another sip of wine.

A brief silence fell over the room.

All that could be heard was the faint "crackling" sound of the ice melting.

"It's still not enough."

He Manhe finally turned around, her face expressionless, her eyes sweeping over the four kneeling people with a scrutinizing pressure, "The quality is acceptable, but the quantity is far from enough. With this number of people, it's barely enough to clear the outer perimeter."

She placed the wine glass on the low table beside her, making a soft "tap" sound.

"Keep searching." Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable command. "Time is running out. I need true powerhouses, not cannon fodder. Understand?"

The four men tensed almost imperceptibly and replied in unison, "Yes, Secretary-General!"

"in addition."

He Manhe's gaze sharpened, like cold needles. "Fang Qingyu has murderous intent towards me. It's very serious."

She paused, seemingly savoring the chill that had previously made her heart pound.

“My ‘cursed remains’ cannot die yet. Staying on the ship is too risky. I will go ahead and head to the City of Glazed Light.”

Her gaze swept over the four people: "You, take the people you've recruited and meet me in Liuli Light City as quickly as possible. I will inform you of the specific time and place later."

"Yes, Secretary-General!" the four replied again.

"Go."

He Manhe waved her hand, turned her back again, and looked out at the dark sea.

The four immediately stood up and swiftly and silently left the room one by one.

The heavy door closed again.

Only He Manhe remained in the living room, along with the deep, dark corner of the wall.

He Manhe stood there, silently gazing at the darkness outside the window, her fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of her wine glass, as if deep in thought.

After a long while, he finally let out a very soft, cold snort.

……

Deck elevator lobby.

Wei Banmeng and the other three remained waiting in the same spot.

Chu Kuanglan paced back and forth irritably, Lu Jiuyuan leaned against the wall with his knife in his arms, his eyes sharply fixed on the entrance to the passage, while Wei Banmeng stood quietly, her cold face showing a solemn expression.

Jiang Wei had somehow pulled out another lollipop and was quietly sucking on it, but her clear red eyes would occasionally sweep towards the direction where Fang Qingyu had disappeared.

When Fang Qingyu reappears.

The four of them immediately surrounded them.

"team leader!"

"How about it?"

"Did you catch him?"

Fang Qingyu's vertical pupils, like molten gold, swept across the four faces, finally landing on Wei Banmeng. He spoke concisely, his voice extremely low:
"He Manhe went back to her room. There were four of her subordinates inside, all of them at the second rank."

He quickly recounted the conversation he had overheard in the room.

The four reported the list of Grandmasters and Chosen Ones they had recruited. He Manhe felt that there were not enough people, so she ordered them to continue recruiting and announced that she would go to Liuli Light City first, and ordered the four to bring the recruited people to Liuli Light City to meet up later.

"The Pantheon is indeed planning something big!"

After listening, Chu Kuanglan asked curiously in a muffled voice, "Why are they taking so many second-tier beings to Liuli Light City? What are they planning to do?"

Wei Banmeng frowned deeply: "The target is definitely not Guangcheng, unless they want to die. It's more likely they want to seize something? Or... to assist some being?"

She looked at Fang Qingyu: "If we take action now and capture He Manhe and those four, perhaps we can force them to reveal some information?"

Lu Jiuyuan didn't speak, but the way he gripped the hilt of his knife showed his attitude.

Fang Qingyu slowly shook his head.

A calm, analytical light gleamed deep within his molten gold pupils.

"Taking them down won't be difficult. But He Manhe's body is likely just a 'cursed corpse.' Killing her will only alert them and expose our knowledge of her whereabouts and plans, without any real gains. Given the way the Pantheon operates, they will never easily let the outer enforcers know their core secrets. Interrogating those four people will likely not yield any truly valuable information either."

He paused, then spoke with a cold, resolute tone.

"It's better to play the long game than to make a hasty decision."

"Playing the long game?" Wei Banmeng immediately understood Fang Qingyu's intention. "You mean follow them to Liuli Guang City, wait for them all to gather, and see what they're up to?"

"Correct."

Fang Qingyu nodded.

Chu Kuanglan and Lu Jiuyuan exchanged a glance, both seeing the excitement and fighting spirit in each other's eyes.

This is way more exciting than just catching a few henchmen!

"I agree."

Wei Banmeng immediately stated, her cool eyes gleaming, "But the premise is that we must keep a close eye on those four people."

Fang Qingyu looked at Wei Banmeng: "Let's go back to the room. I'll draw their likenesses, and you can send them to the capital so they can confirm them as soon as possible." "Okay."

The group immediately returned to their room and began discussing their next steps.

……

The rest of the voyage proceeded smoothly.

May the Ark, this steel fortress, break through the ice on the vast Arctic Ocean, like a moving island, exuding an unshakeable majesty.

Ordinary sea creatures sensed the terrifying energy fluctuations emanating from this enormous creature and avoided it from a distance.

