Chapter 292: Enemy Traces in the Snowfield

Just as the voice message ended, a location tag followed immediately, which had to be entered into the phone to see the specific coordinates.

Since beginning his cultivation journey under Qing Yanzi, Wang Sheng had rarely seen him truly angry. As far as he remembered, his master was always graceful and composed. Even when dealing with difficult matters, he remained calm and unhurried, always giving the impression of having everything under control.

Daoist cultivators generally valued inner peace and self-discipline, but Qing Yanzi embodied this to an exceptional degree. In recent years, there had hardly been a single moment when he lost his temper.

Something had clearly pushed Qing Yanzi beyond his limits to make him this angry and even show a hint of resentment.

Moreover, Wang Sheng and his senior sister had received a group message from their master. That alone showed how urgent the situation was. Qing Yanzi hadn't even had time to contact his two cherished disciples individually.

Are they calling backup for a losing battle?

Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan stood up almost at the same moment. They didn't have to say anything; they merely exchanged a glance, and they immediately set out to follow their master's orders.

They had to obey Qing Yanzi's command. More importantly, if he had been attacked, then as disciples, they naturally had to go and help him get even. Though partly a joke, when Qing Yanzi used the words "time for combat," Wang Sheng already had a good idea of what had happened.

Just then, Wang Sheng's parents appeared outside the fast-food restaurant, chatting and laughing as they walked in. When they spotted the four, they cheerfully waved and came through the side door.

Though Wang Sheng felt a bit guilty, he still went up to them right away. "Dad, Mom, something urgent came up. We have to leave immediately."

"What happened?" his father asked anxiously.

"Well..." Wang Sheng smiled wryly. He didn't really know what angered his master, either.

His father waved it off, signaling that it was more important to deal with official matters first.

Wang Sheng turned to the half-immortal fox. "Big Sister, are you staying here for a few days, or do you want to just wait for us back at the villa?"

"You're off to fight?" Xi Lian blinked. "I'll just stay at the villa if it'll be inconvenient to bring me along."

The silver-haired girl looked pitifully at Wang Sheng. Her expression seemed to say that even if she suffered the greatest injustice, she would never complain.

Immediately defeated, Wang Sheng replied, "Alright, fine. You can come. Dad, Mom, Xiaomiao... I should be back by tomorrow or the day after. It seems like some foreign force is stirring up trouble. Our master is clearly angry, and as his disciples, we can't just hide away enjoying our vacation."

"We understand. Just go ahead and don't worry about us!"

His mother raised a fist and waved it. "We're not too worried about you anymore anyway. Last time something this huge happened, you still ended up completely fine. You're just way too resilient!"

Wang Sheng was speechless.

His father gave him and Mu Wanxuan a few words of advice, telling them to stay close to their master and avoid showing off or causing unnecessary trouble.

"We don't like seeing you two in danger, but what you're doing now is important. We can't hold you back," his father added seriously. "Given today's international climate, if you can contribute to defending our nation, then your skills haven't gone to waste."

Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan agreed without hesitation. Without any further delays, they exited the fast-food place.

Xi Lian, nibbling on a chicken wing, called out, "You two go ahead. I'll catch up after I finish eating."

Her calm, unhurried confidence was exactly what one would expect from a powerful Tribulation Realm expert.

Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan dashed out of the restaurant in a few steps. They didn't bother finding a secluded spot. Cultivation was now public knowledge, so there was no need to sneak around anymore.

"I'll carry you, Senior Sister. Flying with the Sword-Controlling Art is faster anyway."

He summoned Flying Haze. The nearby surveillance cameras immediately locked onto Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan.

Mu Wanxuan nodded. "

Mm.

"

Before countless watching eyes, she leapt onto the flying sword alongside Wang Sheng.

Mu Wanxuan flicked her wrist, and two tiny Tai Chi diagrams appeared—one in front, and one under Flying Haze. Not only did she become weightless, but the sword instantly became lighter, too. They even lost all air resistance.

"Swiftly!"

Wang Sheng raised his sword fingers and pointed them forward. Flying Haze shot into the sky like a streak of light, leaving behind a multi-colored trail and a faint sonic boom. The two flew north before any of the awestruck tourists could react with a camera.

"He's only at the Heavenly Abode Realm, yet he can already fly that fast?" Xi Lian smirked. "That little guy's strength is starting to get hard to read."

Eyes wide with curiosity, Wang Xiaomiao asked, "Is my big brother really that amazing?"

"Him? He's just average." Xi Lian scoffed. "He's still far from Daoist Master Qinglin. To be fair, though, he's quite impressive if we consider how long he's been cultivating."

Wang Xiaomiao nodded vaguely, as if half-understanding.

