Start by conquering the world with unlimited job opportunities.

Chapter 259 Target: Jiang Chengyue! (3 words, 15th update, please vote with monthly tickets!)

"Something is wrong indeed."

Wei Banmeng walked to Fang Qingyu, whose brows were furrowed. Her cold eyes swept over the overly comfortable environment, and she said softly, "Normally, as reinforcements, we should connect with the front-line command or the city defense army as soon as we arrive, familiarize ourselves with the defense zone, understand the enemy situation, clarify the mission sequence, and then go to our post or go directly to the city wall for our shift."

"Instead of being sent directly to the core area of ​​the city lord's mansion and placed in this 'star-gazing platform' isolated from the front line to enjoy the night view."

The novelty and excitement on Chu Kuanglan's face also faded.

He mumbled in a deep voice, "Yeah! This place is comfortable, but it feels like a luxurious birdcage. We're here to fight, not for a vacation! That fat Chen is all smiles, but it feels like he's treating us like royalty, not as fighting force."

Fang Qingyu slowly exhaled, his molten gold vertical pupils shimmering with light before finally settling into calm.

"Since we're here, let's make the best of it. Chen Ming left room for maneuver in his words, saying that there would be missions to provide. The Jiang family has been able to stand firm on the Arctic front for a century, and their reputation has always been good. Both Pavilion Master Yan and Su Wanqing have mentioned it. Perhaps... they have some special arrangements or procedures within their organization, or perhaps the pressure on the front lines isn't so urgent for the time being?"

He paused, then glanced at his four teammates: "In any case, strength is fundamental. Settle down first, seize the time to train, and be prepared to adapt to any situation."

"The City of Glazed Light is right in front of us, and we can't escape to the front lines either. They can't really leave us here to just look at the scenery."

Upon hearing this, although the doubts in everyone's hearts had not been dispelled, they understood that what Fang Qingyu said made sense.

When you first arrive in a new place and are unfamiliar with the people and the place, it would be inappropriate to make rash questions or take any action.

Improving our capabilities and observing the situation is the safest option at present.

"Okay, I'll do as the captain says!"

Chu Kuanglan scratched his head, then quickly regained his carefree demeanor. "Anyway, this place is big enough. There's no training ground, but there are plenty of rooms. Everyone can find a quiet room to cultivate, right? Hehe, these big glass windows are nice for looking at the scenery when you're tired of cultivating!"

Wei Banmeng and Lu Jiuyuan nodded in agreement.

Jiang Wei silently tugged at Fang Qingyu's sleeve, indicating that she would stay with him.

The group said no more and each casually chose a suite in the upper circular corridor.

Fang Qingyu chose the room with the best view by the window, while Jiang Wei silently chose the room right next to him.

Stepping into the room, the level of luxury inside is in no way inferior to that of the living room.

Huge floor-to-ceiling windows, soft carpets, a separate bathroom, and a meditation room.

Fang Qingyu had no interest in appreciating the scenery. He sat cross-legged on the futon in the center of the quiet room, his mind sinking into his sea of ​​consciousness.

Deep within my consciousness, that ancient and mysterious atlas slowly unfolded.

Despite the twists and turns of the battle at the glacial ruins, the gains were substantial.

Killing the Apostle-level He Manhe's "Cursed Remains" and the core member of the Pantheon codenamed "Gray Shadow" rewarded a full 12 skill points.

My gaze fell on the newly lit skill icons on the skill chart:

【True Meaning of Thunder Lv.1 (0/1000)】

"At 10 o'clock, unleash the true essence of thunder!"

Fang Qingyu made the decision without hesitation.

Om-!
The diagram shimmered with light, and the 10 skill points vanished instantly, transforming into ten dazzling purple streaks of light, like a rushing galaxy, which thunderously poured into that tiny point of lightning.

Boom——! ! !
Fang Qingyu's sea of ​​consciousness seemed to explode with a silent thunderstorm, and a surging tide of cognition and understanding was rushing in.

Countless ancient mysteries about lightning, its trajectory, and the true meaning of destruction and life washed over his consciousness like a torrent.

The original understanding of the Bone-Corroding Thunder was now infinitely elevated, expanded, and deepened.

The pale white lightning of the bone-corroding thunder began to undergo a qualitative change in the torrent of enlightenment.

Fang Qingyu clearly "saw" that the structure inside the pale white lightning was being reorganized, becoming more condensed and pure, faintly revealing a deeper purplish-blue color.

A destructive luster, seemingly capable of piercing through the essence of all things and reaching the depths of the soul, was being nurtured at the core of the electric light.

At the same time, his perception of thunder also underwent a dramatic change.

