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Chapter 293 Surprise! Unexpected, right?! ~ (Please vote with monthly tickets! ~)

The biting wind whipped up the floating snow on the harbor floor, swirling it towards the crowds waiting to board the ship.

The colossal steel behemoth, the Ark of Hope.

Like a prehistoric whale lying in the outer harbor of the City of Glazed Light, the massive hull covered a large area of ​​the sea, and the thick anchor chain was deeply embedded in the depths of the icy sea.

The deck was brightly lit, illuminating the dense crowd of people below, who moved like ants as they boarded the ship.

Fang Qingyu's team of five, along with Lin Yu and thirty-seven other members of Dawn, formed a sizable group. Carrying their luggage, they quietly lined up in the bustling crowd.

Although the number of people is quite large.

But in front of a super cruise ship that can hold tens of thousands of people, their small group was insignificant and was quickly swept forward by the surging crowd.

Chu Kuanglan, carrying a huge tactical backpack, gazed at the majestic outline of the Glazed City gradually receding into the distance, and the distant phantom of the Great Wall of Steel stretching across the sky and earth. A rare trace of emotion appeared on his rugged face: "Tsk, I didn't expect that we would have to leave after only a few days in the Arctic. Damn it... I'm a little reluctant to leave."

His words came out of nowhere.

With a touch of rough-and-tumble straightforwardness, it didn't seem pretentious in this atmosphere of parting.

Lu Jiuyuan, who was checking his phone signal, didn't even look up when he heard this. He replied calmly, "Are you reluctant to part with Sister Wang from the Veterans' Tavern, or with Xiaohua from the Maid Cafe?"

"Shh!"

Almost the instant Lu Jiuyuan finished speaking.

Fang Qingyu, Wei Banmeng, Jiang Wei, and even Lin Yu and Zhang Meng, who were listening intently, all focused their attention on Chu Kuanglan.

Sister Wang, the still-charming and warm-hearted waitress at the Veteran's Tavern.

They had gone out for drinks a few times with their group, so they naturally knew each other.

But who is this little flower?

Chu Kuanglan blushed as he was suddenly focused on by the gaze.

His first instinct was to wave his hand and protest, "Hey, hey, hey! Lao Lu, don't talk nonsense! Wang Jie and I are completely innocent, we were just having a drink and chatting! I swear to God!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Qingyu and the others, and even Lin Yu and the others, all showed expressions of understanding.

Then, with perfect understanding, they drew out the sound, uttering a meaningful note:

"Oh!~"

The synchronized "oh" sounds are incredibly powerful.

Fang Qingyu's lips curled into a playful smile as she looked at him: "So, you and that young lady weren't exactly innocent, were you?"

To everyone's surprise, Chu Kuanglan did not offer any further explanation this time.

Instead, he puffed out his chest nonchalantly, revealing a frank smile that suggested he'd been caught, even tinged with smugness: "Hey! My luck with women is on the rise, I can't resist!"

Wei Banmeng and Lu Jiuyuan exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes.

They knew Chu Kuanglan too well; this guy usually talked nonsense and had no scruples.

But as far as Lu Jiuyuan knew, this guy's romantic history was as clean as a blank sheet of paper, and his so-called first love was still just a fantasy.

Judging from his appearance this time, it seems like he's really serious?

Fang Qingyu was also somewhat surprised. He put away his teasing smile and asked seriously, "And who is this young lady?"

Seeing Fang Qingyu's serious expression, Chu Kuanglan also put away his playful smile and grinned, his smile carrying an unusual gentleness: "She is a native of this Arctic region."

"His talent for martial arts isn't top-notch. He's a year older than me and is a martial artist now. But he's a really good person, very genuine. When he smiles, his eyes crinkle like crescent moons."

Fang Qingyu and the others listened and nodded slightly.

Although Chu Kuanglan has a rough appearance and sometimes speaks incoherently, he actually has a very accurate eye for people.

The way he described it suggests that the girl must be the apple of his eye.

