159: Chapter 159 So alike, so incredibly alike!

"We went to Jiangcheng University first, but it was a bust. Then we rushed non-stop to the Southern District Special Training Base, only to be told he had already led a team out early in the morning. And now, we've finally tracked him to this godforsaken Adventurer Camp..."

Xia Qing sat down on a stone at the camp entrance, looking utterly dejected as he said:

"Do you think he took another mission and ran off somewhere else? If we miss him again, I'm going to run my legs off!"

Shen Ye stood beside him. Although the look in his lone eye was equally exhausted, his firm demeanor had not wavered in the slightest.

He straightened his black clothes and said in a deep voice:

"Even if he did, we have to keep looking. Don't forget why we came back."

"This concerns the safety of the entire Dragon Kingdom, and even the future of all humanity. That person is the key. Even if we have to chase him to the ends of the earth, we must find him."

Xia Qing sighed and stood up, resigning himself to his fate:

"Fine, fine, fine, your awareness is higher. Let's go, let's go in and take a look. Hopefully, our luck will be better this time."

The two were just about to step into the camp gate.

Suddenly.

A burst of crisp laughter came from ahead.

Shen Ye and Xia Qing looked up instinctively.

In the crowded throng, a group of four was walking toward them, seemingly having just finished their business and preparing to return to the accommodation area.

Leading them was a young man with a tall, straight figure and a handsome face, a faint smile hanging on the corners of his mouth.

Behind him followed three stunning beauties of different styles.

One of them, with a tall figure and a cold temperament, was their former teammate whom Xia Qing and Shen Ye knew all too well—Su Xiaoxiao.

And another had striking, fiery red wavy long hair. Although she looked young and naive, the contours of her brows and eyes...

Boom!

Shen Ye's pupils contracted violently, and his heart seemed to skip a beat.

Like! Too like!

That face was exactly the same as the statue on the altar Outside the Border!

That was the "creator" when she was young—Ye Fei!

There was no need to confirm anything else; the man surrounded by these three women like stars around the moon was definitely the person they had been searching for—Chen Xi!

"Holy crap?! Brother Ye!"

Xia Qing was so excited he almost jumped up. He pointed in that direction, his voice trembling:

"It's them! That's Xiao Xiao! And that red-haired one... We found them! We really found them! It took no effort at all!"

As he spoke, Xia Qing was overjoyed and started to stride forward to greet them:

"Xiao Xiao! Captain Chen! Wait..."

"Smack!"

A powerful hand, like an iron pincer, clamped down hard on Xia Qing's shoulder, dragging him back by force.

"Ugh!?"

Xia Qing was nearly choked and looked back at Shen Ye in confusion:

"Brother Ye, what are you doing? Didn't we run thousands of kilometers just to find them? Now that they're right in front of us, why are you..."

Shen Ye didn't speak. He just pulled Xia Qing and quickly flashed into the shadow of a tent.

His lone eye stared fixedly through the gap at Chen Xi's retreating back, his expression extremely complex.

There was scrutiny, vigilance, and a trace of imperceptible anticipation.

"Don't be rash."

Shen Ye lowered his voice, his tone chillingly calm:

"Don't go over there yet. Let's see what they're going to do."

"Why?"

Xia Qing was anxious:

"Can't we just go up and lay it all out, tell him the truth, and figure things out together?"

Shen Ye shook his head, a flash of deep worry in his eyes:

"Too naive."

"Xia Qing, you have to understand. The truth we hold is too earth-shattering."

"If you suddenly stop someone on the street and tell them 'You and the woman beside you will destroy the world in the future, and you are the parents of the fierce beasts,' what do you think he would think?"

"He would think we're crazy."

Shen Ye looked at Chen Xi's back and continued his analysis:

"Moreover, although Chen Xi is the key, what kind of person is he really? Is he righteous? Evil? Or the type of ambitious person who will do anything for power?"

"We know nothing about him."

"If he has bad intentions, or if he accelerates Ye Fei's awakening after learning the truth... then we would become sinners of the ages."

At this point, Shen Ye took a deep breath and made a decision:

"We don't have a complete solution for the fierce beasts right now, and rashly making contact will only alert the enemy."

"It's better to... observe from the shadows first."

"See this Chen Xi's style of doing things, see his attitude toward Ye Fei, and see if he is qualified... for us to open our hearts to him, and then think about how to break the deadlock together."

After hearing Shen Ye's words, although Xia Qing was still anxious, he felt it made sense.

After all, this was a matter concerning the end of the world; being cautious was never a mistake.

"Alright, I'll listen to you."

Xia Qing scratched his head:

"What do we do now? Be stalkers?"

Shen Ye looked at the direction where Chen Xi and the others had disappeared—the accommodation area—and said calmly:

"Find a place to stay near them first, then observe slowly."

...

The next morning.

The first rays of sunlight shone on the Adventurer Camp.

After a night of rest, the four members of the Nirvana Battle Team walked out of the tin house, full of energy.

Chen Xi checked his equipment, and after confirming everything was correct, he waved his hand:

"Let's go! Destination: Thunder Roar Valley!"

And in the crowd not far behind them, two figures wearing hoods to hide their faces quietly followed.

...

Thunder Roar Valley, as the name suggests, is a canyon shrouded in thunder clouds all year round, with air filled with violent electric ions.

The rocks here are scorched black, and the vegetation is sparse and twisted.

From time to time, thick bolts of lightning strike down from the clouds, hitting the canyon walls and making deafening roars.

For ordinary Professionals, this is a forbidden zone; one careless mistake could result in being struck by lightning and turned into charcoal.

But for the current Nirvana Battle Team, this is an excellent leveling sanctuary.

"Zzzzz—"

In mid-air, a group of giant butterflies with wingspans exceeding two meters and weird purple patterns flashing on their wings were swarming toward the four people on the ground.

【Thunder Wing Illusion Butterfly】 (Tier 3)

They flapped their wings, scattering large amounts of thunder dust with paralyzing effects.

Unlike the Frost Giant Python they encountered before.

These butterflies also had illusions.

They could simultaneously create dozens of indistinguishable lightning phantoms, attempting to confuse their prey.

"Another flashy sleight of hand."

Chen Xi stood on a giant rock. He didn't even lift a hand, just calmly ordered:

"Ye Fei, mark the targets."

"Received!"

Golden light flowed through Ye Fei's eyes, and the 【Eye of Spirit Vision】 instantly saw through the illusions.

Those seemingly real phantoms dissipated like bubbles in her vision, leaving only the clear energy cores of the real entities.

"Three on the upper left, the weak point is the thunder sac on the abdomen!"

"Two on the right, the weak point is the wing root!"

This series of target markings was precise and rapid.

"Mu Rou, control!"

"Coming!"