A glimpse of insight.
The difference between this and having a basic grasp of the true meaning of thunder is enormous.

Now, Fang Qingyu can not only rely on his own blood and qi to activate the Bone-Corroding Thunder.

It has also begun to possess the ability to attract, sense, and even slightly manipulate free charges in the external environment.

This undoubtedly greatly expands the dimensions and endurance of the battle.

The upgrade process was like a thunderous baptism of the soul, violent and profound.

Fang Qingyu kept his eyes closed, and no electric light leaked from his body, but beneath his skin, tiny purple electric patterns flashed by like living things.

The breathing became long and had a peculiar rhythm.

After an unknown amount of time, the thunderous storm in his sea of ​​consciousness gradually subsided.

That tiny bolt of lightning had grown several times larger, its form more solid, and the core of its purplish-blue light was stable and profound.

The text on the diagram also changed accordingly.

【True Meaning of Thunder Lv.2 (0/2000)】

Fang Qingyu slowly opened his eyes. Deep within his molten gold vertical pupils, a faint glimmer of violet light flashed by, so fast that it seemed like an illusion.

It can be sensed that the power of the Bone-Corroding Thunder has increased by at least 30%.

Outside the window, the artificial aurora borealis in the Crystal City continues to flow and change, while time has quietly passed.

The next morning.

The suite door was knocked softly, with a barely perceptible urgency in the rhythm.

Fang Qingyu had just finished his morning exercise and walked to the door upon hearing the sound.

Upon opening the door, Director Chen Ming was standing outside.

He still wore a professional smile, but a fine layer of sweat beaded on his forehead, and his eyes held a hint of anxiety and urgency.

Upon seeing Fang Qingyu, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, yet also became even more nervous, quickly wiping non-existent sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

"Captain Fang! Are you free right now? There's an urgent mission!"

Chen Ming's voice was very low, and he spoke much faster than yesterday.

Fang Qingyu's gaze sharpened slightly, and he stepped aside, saying, "Come in and let's talk."

Chen Ming quickly slipped inside.

At this moment, the doors to the other rooms opened one after another, and Wei Banmeng, Lu Jiuyuan, and Chu Kuanglan all came out, clearly having heard the commotion.

Jiang Wei also appeared quietly beside Fang Qingyu.

The four of them, all bearing the aura of having just finished training, looked at Chen Ming.

Chen Ming was visibly relieved to see that all five of them were there, but the seriousness on his face did not lessen at all.

He quickly took out four identical file folders from his briefcase and handed them to the five people.

"Captain Fang, everyone, we have a mission!"

Chen Ming's voice carried a deliberate seriousness and tension, "This mission is special and of great importance, so I urge everyone to keep it strictly confidential! Before the mission is completed, you must not reveal a single detail to anyone, including other personnel in the City Lord's Mansion!"

He emphasized the last sentence, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with a plea and a warning.

Fang Qingyu and the others tensed up.

He nodded, took the file folder, and quickly opened it.

The file folder contained very little information.

The homepage features a clear photo and a name.

The photo shows a middle-aged man around fifty years old, with a resolute face and an aura of someone who has been through many battles.

It's marked next to it.

Target: Jiang Chengyue
Identity: A member of a collateral branch of the Jiang clan, former commander of the Third Battalion of the Liuliguang City Garrison (who has defected).
Strength: Martial Arts Grandmaster (Peak of the Second Tier), proficient in the "Sky-Splitting Blade Technique", with swift and fierce swordsmanship, and has made seventeen meritorious contributions in battle.

Crimes: Betrayal of humanity, collusion with the forces of the Deadly Ghosts, leaking city defense secrets, causing significant losses to the front lines, and suspected of murdering comrades.

Current status: Confirmed to be lurking within the City of Glazed Light, exact location unknown, extremely dangerous.

Mission objective: Locate, capture, or eliminate the traitor Jiang Chengyue.

Fang Qingyu frowned instantly as he looked at the photo and name in the file.

He looked up at Chen Ming, his tone icy with disbelief: "Jiang Chengyue? The Jiang family? Which Jiang family?"

The smile on Chen Ming's face had long since vanished, leaving only bitterness and heaviness.

Meeting Fang Qingyu's sharp gaze, he nodded with difficulty: "Captain Fang is the Jiang family you're thinking of. The Jiang family of Liuli Guangcheng."

"what?!"

Chu Kuanglan exclaimed in shock, his eyes widening, his hand holding the file trembling slightly. "A traitor to the Jiang family? Arresting our own family members? How did this mission fall to us?!"

Wei Banmeng and Lu Jiuyuan's expressions also changed slightly, and their eyes were filled with scrutiny and incomprehension as they looked at Chen Ming.