Thinking that he was about to leave, and that Chu Kuanglan seemed to have just met the person he liked.

Fang Qingyu's heart skipped a beat. He looked at him and asked in a questioning tone, "Old Chu, why don't you stay?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Kuanglan shook his head vigorously without even thinking, "No, no! Absolutely no!"

His face immediately broke into that slightly silly yet incredibly sincere smile, and his voice was loud and clear, filled with determination: "She said that a man should go out and conquer the world! She told me to go out and make my way in the world without worry, and that she would wait for me to come back here."

Seeing the glint in Chu Kuanglan's eyes, Fang Qingyu understood and didn't try to persuade him further.

He simply reached out and patted Chu Kuanglan's broad shoulder firmly, saying in a deep voice, "Don't worry, we'll be back soon."

The city of injustice is not the end.

With the flow of people, the queue finally moved to the boarding gate.

The badges and identity verification of the Abyss Hunter remain the most efficient means of entry.

Fang Qingyu's team of five, thanks to their status, were once again assigned to the luxury suites on the top floor of the cruise ship.

Lin Yu and the other 37 members of Dawn could only stay in the standard cabins in the middle-level area, according to the standards for ordinary passengers.

Despite the vastly different conditions, no one complained.

It was already quite an achievement that we were able to board this giant ship together and head to our destination under such rushed circumstances.

The massive Ark of Hope sounded its long whistle and slowly sailed away from the port of Crystal City.

The ice was broken by the bow of the ship, producing a dull cracking sound.

The propeller at the stern churned the deep blue seawater, creating white waves.

After putting away their luggage, Fang Qingyu and his group of five returned to the spacious observation deck at the bow of the ship.

The cold wind was biting, blowing against their hair and clothes.

Behind them was the gradually shrinking outline of the port and the colossal steel city that symbolized humanity's frontline fortress.

"We've only just gotten a foothold, and now we have to leave again."

Chu Kuanglan leaned against the cold railing, gazing at the distant horizon, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible melancholy.

On the Arctic front, they experienced the glory of being awarded medals, the lively atmosphere of veterans' taverns, the bloody battle and revenge in the Skullcrushing Ice Valley, and even more so, that sordid deal that shattered their understanding of reality.
Although the time was short, the memories left behind are truly unforgettable.

After listening, the group silently stared at the rolling waves, lost in thought.

Jiang Wei stood quietly beside Fang Qingyu.

Her crimson hair fluttered in the wind, and her clear red eyes reflected the boundless icy sea.

Fang Qingyu had his hands in the pockets of his combat uniform, feeling the vibrations of the giant ship cutting through the waves beneath his feet.

at this time
"buzz"

My phone vibrated clearly in my pocket.

Fang Qingyu frowned slightly. Who would be looking for him at this time?
I took out my phone, the screen lit up, and the caller ID showed the contact name.

[Old Qin]

An old comrade-in-arms from Qingjian City, and one of the initial guides on Fang Qingyu's path to martial arts.

Since the earth-shattering incident during the Ghost Festival, Fang Qingyu has come to the Arctic, but his contact with Lao Qin, Haozi and the others has not been interrupted.

We occasionally chat on our phones to catch up and let each other know we're safe.

To Fang Qingyu's great relief, after experiencing the life-and-death ordeal of the Ghost Festival incident, these people seemed to have all had an epiphany, and their strength improved rapidly.

Old Qin and Haozi were only one step away from becoming Transcendent Realm martial artists.

Old Qiao and Lü Chen also steadily entered the Microscopic Realm.

In the Qingjian City Shenguan Bureau, it has become a mainstay.

Another piece of good news is that Fang Qingyu has an important mentor in martial arts.

Team Leader Lin also successfully broke through the bottleneck and was promoted to Martial Arts Grandmaster, becoming the second resident Grandmaster in Qingjian City.

When Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei learned the news.

They all sent their heartfelt congratulations immediately.

At this moment, Lao Qin suddenly called?

