ebookslot Chapter 438 - 431: Expedition
Chapter 438 - 431: Expedition
"If we weren’t prepared, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now. Just tell us, what’s the plan?"
Ji Yunzhou spoke up, and the others nodded in agreement.
Faced with such a situation, not only were they unafraid, but they even seemed eager to try. It was as if they were looking forward to the formidable enemies they would face on that continent.
"This time, the enemy hasn’t made a direct move, so we can only act in secret. Our plan is to start from the Dark World. On one hand, we’ll stop them from annexing the Hunting Mark Organization and other rival groups. On the other hand, we’ll prevent them from deliberately inciting wars among the nations of the Black Continent..."
The Chief Commissioner said slowly.
"You mean, we’re to hide our identities and go to the Black Continent?"
Zhang Zhizhen asked.
"For now, yes. We’ll be in foreign territory, after all. Before the conflict is out in the open, it’s best to frame any disputes as conflicts within the Dark World. That will save us a lot of unnecessary trouble."
"We have already contacted Beisha, Bosha, and Tai Lan. They have agreed to dispatch their own individual assets to the Black Continent using the same methods to coordinate with our operation."
the Chief Commissioner continued.
"This time, who among us are you planning to send?"
Lei Yi asked. The lingering issues from his last battle were now mostly resolved.
"Given the importance of the intelligence Yuan Jue provided, we’ve decided that aside from a necessary reserve force, everyone else will be deployed."
the Chief Commissioner said.
’A full mobilization...’
Everyone’s expression hardened. They now had a much clearer understanding of the gravity of the crisis in the Black Continent.
"Everyone, let me repeat this one last time. The world’s peace is about to be shattered. This is a war initiated by the Celestial Demon. Whether we can contain the flames of war to the Black Continent, or if the world will once again face disaster—or even if we can prevent the extinction of the human race—will all depend on whether this campaign can stop their advance."
the Chief Commissioner said, his tone calm.
...
...
「The next day. 7:00 AM.」
「Shangjing International Airport.」
Zhou Yuanjue was alone. He had altered his appearance, once again assuming the guise of Zhou Hong.
Donghua and the Black Continent were separated by vast oceans. Because they needed to maintain a degree of secrecy, military transport was out of the question. And while traveling by ship was safer, it would take too long. By the time they reached the Black Continent, a month or two would have passed. By then, it would be too late.
Therefore, despite the many risks of commercial flights, they remained the top choice for the Martial Artists to reach the Black Continent quickly.
Having decided on their method of transport, the group couldn’t travel together. The risk would be too great if they encountered danger, and it would drastically increase their chances of being exposed. Besides, the Black Continent was immense. Even with Donghua’s considerable number of top-tier experts, scattering them across such a vast area would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Moreover, Martial Artists preferred to act alone rather than in teams. This allowed them to maximize their individual strength and maintain the element of surprise with superior stealth.
In the end, after some discussion, they assigned different areas of responsibility to the dispatched experts. The Martial Artists would only rendezvous and act together if absolutely necessary.
Thus, the experts decided to depart individually from international airports in different Donghua cities, taking separate flights to various regions of the Black Continent.
The area assigned to Zhou Yuanjue was Kro, the capital of the Ellis Republic in the northeastern part of the Black Continent.
Dressed in casual clothes with a small backpack containing some clothes, Zhou Yuanjue sat quietly in the departure lounge, waiting to board.
Just then, a fashionably dressed group of six men and three women walked over from a distance, chatting and laughing. Most of them carried photography equipment, appearing to be a group of photography enthusiasts.
The only exception was one of the young women. She carried no camera gear and wore a long, pristine white dress. She was tall and slender, with fair skin and long, black hair that cascaded over her shoulders, giving her a serene air.
This young woman didn’t seem to know the others very well. Both her demeanor and her conversation made her seem out of place.
However, several of the men in the photography group seemed quite interested in her. They frequently tried to draw her into the conversation, but their attempts would usually end after a couple of sentences due to her cold replies. Still, they tirelessly persisted.
After all, beautiful things always receive special treatment.
When no one was paying attention, a tall, handsome man from the group quietly approached a woman with wheat-colored skin.
"Hey, Anya, why does your cousin seem so cold? What are her hobbies? What does she hate? Tell me, come on. It’s a long trip, and I want to take good care of her."
the young man whispered to the woman named Anya.
"Oh, please, Zhao Lin. You think I don’t know what kind of person you are? Let me tell you, don’t even think about making a move on Tan Ying. She’s not like those other girls you fool around with."
"This time, she’s just tagging along with me to get some inspiration and clear her head. The rest of you can just pretend she’s not here."
Anya sneered and slapped away the hand Zhao Lin had placed on her shoulder.
She and Zhao Lin had been friends for years. They got along well, but because of that, she knew his true nature all too clearly.
He came from a wealthy family, had studied combat sports, was a photography enthusiast, and was handsome to boot. Add to that a silver tongue, and the guy was practically invincible in the dating scene.
Unfortunately, the guy was completely fickle when it came to romance and had already broken countless girls’ hearts.
A guy like that was not a good match for someone with Tan Ying’s personality.
"No need to make it sound so harsh."
Zhao Lin awkwardly retracted his hand, but his gaze remained fixed on Tan Ying.
’Fine, don’t tell me,’ he thought. ’This is a long trip. I have my ways.’
Tan Ying ignored their stares. Ever since that day on the train to Moscow, when she had witnessed a scene that shook her to her very core and subsequently painted the piece titled "Pilgrimage" that earned her a bit of fame in her circle, she found it difficult to summon the passion to paint ordinary subjects anymore.
As a result, she had developed a keen interest in things that were grander, more majestic, and more mysterious.
Things like the pyramids of Ellis, or the vast grasslands of the Black Continent. That was why she had accepted her cousin’s invitation and come along.
As for making friends and getting into a relationship?
Those things weren’t on her mind for now.
’It’s a shame,’ she thought. ’If only I could have another chance to witness such a breathtaking scene.’
Just then, as they neared the departure lounge, her gaze swept across the area, and for a moment, she thought she saw a familiar figure.
’Wait!’
She focused her eyes, and her calm heart suddenly leaped.
Her eyes finally locked onto that familiar figure.
He wasn’t tall, had an ordinary face, and fair skin. He looked like a typical university student.
She clearly remembered his name was Zhou Hong.
’And his other identity...’
’It’s really him!!’
Tan Ying’s mouth fell slightly agape. She stopped in her tracks, frozen on the spot.