Fang Qingyu's doubts instantly intensified. He stared at Chen Ming and uttered only four words, each carrying immense weight: "This kind of mission?"

The implication couldn't be clearer.

First, the target is a traitor within the Jiang family itself. As the saying goes, family scandals should not be aired in public. Normally, such a task of cleaning up one's own house would never be entrusted to outsiders, especially a group of newcomers who have just arrived in the city.

Secondly, the target is a martial arts master at the peak of the second tier, with rich experience and formidable combat power.

Although Fang Qingyu's team has great potential, Fang Qingyu, the strongest member on the surface, is only at the initial stage of the second tier. Sending an initial stage team to capture or eliminate a peak grandmaster? That's practically suicide!

Even if Fang Qingyu has the strength to fight beyond his level, this arrangement is still extremely unreasonable.

Third, as the controller of Liuli Guangcheng, the Jiang family has a profound foundation. Apart from the unfathomable city lord Jiang Ying, do they not have any other third-tier experts or forces specifically responsible for internal cleanup?

Sending someone else would be better than sending these "newcomers".

Chen Ming felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead again as Fang Qingyu's four icy words and sharp gaze stung him.

With a wry smile, his voice tinged with deep helplessness and a hint of barely perceptible fear, he said, "Captain Fang, everyone, I know this mission is highly illogical! But, there's really no other way!"

He took a deep breath and explained, "The pressure on the front lines has been unprecedented recently! The army of ghosts under the command of the Drought Demon has launched a fierce offensive that has lasted for months and is far larger than in previous years."

"All the third-tier experts in our Glazed Light City who are capable of fighting, including the City Lord, are currently at the forefront and cannot leave even for a moment."

"If we lose it, the entire defense line of Liuli Light City is in danger of collapsing! Apart from the Ancestor, there are really no other Tier 3 combatants available in the city right now." "Ancestor?" Wei Banmeng keenly caught the word, her clear and cold eyes suddenly lit up, and she blurted out: "Is it that, the 'Pillar of the Sea' Senior Jiang Taixuan?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming's eyes lit up, as if he had found a kindred spirit, and he nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes! It's the Grand Ancestor Tai Xuan! Miss Wei knows the Grand Ancestor?"

Wei Banmeng nodded solemnly, looked at Fang Qingyu, and introduced him clearly: "Senior Jiang Taixuan is a true legendary hero of the Federation!"

"Fifty years ago, when the Arctic Great Wall defense line was not yet fully secured, Liuliguang City was hit by an unprecedented wave of ghostly attacks. At that time, the defense line was in grave danger, and the city's defenders were almost wiped out."

"It was Senior Jiang Taixuan, with his Martial Saint status, who burned his own life force and single-handedly defended the 'Ice Prism Fortress' which was about to be breached for seven days and seven nights! He held out until the Federation reinforcements arrived, thus protecting Liuli Light City and a large area behind it!"

"After that battle, the senior's essence was severely damaged, and his realm dropped. Although he managed to stabilize it later, it was difficult for him to return to his peak, and his lifespan was greatly reduced."

"Now over 150 years old, he is the most respected pillar of strength in Liuli Light City and even the entire Arctic front. His existence is one of the core elements of Liuli Light City's defense system, so we really cannot act rashly against him."

Wei Banmeng had obviously learned some information about the Jiang family after deciding to come to Liuli Guangcheng, so she spoke in great detail.

As Fang Qingyu listened to Wei Banmeng's account, his doubts lessened somewhat.

He had also heard of Jiang Taixuan's deeds; he was indeed an admirable old hero.

It is indeed not advisable to act rashly against a Martial Saint who is 150 years old and whose essence has been damaged.

With the front lines under pressure, it seems reasonable that all three tiers of troops are deployed at the forefront.

“Alright.” Fang Qingyu nodded slowly, the coldness in his molten gold vertical pupils softening slightly. “We’ll take this mission.”

Chen Ming felt as if he had been granted a pardon. The bitterness on his face was instantly replaced by immense joy. He bowed repeatedly and said, "That's wonderful! Thank you so much, Captain Fang and everyone else. You are truly understanding! On behalf of the Jiang family and on behalf of Liuli Guangcheng, I thank you all for your help!"

"I will immediately send you detailed information about the target, several known suspicious locations, his fighting style, and combat habits analysis. Please contact me immediately if you require any support! I am on standby 24 hours a day!"

After saying that, he picked up his phone and sent the encrypted message to Fang Qingyu and the other three.

With the mission confirmed, Chen Ming did not linger.