Fang Qingyu answered the call with a puzzled expression.

"Hello? Old Qin?"

"Hey! Aoko!"

Qin Hui's familiar loud voice came from the other end of the communicator, with some background noise: "Where are you now?"

Fang Qingyu glanced at the surging waves of the icy sea around him and casually replied, "On the ship."

"On the ship?"

Qin Hui's voice rose a notch, filled with unbelievable surprise, "Holy crap! What a coincidence?! We're on the ship too!"

"Huh?" Fang Qingyu was taken aback, not reacting for a moment. "What ship?"

"That's the one! The Hope Ark! The one that sailed out from the City of Glazed Light!"

Qin Hui's voice became excited.

Fang Qingyu's hand holding the communicator paused slightly, and his pupils instantly contracted.

A feeling of utter absurdity welled up inside me.

He turned around abruptly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd on the deck behind him.

Just as he turned around
"Hahaha! How about that, Aoko! Surprised? Unexpected?!"

A young voice, full of teasing and laughter, rang out a few steps behind Fang Qingyu!
Fang Qingyu looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Chu Kuanglan and the other two had strange smiles on their faces, while Jiang Wei's clear red eyes also showed a hint of understanding.

And behind them.

Four figures were striding towards them from the direction of the deck stairs.

Their faces were beaming with bright smiles, a testament to their long-awaited reunion.

The middle-aged man at the head of the group was burly and had a resolute face; he was none other than Old Qin.

Next to him was Old Joe, who was about the same age.

A little later, there was Lü Chen, a man in his thirties with sharp eyes.

The one who just laughed was Qi Hao, who was about the same age as Fang Qingyu.

All four were dressed in combat uniforms that allowed for easy movement, looking travel-worn, but their eyes were bright and alert.

Fang Qingyu looked at the four incredibly familiar faces that were now on this giant ship heading towards the land of chaos.

Even with his composure.

His lips twitched uncontrollably a few times.

"You guys..." Fang Qingyu took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress the overwhelming sense of absurdity, and finally managed to utter a sentence filled with deep helplessness and a hint of amusement, "This is just too much of a surprise."

After a brief moment of surprise and the commotion of the reunion.

Fang Qingyu led Qin Hui and the other three to a relatively quiet corner at the bow of the ship.

Avoid the howling sea wind.

Wei Banmeng and the others followed.

"Stop, stop! Let's not reminisce yet!"

Fang Qingyu raised his hand to stop Qi Hao from trying to pounce on him and put his arm around his shoulder again. His gaze swept over Qin Hui and the other three people in turn, and he said in a serious tone, "What are you doing on this ship?! Don't tell me you're here for tourism."

This is so weird.

Previously, I followed people I knew in Qingjian City, and almost all of them suddenly came to the Arctic.

And they just happened to be on the same boat?
Qin Hui felt a little uneasy under Fang Qingyu's gaze. He scratched his buzz cut, looking innocent and bewildered: "Qingzi, don't look at me like that, I really don't know!"

"That's right, Aoko!"

Qi Hao also dropped his playful grin and spread his hands, saying, "We're completely clueless too! Just a few days ago, someone from above suddenly contacted us, acting all mysterious, saying that you need manpower to help out here, and asking if we'd be willing to come over."

"As soon as we heard you needed help, we agreed immediately! We packed our things and rushed over! As for what we were here for or what specific help we needed, the higher-ups didn't say a word! Really!"

Old Qiao and Lü Chen nodded vigorously, indicating that the situation was true.

"The higher-ups? Which higher-ups?"

Fang Qingyu frowned. How could someone mobilize Qin Hui and other key figures in Qingjian City, and also know his exact whereabouts?
The answer is almost obvious.

It's Old Master Hong again.

Just how big a game is this old man playing?

It wasn't enough that they transferred their own squad to the City of Injustice; they also crammed their old crew from Qingjian City over.

Upon hearing Qin Hui mention "us," Fang Qingyu's alarm bells rang again, and he pressed, "Besides the four of you, are there any other people?"