Occasionally, some low-ranking ghosts with no sense of propriety would try to get close.

It was instantly torn to shreds by the escorting warships.

Fang Qingyu and his group of five did not relax.

They undergo rigorous, high-intensity training every day without fail, honing their newly enhanced strength.

The training grounds on the ship became their permanent base.

Fang Qingyu's astonishing performance at the Ghost Hunting Ground that day had already spread throughout the entire ship.

Now that he has reappeared at the public training ground, the crowd automatically parted to make way for him wherever he went.

All gazes, whether curious, inquisitive, awe-inspiring, or envious, became cautious, daring not to offend in the slightest.

No one dared to approach them to offer their business cards or strike up a conversation anymore.

Chu Kuanglan was very pleased with himself, walking with a swagger.

Wei Banmeng used the authority of the Divine Administration Bureau to quickly obtain detailed information from the feedback from the capital.

One of them, whose real name is Wu Gang, is a federal fugitive and the former vice-leader of the "Iron Wall" mercenary group. He is wanted for participating in numerous vicious robberies and murders. He is skilled in external martial arts, possesses astonishing defensive capabilities, and has a violent personality. Cabin number: C-112.

A top assassin nicknamed "Venomous Fang," whose real name is Lin Wei, with ambiguous identity information, is suspected to be active in the West Coast black market. Cabin number: C-205.

There's also a doctor.

His real name is Chen Mingyuan. On the surface, he is the head of surgery at a private hospital, but in reality, he is an organ broker and illegal modification specialist in the underground world. He is ruthless and meticulous. Cabin number: B-88.

The last gray shadow.

Limited information, only a codename, skilled in stealth and concealment, suspected of possessing shadow-related talents or divinely chosen abilities, and elusive in his movements. Cabin number: D-307.

Wei Banmeng also compiled a list of the second-tier information that the four recruited, just in case.

Fang Qingyu memorized the portraits and cabin numbers of the four people.

In the days that followed, the team devoted some of their efforts to keeping a close watch on the four men's movements through the ship's surveillance system and covert observation.

Like the most patient hunter, waiting for the moment to come ashore and haul in the net.

The days at sea were monotonous yet fulfilling.

During this time, the group also learned some news from the outside world.

After their injuries stabilized, the other two Qianlong squads led by Liu Hanyan and Shi Kong also boarded the subsequent transport fleet and embarked on their journey to the Arctic front.

The final report on casualties during the Ghost Festival has been released.

Behind the shocking numbers are countless broken families and blood-stained land, a burden so heavy it's suffocating.

Meanwhile, the undercurrents on the internet are becoming increasingly apparent.

Despite the federal media control machine still operating efficiently, deleting posts and videos of various "paranormal phenomena" and "monster sightings".

But like weeds, a wave of them were deleted.

It quickly reappeared in new corners, spreading even faster and sparking more heated discussions.

"Spiritual revival," "alien invasion," "government concealing the truth about the apocalypse"—various speculations have been rampant.

Panic and curiosity quietly arose and spread among ordinary people.

The world is sliding irreversibly into an unknown abyss.

All of this was temporarily isolated by the steel ark sailing on the cold ocean.

until
"Captain Fang, Captain Wei, everyone, please get ready."

The calm voice of the ship's officer came through the communicator.

"We are about to arrive at the outer port of Liuliguang City. As planned, please disembark in advance."

Fang Qingyu and his four companions were already fully prepared and ready to go.

Backpacks and weapons have been checked.

Upon hearing the announcement, the five exchanged glances.

The operation has begun.

They followed an officer through an internal passageway, avoiding the crowds on the main deck, to an inconspicuous, private exit on the side of the ship.

Below, a small assault boat equipped with cold-weather and anti-skid armor was gently bobbing with the waves, its engine emitting a low hum.

The biting wind, carrying tiny ice crystals, scraped across my face like a knife.

The air was filled with the unique, extremely cold freshness of the polar regions, along with a faint smell of ozone.

Look around.

It is no longer the deep, boundless, dark blue ocean.

Instead, it is an endless, undulating white glacier!

The massive iceberg, like a silent ancient behemoth, stands on the gray-white sea, exuding a cold and deathly oppressive feeling against the backdrop of the leaden-gray sky.

On the distant horizon, the outline of a massive, magnificent city wall, shimmering with a faint, azure luster, appeared and disappeared in the pervasive cold mist.

Crystal City!

One of the key towns on the Arctic Great Wall defense line!

"Guys, please!"

The officer gestured.

Fang Qingyu was the first to jump down, landing steadily on the deck of the assault boat, the cold metallic touch coming through the soles of his boots.

Wei Banmeng, Jiang Wei, Chu Kuanglan, and Lu Jiuyuan followed closely behind.

