Chapter 381: Chapter 374: Taking the Initiative

"Fine, fine. If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. I just thought we might make some friends on this trip, but I guess not..."

Lin Feng’Er said, shaking her head.

"I don’t think you’re looking to make friends, I think you’re looking for a boyfriend. A little vacation romance, how sweet. Looks like that’s not going to happen this time, though. Unless... you want to consider me?"

Deng Jun said with a playful grin.

"Oh, stop it, you. Don’t be ridiculous."

Lin Feng’Er shot Deng Jun a look and waved a dismissive hand.

Deng Jun seemed used to it, the playful grin never leaving his face. Only Tan Ying noticed the flicker of loneliness deep in his eyes.

Often, the truest words are hidden in the most careless jokes.

’I can’t tell if Lin Feng’Er is really that dense, or if she’s just pretending not to notice.’

"Oh, by the way, when we got on, I saw some other students a few bunks down. Should we go say hi? Otherwise, just drawing and watching the scenery pass by every day is going to get old."

Lin Feng’Er suggested to Tan Ying.

"No thanks, I’m not really interested. Why don’t you and Deng Jun go for a walk?"

Tan Ying replied with a smile.

"With him? Ugh, I’d rather go by myself."

Lin Feng’Er pouted, stood up, and started walking toward the other end of the carriage.

"Hey, wait up! It’ll be boring by yourself. Let’s go together."

Deng Jun followed after her, that same grin plastered on his face.

Watching their figures fade into the distance, Tan Ying turned her head, her gaze landing on the ordinary university student named Zhou Hong.

She wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light, but for a split second, she felt a faint glow radiating from him.

But the sensation vanished in an instant, leaving her to wonder if she had imagined it.

She sat at the small table, resting her chin on her right hand, and stared blankly in Zhou Hong’s direction, lost in thought.

Zhou Hong was, of course, Zhou Yuanjue, who had altered his appearance and was now traveling north alone to conceal his movements.

The journey was long, but he paid little mind to the passing scenery. From the moment he’d boarded the train, he had kept his eyes closed in meditation. He focused his Spirit inward, using his Initial Star Cells as a focal point to begin remodeling the other cells in his body. He was seizing every second to increase his strength.

He was aware of Tan Ying’s stare, but paid it no mind.

GRUMBLE GRUMBLE!

Just then, Zhou Yuanjue felt a pang of hunger. The constant cellular remodeling was an incredibly draining process.

He stopped his Cultivation and slowly opened his eyes, his gaze instantly meeting Tan Ying’s.

Tan Ying was taken aback for a moment, then offered him a polite smile.

Zhou Yuanjue nodded in acknowledgment, then opened the backpack beside him. He took out what looked like a chocolate-covered pellet, tossed it into his mouth, and began to chew.

It was an energy supplement tailor-made by Zhong Hongyu for his specific physical condition. It was nearly ten times more effective at replenishing Energy than the previous biscuit-like nutrient rations, and it did much to alleviate his physical demands.

After finishing the Energy pellet, he gazed out the window at the Gobi landscape. According to the schedule, the next stop should be a small mining town, where the train would make a brief stop.

’The journey is almost halfway done. So far, so good. It seems traveling alone to cover my tracks really did throw some people off the scent.’

’But as long as I haven’t reached my destination, anything can still happen.’

...

...

Abato Town. It had once prospered thanks to its rich mineral resources, but over time, those finite resources had been nearly depleted, and the town had fallen into decline.

Now, countless "dead" mineral veins lay exposed in the surrounding Gobi, a crisscrossing, undulating network that exuded a sense of deathly stillness.

At this moment, high atop a mining mountain, two figures stood looking down upon the entire town.

One of them had the typical Caucasian features of the Ori Region. It was Yuan Luàn, the one who had once caused chaos in Tai Lan Country.

The other figure possessed the distinct features of the Slavic Species: a tall, athletic build, fair skin, handsome features, deep-set eyes, azure pupils, and a messy mop of slightly curled blond hair. He looked like a living Sun God.

One of the Seven Mo Luo, the "Divine Wrath," Baiguang.

"I can’t believe he actually snuck off to go north all by himself. If it weren’t for the King’s intel, he might have actually slipped through our fingers this time."

"That train should be pulling into the station soon, shouldn’t it? He’s definitely in a full disguise, though. Finding him in a crowd that large won’t be easy."

Baiguang said, a pleasant smile on his face.

"Then we’ll just kill all the insignificant ants. The lion will have no choice but to show itself."

Yuan Luàn stated flatly.

"I was thinking the same thing. It’s rather annoying to find myself in agreement with someone like you, though."

Baiguang replied with a chuckle.

"Cut the crap. If you want a fight, I’ll be happy to oblige after the mission is over. But if you screw up the King’s plan, neither of us will be able to bear the consequences."

Yuan Luàn said.

"That’s true. I’ll stop wasting my breath, then. You take the area east of the station. If chaos breaks out, he’ll definitely try to escape with the crowd. With one of us on each side, it’s foolproof."

"Well then, I’ll be on my way."

Baiguang’s form flickered and shot away like a bolt of lightning, heading for the other side of the town. Yuan Luàn remained on the summit, watching him go with narrowed eyes. Then, with a flicker of his own, he too departed for his assigned area.

...

...

"Dear passengers, we are now arriving at Abato Town. Will all passengers disembarking at this station please prepare in advance..."

The electronic arrival announcement echoed through the carriage. The moment the train neared Abato Town, Zhou Yuanjue felt a slight throb from the Initial Star Cells within his body.

’No, it’s not the cells themselves vibrating,’ he thought. ’It’s more like a slight tremor in some kind of magnetic field structure within the Star Cells.’

’The source of this magnetic field structure is... The Rebellion Cells.’

’So, they came after all. The station is up ahead, which means there’s bound to be an ambush waiting.’ 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

’These guys really are resourceful. Not even the Chief Commissioner knew my exact travel plans. How did they pinpoint my location?’

’Some kind of special Magnetic Field Ability? The predictive or tracking type?’

’Judging by the cellular vibrations, it’s highly likely Yuan Luàn is here to deal with me. But if they’re serious about killing me, Yuan Luàn’s Power alone isn’t a guarantee. He must have backup.’

’Another member of the Seven Mo Luo?’

’The fight can’t happen inside the town. A battle of this magnitude... forget the train, the entire town would likely be annihilated, with countless casualties.’

Zhou Yuanjue’s eyes narrowed as he shot up from his bunk.

The sudden movement startled Tan Ying.

"What’s wrong?"

Tan Ying asked, looking with confusion at the "ordinary" university student’s bizarre behavior.

Zhou Yuanjue ignored her. He aimed a light palm strike at the train window.

A massive amount of air was instantly compressed and then blasted outward with terrifying Power.

BOOM!!!

Before Tan Ying’s shocked eyes, the compressed blast of air punched through the entire window, steel frame and all. It left a massive, gaping hole, the train’s sturdy steel shell bent gruesomely outward.

CLACK!!

Lin Feng’Er and Deng Jun had just returned from their walk, only to witness this unbelievable scene. Her eyes glazed over, her hand twitched, and her phone crashed heavily to the floor.

SWISH!!

Zhou Yuanjue’s figure blurred. He leaped out through the terrifying, blasted-out hole, completely ignoring the immense inertial forces of the speeding train.