He subconsciously thought of Lin Yu and the others from Dawn.

But Lin Yu and the others came on their own initiative, unlike Qin Hui and the others.

Before Qin Hui could answer, a clear, cool female voice, tinged with a hint of languor and arrogance, came from the shadow of a thick ventilation duct behind them:
"Have."

The sound is crisp and pleasant.

Fang Qingyu turned his head sharply in response to the sound.

A tall, graceful figure emerged from the shadows.

She wore a well-tailored dark blue combat trench coat that accentuated her perfect figure. Her long hair cascaded down her back, revealing her smooth forehead and a face as exquisite as if sculpted from ice and snow.

She was the eldest daughter of the Su family in Songdu City.

Su Wanqing, who fought alongside me.

With her hands in her trench coat pockets, she walked gracefully yet with a slightly aggressive gait to Fang Qingyu, her chin slightly raised, her beautiful eyes flashing with a mischievous smile as she glanced at him sideways.
"What? Captain Fang, are you surprised to see me here? Not welcome?"

Fang Qingyu looked at the young lady in front of him and felt his temples throbbing.

He rubbed his temples, a wry smile appearing on his face. "It's not that I don't welcome you. It's just..."

He simply couldn't understand what Hong Qitian was really up to.
Why bring Su Wanqing along too?
Su Wanqing seemed quite pleased with Fang Qingyu's troubled expression. She rolled her eyes in a very pretty way and snorted, "You should be grateful that I came. On this ship, and even in that godforsaken place, I'm the one among you who knows the City of Injustice the most."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Qingyu's eyes lit up immediately, his previous helplessness instantly replaced by intense interest. "Miss Su has been to the City of Injustice?"

“Of course.” Su Wanqing nodded, her tone carrying a matter-of-fact ease. “And I’ve been there many times.”

She paused, then explained to the curious gazes of the crowd, "The City of Injustice, or rather, the 'Mirage,' is not only a paradise for outlaws, but also the largest unofficial distribution center for marine-type life-ghost materials."

“Countless rare sea beast bones and life-death cores are traded there. Our Su family, along with many other aristocratic families and large merchant guilds, regularly send people there to acquire materials. As one of the family representatives, I have been there no less than dozens of times.”

It turned out to be the case.

Fang Qingyu suddenly realized.

Su Wanqing's identity and experience make her the best guide for the City of Injustice.

I still can't quite figure it out.

Why are there so many people?

However, there's a saying that goes something like this.

Come here
Fang Qingyu's lips slowly curled into a smile as he glanced at everyone: "Since you're all here, let's go. Let's find a quiet place and make some plans. What exactly should we do once we arrive in the City of Injustice?"

After saying that, Fang Qingyu turned around and walked towards the luxury suite inside the ship's cabin.

Shortly after Fang Qingyu and his group entered the cabin.

Next to the railing on the other side of the bow of the Hope Ark.

Two young men, who looked no different from ordinary passengers and were wearing casual jackets, were leaning against the railing, seemingly gazing casually at the surging icy sea in the distance.

The two men look about 50-60% alike and appear to be brothers.

The older brother appeared somewhat composed, while the younger brother had a mischievous look in his eyes.

They spoke in hushed tones, their voices carried away by the sea breeze, so that only they could hear each other.

"Brother, there are a lot of people here."

The younger brother tilted his head slightly, gesturing with his eyes towards the direction of the hatch where Fang Qingyu and the others had disappeared. He frowned slightly and said, "The intelligence we received before we came didn't mention that Fang Qingyu would be surrounded by such a large group of people. Are we still going to proceed as planned?"

The older brother, with his hands in his jacket pockets and his gaze still fixed on the sea, didn't even turn his head. His tone was flat and utterly emotionless: "So what if there are a lot of people? They're just a bunch of chickens and dogs."

"Our target has always been Fang Qingyu. As for the others? As long as they don't get in our way, we don't need to pay them any attention. The plan remains unchanged."