The speedboat's engine roared even louder as it turned, cleaved through the ice floes, and sped toward the nearest glacier coastline.

Hopefully, the massive Ark will slowly adjust its posture behind them and sail towards the brightly lit, deep-water dock in the distance, which resembles the maw of a giant beast.

The cold wind howled.

The speedboat quickly approached a section of ice shore that had been roughly leveled.

Two soldiers dressed in thick white polar combat uniforms and wearing goggles were already waiting there.

"Captain Fang! Welcome to the outer outpost of Liuliguang City!"

The leading sergeant saluted, his voice carrying intermittently through the cold wind, "Please follow me! The temporary command post has heating and hot drinks!"

The soldiers led them into an alloy fortress that was half-buried in the glacier.

The heating dispelled the biting cold.

Fang Qingyu refused the hot drink.

The five men simply removed their outermost layer of cold-weather cloaks, revealing their thin combat uniforms underneath.

With their physique, this bit of cold is nothing to them.

The fortress's observation port faces the massive deep-water dock in the distance.

Through high-powered military binoculars, one can clearly see the massive hull of the Hope Ark slowly approaching the shore and lowering its gangway.

A dense swarm of people began to descend like ants.

Fang Qingyu stood in front of the observation port, his vertical pupils, like molten gold, slowly scanning the flow of people disembarking through the cold lenses of the telescope, like the most precise scanner.

Time passed by minute by minute.

The crowd gradually thinned out.

The fortress was quiet, with only the low hum of the heating pipes.

Chu Kuanglan flexed his wrists somewhat anxiously.

Lu Jiuyuan held the knife, closed his eyes to rest, but his ears twitched slightly.

Wei Banmeng was holding a tactical tablet, which displayed real-time monitoring footage of several main exits of the dock.

Jiang Wei sat on the ammunition box next to her.

With short legs dangling in the air, she quietly sucked on a lollipop, her red eyes reflecting the vast white snow world outside the observation gate.

suddenly
Fang Qingyu paused slightly in his grip on the binoculars.

My gaze was fixed on the No. 3 exit of the dock, where four figures were walking out with the flow of people.

"coming."

Fang Qingyu's deep, calm voice instantly shattered the silence within the fortress.

The group immediately stood up and left the fortress.

And that was the moment he stepped out of the outpost.

The Eternal Night Territory beneath Fang Qingyu's feet unfolded silently.

The thick, inky darkness instantly swallowed the five figures, completely isolating them from the snow-covered, icy mountain.

The howling wind, the swirling snowflakes, and the biting cold outside vanished instantly.

Instead, there was an absolute silence and profound darkness.

Only their heartbeats and breathing could be clearly heard.

The abilities of the Border Patrolmen are no secret.

The earth-shattering battle within the Black Pine Pass force field last time, the viscous darkness that enveloped the battlefield, and the enormous dark vortex in the sky...
Wei Banmeng and the other two had already seen it.

At this moment, at the foot of the Arctic iceberg, far from any human habitation, they used their skills again, and none of them were surprised.

"Walk."

Fang Qingyu's voice rang out in the darkness, calm and clear.

Five figures moved silently toward the dock, seemingly blending into the night.

It moves with incredible speed, yet leaves no trace, as if it were a ghost.

Soon, they arrived at the shadow of a huge, sheltered ice rock on the outskirts of the dock.

The view here is expansive, offering a clear view of the dock's only exit passage.

The snowstorm seemed to have subsided a bit.

It didn't take long.

Accompanied by the deep roar of the engine and the "crunching" sound of the tracks crushing the ice.

Several bright beams of light pierced the darkness at the dock exit.

Three military off-road vehicles, equipped with anti-slip tracks and thick armor plates, lined up in a row, like steel behemoths in the snow, and slowly drove out.

The car headlights cast long streaks of light through the wind and snow.

"We're out." Lu Jiuyuan's voice rang out in the darkness.

"Follow."

Fang Qingyu's words were concise and to the point.

The Eternal Night Territory, like a moving shadow bubble, enveloped the five people, moving rapidly across the rugged ice surface.

The target was the convoy that was driving away.

The massive ice crystal barrier of the Glazed City loomed in the distance amidst the snow and wind, like a sleeping giant.

But this convoy was clearly not heading in that direction.

Fang Qingyu and the others were all second-tier grandmasters, with powerful physical bodies and astonishing speed.

In this icy, snowy, and complex terrain of the glacier, the speed of hiking was not much slower than that of the few armored off-road vehicles that were carefully driving.

In fact, because it is more flexible, it can take shortcuts and go in a straight line, making it even easier.

Wei Banmeng's cool eyes pierced through the darkness.

They kept a close eye on the light trails of the convoy in the distance.

Her brows furrowed slightly, her voice carrying a hint of seriousness and confusion:

"Something's wrong. They're heading in a different direction from the City of Glazed Light."

(End of this chapter)