After expressing his gratitude once again, he left in a hurry, as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

Fang Qingyu and the others immediately turned on their phones to receive and carefully read the detailed information sent by Chen Ming.

The information is very detailed, including Jiang Chengyue's biography, network of relationships, personality analysis, characteristics of each move of his signature "Sky-Splitting Blade Technique", strategies for cracking it, and even the disguises he might use and maps of several areas where he is most likely to hide.

"This guy is a tough nut to crack."

Chu Kuanglan looked at the description of Jiang Chengyue's past battle record and swordsmanship in the information, and clicked his tongue, "His sword is ridiculously fast, his strength is also fierce, and he is particularly good at using the environment to fight guerrilla warfare, which is troublesome."

"The information is very comprehensive. It seems that the Jiang family also hates him to the bone and has put a lot of effort into the investigation."

Wei Banmeng calmly analyzed, "The suspicious areas Chen Ming gave us—the abandoned 'Cold Iron' workshop area in the south of the city, the 'Old Ice House' low-rent apartment complex near the inner harbor, and the 'Grey Rat' underground black market in the west of the city—are all places with complex terrain, high population mobility, and easy hiding places."

Lu Jiuyuan, holding his knife, said with sharp eyes, "The scope is too large. Checking them one by one would be time-consuming and laborious, and would easily alert the enemy."

Fang Qingyu turned off his phone and stood up: "Just looking at the information is useless."

“Let’s go, let’s check out these places first and see what’s going on. We’re new faces in Liuli Guang City, which is both a disadvantage and an advantage. He knows everyone in the Jiang family, but he may not know us.”

"Okay!" Chu Kuanglan immediately perked up. "So, how do we get there? By taxi?"

Fang Qingyu shook his head, his gaze fixed on the dazzling city outside the window: "No rush. We're new here, let's explore the city first. Getting familiar with the surroundings is part of the mission. Let's go."

The five people left the observatory suite and slowly descended in the transparent glass elevator.

As the elevator doors opened, a vibrant and bustling atmosphere, completely different from the tranquil luxury of the upper floors, rushed out.

The group officially stepped onto the main street of Liuli Guangcheng.

The sight before them once again shocked the first-time visitors.

The streets are wide, and the ground is paved with a kind of warm, luminous stone that emits a soft, milky-white halo, clearly guiding the way even under the "Eternal Day Aurora Dome".

The buildings on both sides are mostly constructed of translucent ice-blue crystals, with different shapes. Some are as sharp as ice crystal clusters, while others are as smooth and elegant as flowing water.

The huge screen displayed frontline battle reports, recruitment propaganda, and advertisements for Aurora Crystal.

And the crowds on the street
Ordinary people were almost nowhere to be seen; the pedestrians who came and went walked briskly, their breathing steady, and their eyes gleaming.

Martial arts apprentices are everywhere, martial artists are commonplace, and even second-tier martial arts masters are not uncommon.

As Yan Shouzhen said, here, a second-tier grandmaster is really nothing special.

Chu Kuanglan, like a curious child, looked around and exclaimed in amazement: "My goodness, anyone you randomly pick off the street would be a master in a small city."

"No wonder the task of catching a traitor fell to us. I guess the experts in the city are either fighting on the front lines, recuperating from injuries, or they just look down on this kind of 'dirty work'?"

Wei Banmeng whispered, "It's also possible that there are some forces within the Jiang family that are inconvenient to use, or that they can't be trusted."

Fang Qingyu observed in silence.

As they walked further into the suspicious area marked by Chen Ming, the architectural style became more rugged, the purity of the crystals seemed to decrease, and more metal structures were mixed in. The streets also became slightly narrower and more chaotic.

In addition to the energy of the crystals, there was also a hint of engine oil, sweat, and a faint smell of blood in the air.

It was coming from shops with signs that read "Loot Acquisition," "Weapon Repair," and "Quick Healing."

They first arrived at the first suspicious area marked on the map.

The "Old Ice House" low-rent apartment complex near the Inner Harbour.

The buildings here are densely packed, like a honeycomb, constructed from thick special concrete and recycled metal sheets, covered with a cold-resistant coating, giving them a somewhat dilapidated and oppressive appearance.

The narrow alleyways were like a maze, dimly lit, with only the emergency light sources embedded in the walls emitting a pale glow.

All sorts of people come and go here: weary mercenaries, wary lone travelers, and homeless people huddled in the shadows of corners.

The five-person mercenary squad, disguised as passing by, navigated the intricate alleyways. Fang Qingyu's powerful perception and Wei Banmeng's meticulous observation skills were fully activated as they kept an eye out for any figure that might resemble Jiang Chengyue in the photograph and sensed any suspicious fluctuations in aura.