Upon hearing this, the younger brother's eyes flashed with excitement and eagerness. He licked his lips and said, "So, how far should we go? Should we give him a 'Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts' to scare him out of his wits? Make him have nightmares every time he sleeps?"

He was clearly quite confident in his abilities, even with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

The older brother finally turned around, looking at his younger brother as if he were a fool, his eyes filled with speechlessness and a hint of warning: "Are you tired of living, or do you think Hong Qitian's old knife is too weak to lift? Scared him silly? If you dare to cause him any irreversible mental damage, believe me, Hong Qitian can just come and chop you up to feed the fish, right? Our mission is just a small punishment, to make him suffer a little, understand? Know your limits! Be careful!"

The younger brother shrank back under his older brother's glare, and gave an embarrassed laugh: "Hehe, bro, I was just joking, just trying to lighten the mood. I know, I know, just scaring him a little, making him suffer for a few days will be enough."

"Shall we operate tonight? Same old routine: I'll infiltrate his dream first to create some atmosphere, then you can take control of the dreams of those around him, creating chaos and leaving him isolated and helpless?"

The older brother's expression softened slightly, and he nodded: "Okay. Wait until it's late at night, after they've fallen asleep, when their mental energy fields are at their weakest. You'll focus on Fang Qingyu's dreams, creating his most terrifying scenarios, constantly applying pressure and draining his mental strength. I'll be responsible for interfering with his core teammates, keeping them preoccupied and unable to support him either in reality or mentally. Remember, focus on mental pressure, making him feel hopeless and powerless; never actually damage his core consciousness! Understand?"

"Got it, got it!" the younger brother patted his chest confidently, a new excited smile returning to his face. "Just you wait and see, bro! I've come up with a few new tricks that will make him feel like he's in heaven in his dreams! Hehe, I really want to see just how awesome this legendary Captain Fang is, and how long he can hold out!"

The younger brother hadn't even finished uttering the word "jiu".
A long, strong hand unexpectedly landed on the younger brother's shoulder.

At the same time, her other hand silently rested on her brother's shoulder.

A calm voice, devoid of any emotion, rang in the brothers' ears.

"No need to wait until tonight."

"I'll send you into your dreams now."

"!!!"

The hairs on the brothers' bodies stood on end the moment the sound rang out.

They turned their heads abruptly.

What met their horrified eyes was Fang Qingyu's face, so close yet devoid of any expression.

And those eyes in the dim light.

Vertical pupils gleaming with a cold, molten gold luster.

When did he arrive?! How could they, as third-tier apostles, not have noticed at all?!

Your brother managed to squeeze out a broken syllable from his throat, trying to resist.

“Buzz——!!!”

The thick, inky darkness, like a giant cocoon expanding in an instant, erupted from beneath Fang Qingyu's feet without warning, instantly engulfing the two brothers and Fang Qingyu himself.

The noisy sea breeze on the deck, the ship's horn, and the distant chatter of passengers.
All sounds vanished without a trace in an instant.

Absolute silence and profound darkness enveloped everything.

Not a moment later.

Pfft!Pfft!
Two heavy splashes of water were exceptionally clear in the isolated silence of the Eternal Night.

Two figures traced parabolic arcs.

It crashed heavily into the frigid, churning Arctic sea below, filled with shards of ice.

Fang Qingyu stood on the ship's side, expressionless, watching the water below being quickly swallowed by the waves, leaving only two tiny ripples.

Clapped his hands gently.

Perfect solution.

From the moment he boarded the ship, put away his luggage, and stepped out of his suite onto the deck, his instinctive, vigilant, passive ability—which had saved him from countless brushes with death—kept sending him sharp warnings.

The source of the danger came from these two seemingly ordinary brothers.

He stood on the deck and reunited with Lao Qin and the others, even walking towards the cabin at the end. He seemed completely unguarded, but in reality, he had already locked onto the two of them.

When you hear the other person mention words like "entering a dream" or "punishment," and specifically refer to you, it's because they are referring to you.