After finishing her burger, Xi Lian licked her fingers. "Alright, if I don't go now, I really might lose track of them. Thanks for the meal. Once this is over, I'll come back with Little Fei Yu for some more free food and drinks!"

"Take care! You're always welcome!" Wang Sheng's father quickly replied.

Xi Lian turned into a blur and vanished.

Wang Xiaomiao's eyes lit up. "She really is an immortal..."

She stared at the table full of food, lost in thought. Soon after, she looked up.

"Mom, do you think I'd look cool if I dyed my hair silver like Big Sister?"

Her parents, who had just braced themselves for a life-advice conversation, nearly threw out their backs in shock.

***

The two entered the coordinates that Qing Yanzi had provided into their phones. Their maps quickly locked onto a location, making it more than obvious what kind of battle their master was referring to.

It was related to the plane that the terrorists had targeted.

If Qing Yanzi said "combat," then that meant his earlier worries had proven true; someone really had laid a trap for the Hua Republic's cultivators. Whatever it was, it was outrageous enough to enrage him.

Wang Sheng dared not waste time. His qi sea roared, enchanted power surged, and Flying Haze reached top speed. While en route, he and his senior sister received information from the Special Investigation Unit.

The message warned them not to recklessly enter the frontline and to regroup at the designated rally point first. The enemy's plans were still unclear. According to the intel, instead of waiting for his disciples, Qing Yanzi had already gone with six other top cultivators to aid the rescue team that was under attack.

Earlier that morning, after discussing the matter with Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan, he had conveyed his thoughts to the authorities through Chi Ling. The authorities quickly called off the rescue mission in response, but after a brief discussion, they ultimately decided to proceed with the rescue operation.

There were many factors to be considered; it wasn't just as simple as retrieving an ancient scripture. Hence, following Qing Yanzi's suggestion, the rescue team was instead split into two. One was made up of professional rescue personnel and was tasked with searching for survivors from the crash. The other was a covert team of cultivators. They were assigned to track down their nation's two international allies and three stolen treasures.

The second team consisted of around a hundred cultivators, most of them elite operatives from the Special Warfare Unit. Yan Zhengnan, a late-stage Golden Core Realm instructor, led them.

Around 9:00 AM, the entire group arrived at the crash site. The rescue team began search and rescue efforts nearby, while the cultivator teams split into eight squads to scour the surrounding area. Unfortunately, after an hour of work, they came up empty-handed. The two foreign girls were nowhere to be seen, and they found no signs of the three national treasures either.

At 10:30 AM, they suddenly lost contact with a twelve-man squad of elite cultivators. Realizing something was wrong, Yan Zhengnan ordered an immediate retreat.

But it was already too late.

Within two minutes, they lost contact with six more squads, including Yan Zhengnan's.

Satellite scans detected a sudden surge of bio-energy signatures in the snowfield. It appeared that hundreds of foreign cultivators had launched a coordinated, premeditated attack on the rescue team.

Although it was suspected to be a trap, no one expected the attackers to include so many powerful cultivators.

The hundred-man rescue force wasn't weak either. They were all at the late stage of the Illusory Core Realm or higher. Most were at the peak of the Illusory Core Realm, and one or two Golden Core Realm cultivators were in each squad. Yet within minutes, the majority had lost contact. That was only possible if their assailants had fielded at least twice as many combatants of equal strength!

The authorities swiftly deployed the Special Warfare Unit elites that had been prepared in advance. However, they were ambushed as well once they had entered the snowfield. The foreign cultivators who had suddenly flooded the snowfield seemed to be using encirclement tactics.

Even Saros, the host nation, was dumbfounded.

An hour later, Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan arrived at the rendezvous point, where two large Special Warfare Unit elite squads and many other cultivators had already gathered. As soon as they landed, two officers from the Special Investigation Unit came over to greet them.

Wang Sheng immediately asked, "Where's my master?"

A young female investigator quickly replied, "Please don't worry, Daoist Master Wang. We've just received word that Daoist Master Bu Yan has rescued one of the rescue teams and is already on the way back."

Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan both breathed a sigh of relief.

Without him needing to ask further, the young woman quickly explained the current situation. She also mentioned that Saros had issued a statement saying that the incident had nothing to do with them and had granted temporary entry to the cultivators.

The known enemy combatants included vampires and even several "ancients" who had existed for over a thousand years. The situation was grave.

Wang Sheng frowned. "What else did they do? My master seems truly enraged."

"

Um...

" The young woman hesitated, her lips pale. "I'll send you the video file. You'll understand once you see it."

A video?

Just as Wang Sheng's phone vibrated with the incoming file, someone urgently shouted from the front, "Daoist Master Bu Yan's group has been ambushed on their way back! All Golden Core Realm cultivators, prepare to assist!"