However, an entire morning passed without any results. The goal seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Around noon, the five of them found a small restaurant called "Veterans' Home" that looked fairly clean and had lunch there.

The restaurant was quite crowded, mostly with weary mercenaries, loudly discussing their hunting haul and what they had seen at the front.

Chu Kuanglan gnawed on a bland but high-calorie synthetic meat patty, complaining in a low voice, "Fang Shen, this search isn't going to work! It's like looking for a needle in a haystack! Even their own people don't know exactly where that guy is hiding. How long will it take us, a bunch of new faces, to find him with just our legs and eyes? It's too inefficient!"

Fang Qingyu slowly chewed his food, his gaze calmly watching the hurried flow of people in the alley outside the window. He said thoughtfully, "Do you think it's possible that this mission itself was deliberately designed to send us here to 'find a needle in a haystack'?"

Wei Banmeng and the other two were all taken aback upon hearing this.

Jiang Wei also raised her head, her clear red eyes looking at Fang Qingyu.

"Deliberately?" Wei Banmeng frowned.

"You mean, Chen Ming, or rather, the person behind him, is deliberately using a seemingly important but actually impossible task to stall us and waste our time? But why? The Jiang family has always had a good reputation; we have no grudge against them, and we're here to provide support."

Fang Qingyu put down his cutlery: "Reputation is reputation, and reality is reality."

"From the moment we entered the city and were taken directly to the observatory, I had a feeling that something was wrong."

Chu Kuanglan was a little confused and scratched his head: "Then, Fang Shen, what do you think we should do now? We've already accepted the mission and searched for the person for a long time. We can't just give up, can we? Or should we go and confront that Fatty Chen?"

Fang Qingyu's gaze passed over the noisy restaurants and the low, densely packed "old ice house" apartment complex, and landed on the towering City Lord's Mansion building in the city center, which shone brightly under the aurora.

His gaze became deep and calm.

After a few seconds of silence, Fang Qingyu slowly uttered a single word:

"Wait."

Three o'clock in the morning.

The "Eternal Day Aurora Dome" in the core area of ​​the Crystal City still flows with dreamlike brilliance, but most areas of the city have fallen into a slumbering tranquility.

The streets were sparsely populated, with only patrol vehicles occasionally passing by.

The City Lord's Mansion is like a sleeping behemoth, constructed entirely of the purest glass crystals, radiating a majestic and mysterious aura under the aurora.

The massive main gate was tightly shut.

Only the guard posts on both sides were dimly lit, and the figures of the guards appeared blurry in the halo of light.

About 100 meters away from the main gate of the city lord's mansion, in the deep shadow cast by a tall crystal sculpture, which was deliberately ignored by the flowing aurora.

The thick, ink-like darkness silently enveloped Fang Qingyu and his group of five.

The Eternal Night Realm perfectly blended them into this artificial night, isolating them from all scents, body temperature, and energy fluctuations, making them appear like five non-existent ghosts.

"coming."

Fang Qingyu's deep voice rang out in the absolute darkness.

Almost as soon as he finished speaking.

On the side of the City Lord's Mansion, an extremely hidden alloy door, almost integrated with the wall, slid open silently.

There were no lights, only the low, almost silent hum of the engine.

Three all-black, sharply styled, unmarked, extended SUVs, like three sharks blending into the night, silently drove out.

They didn't turn on their headlights, relying only on faint outline lights to sketch blurry shapes on the crystal road surface, and the tires made a wet, subtle sound as they rolled over the smooth surface.

After exiting the hidden door, the car did not stop or head towards any main road. Instead, it skillfully turned into a narrow side road leading to the edge of the city, quickly accelerated, and disappeared into the deeper darkness.

"This is the seventh wave."

Wei Banmeng's cool voice whispered in the darkness, carrying a hint of solemnity.

"Damn it, something's fishy going on, there's definitely something fishy going on!"

Chu Kuanglan cursed in a deep, muffled voice, his fists clenching so tightly in the darkness, "During the day we're left searching high and low for traitors, and at night they're sneaking around causing trouble? What kind of scheme is the Jiang family up to!"

Lu Jiuyuan, holding his knife, stared intently at the taillights of the three cars disappearing around the corner, uttering only one word: "Follow!"

Fang Qingyu's molten gold vertical pupils gleamed with a calm light in the darkness.

"Walk."

The Eternal Night Realm enveloped the five people, like flowing ink, instantly peeling away from the shadows of the sculpture.

Hugging the edge of the building, at a speed far exceeding that of ordinary people.

They silently pursued the three black SUVs.

(End of this chapter)