Fang Qingyu's last lingering doubts vanished.

A third-tier apostle, with a clear objective, came with malice.

Who sent them?

The answer is self-evident.

Although the other party didn't seem to intend to kill him, but only wanted to give him a small punishment, Fang Qingyu was extremely unhappy about being remembered.

Fang Qingyu has always believed that the best defense is to take the initiative and nip the threat in the bud.

Therefore, Fang Qingyu told his teammates to go back to their rooms first.

He then used the Eternal Night Domain to sneak back silently like a top-tier shadow assassin, giving the two confident brothers an unforgettable surprise.

As for whether they could survive being thrown into the sea?

It all depends on their own fate.

Make sure no one around has noticed what happened in the blink of an eye.

With a thought, the darkness surrounding Fang Qingyu receded rapidly like a tide, merging back into the shadow beneath his feet.

The noisy sea breeze on the deck returned instantly.

Fang Qingyu straightened his collar, as if he had only come to the bow of the ship to enjoy the breeze, then turned around and walked steadily toward the cabin.

Back in the top-floor luxury suite, there is a spacious conference room.

Pushing open the door, Su Wanqing was already standing in front of a temporary whiteboard, holding a marker, explaining something to everyone in the room.

Everyone was there except for Lin Yu and her group.

"Therefore, the rules inside this mirage are extremely strange and complex, and it is not a monolithic entity. Different areas, influenced by its core rules, will form completely different forbidden zones."

Su Wanqing drew several large circles on the whiteboard with a pen and labeled them.

Chu Kuanglan was dumbfounded and couldn't help but interject, "Damn! This sounds like a gangster movie from the old era! Territory divisions and rules are all different? This is just like gangsters fighting over territory!"

Just then, Fang Qingyu pushed open the door and walked in.

Upon hearing Chu Kuanglan's words and seeing the sketch Su Wanqing had drawn on the whiteboard, Fang Qingyu also showed interest and casually asked, "What gangsters?"

Su Wanqing wasn't annoyed by the interruption. She pointed to an area on the whiteboard with the tip of her pen and continued her explanation: "That's right. In some ways, its operating logic is indeed similar to the underground worlds of the old era that relied on violence to maintain order, but it's more dangerous, and the rules are more bizarre and powerful. For example, here."

Her pen slammed down on one of the areas marked as the Abyss Corner.

"Anyone who enters this area is prohibited from using any form of qi or blood power, visualization techniques, or even martial arts."

"In other words, once a martial artist enters, they become an ordinary person. To gain a foothold here and compete for resources or territory, they can only rely on their physical strength and the most primitive form of hand-to-hand combat. Whoever is ruthless and tough enough will survive and seize territory. This is almost an absolute no-go zone for the followers of the gods."

Then Su Wanqing quickly introduced several areas with special rules.

Everyone listened with furrowed brows.

It's not that these rules are harmful to people.

It's just that it's more comprehensive in its targeting.

Simply being strong without any brains doesn't mean you can act like a tyrant in the City of Injustice.

Finally, she concluded, "To survive in the City of Injustice, we need to use their unique currency. And there are only two ways to get that currency: first, exchange it with Life Beads, Blood Crystals, or something similar; second, seize control of the territory and run it ourselves to make money."

There's almost no need to choose either of these methods.

Although Fang Qingyu and his group had plenty of resources, they couldn't possibly exchange those resources for money every day if they wanted to live there.

Therefore, there is only one choice.
Take over territory!
Fang Qingyu listened quietly.

My gaze swept over the names of the areas marked with dangerous rules on the whiteboard.

After Su Wanqing finished explaining.

Fang Qingyu's lips slowly curled up.

Arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe, staring at the whiteboard, he softly repeated Chu Kuanglan's earlier exclamation, his tone carrying a hint of eager excitement:

"Tsk, isn't this just like a gangster?"

　The title of the fourth-order cultist in Chapter 289, "Goddess of the Gods," has been changed.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)