Quick Travel to the Clouds

Ripples of space spread out as people passed through, and the brief feeling of weightlessness and sensory disorientation vanished in an instant.

The next second, a deafening roar and a gust of wind mixed with engine oil, dust and a faintly sweet and fishy smell rushed towards us.

The world before me suddenly opened up, but it was not the natural wonder I had imagined.

The towering skyscrapers were covered with huge holographic advertisements, with dazzling images flashing and jumping tirelessly, promoting products and services that Yun Chu could not understand at all.

The levitating vehicles glided silently along predetermined tracks between buildings, leaving long trails of light.

The ground was a wide but crowded street, with people dressed in various ways hurrying by.

The air was filled with synthesized music, electronic hawking, and a low-frequency, continuous urban hum.

A vast, bustling metropolis filled with a cold, technological feel.

At that moment, a cold system notification sounded simultaneously in everyone's mind:

[Hidden Dungeon Quest Released]

Mission Name: Urban Shadow Hunt

Mission objective: Within 72 hours, identify and completely eliminate ten disguised, lurking alien monsters in this world.

Task Rewards: Depending on the completion rating and contribution, corresponding level dungeon treasure chests will be unlocked.

Failure penalty: All members will be permanently trapped in this world until they are assimilated by the aliens or die.

When the notification ended, Xie Yipei showed no surprise or seriousness on his face; on the contrary, it seemed as if he had been prepared for this.

He didn't even glance at the dazzling city; with a flick of his wrist, a dark, palm-sized disc, neither gold nor wood, appeared in his palm.

The surface of the disc is engraved with intricate patterns so complex they make one dizzy, and at its center is a crystal that constantly shifts with a faint gray glow.

“An S-rank item, ‘Life Form Fluctuation Radar’,” Xie Yipei explained succinctly, lightly tapping the edge of the disc with his fingertip.

"Designed specifically to distinguish between non-human life forms and imposters. As long as they use power exceeding the basic level of disguise, or their own life fluctuations change drastically, they can be detected."

The crystal in the center of the disk flickered a few times, and soon, several extremely faint, dark red dots appeared at the edge of the miniature city thumbnail projected by the crystal, slowly moving.

"An efficiency tool." Hu Lanqin breathed a sigh of relief, her gaze towards Xie Yipei filled with undisguised trust.

Yun Chu stared silently at the disc. An S-rank item… He really does have a lot of hidden cards up his sleeve.

"The nearest target is 1.7 kilometers away, in the southeast direction, and moving at a slow speed."

Xie Yipei confirmed the location and put away the disc. "Lu Ting, plan the route, avoiding main roads and densely monitored areas. Hu Lanqin, maintain environmental awareness and be alert for any residual non-natural energy."

“Yun Chu,” he turned to her, his tone calm but undeniable, “stay close. Your ‘little pets’ can be used to warn of more subtle environmental anomalies.”

"Understood." Yun Chu lowered her eyelashes, concealing the expression in her eyes. At the same time, with a slight thought, several fire iron flying ants silently emerged from her sleeves and hair, like the smallest reconnaissance satellites, blending into the surrounding light and air currents.

The Wind and Cloud Beast at its feet also raised its head, its amber eyes scanning every "passerby" warily. Its innate energy perception ability became an effective supplement to radar detection at this moment.

Led by Lu Ting, the group quickly turned into a relatively narrow back alley with dim lighting.

The city's hustle and bustle is separated by high walls, leaving only the faint roar in the distance and the rustling sound next to the nearby trash cans.

The first target appeared near the exit of an abandoned underground pipe.

It was a homeless man wearing dirty overalls and walking with difficulty, looking down and rummaging through the garbage.

Outwardly, he looks no different from any other down-on-his-luck person in this city.

But the radar in Xie Yipei's hand pointed at his dark red dot steadily and clearly.

The Wind and Cloud Beast emitted a low, threatening growl from its throat, and the soft fur on its back bristled slightly.

“Target confirmed.” Xie Yipei’s voice was as cold as a knife. “Hu Lanqin, block the surrounding sound and energy fluctuations from escaping. Lu Ting, provide flank support to prevent it from escaping into the pipes or causing a disturbance. Yun Chu, restrict its area of ​​operation.”

The command was clearly issued.

Hu Lanqin lightly tapped the ground with her short cane, and an invisible barrier quickly opened up around her, temporarily isolating this area from the outside world.

Lu Ting's figure disappeared like a ghost into the shadows of the piled-up clutter.

Yun Chu pursed her lips, focusing her mind.

Xie Yipei walked straight over, his steps unhurried, without even trying to conceal his presence.

The "homeless man" seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up.

It was a weathered, grimy human face. However, the moment it met Xie Yipei's gaze, those cloudy eyes suddenly contracted, the whites of the eyes were quickly covered by an eerie amber color, and the pupils stretched into a cold slit!

"hiss--!"

A non-human screech burst from its throat, no longer a human voice at all.

Its work clothes were suddenly torn apart by its swollen body, and it seemed as if countless living things were wriggling and bulging wildly under its skin!

Its fingernails grew out of control, transforming into jet-black, sharp bone blades that, carrying a foul stench, pierced straight at Xie Yipei's face at a speed too fast for the naked eye to perceive!

This sudden burst of speed was as fast as lightning, far exceeding the limits of ordinary humans and even most mutated creatures.

However, Xie Yipei was even faster!

He didn't even dodge; he simply raised his right hand, fingers spread.

In front of his palm, the air suddenly twisted and compressed, condensing into a semi-transparent, rapidly rotating diamond-shaped wind shield.

Clang——!

A piercing metallic scraping sound rang out as the bone blade slammed into the wind shield, sending sparks flying, but it couldn't advance an inch!

The raging wind elements not only blocked the attack but also created a powerful counter-force and binding force, causing the monster's forward momentum to halt.

In that instant of stiffness, Lu Ting emerged from the shadows behind him, a dull short blade in his hand precisely piercing the gap in the neck joint exposed by the monster's exertion, twisting and pulling!

Hu Lanqin's binding force field contracted simultaneously, like invisible shackles, further restricting its movements.

The monster let out a painful and furious roar, but what spurted from its wounds was not blood, but a thick, yellowish-green liquid that emitted white smoke and was highly corrosive!

The liquid fell to the ground and immediately eroded the cement surface, creating pits and hissing sounds.

"Be careful of acidosis!" Lu Ting had already stepped back and warned in a deep voice.

Xie Yipei's eyes flashed, and the wind shield suddenly changed shape, transforming into countless extremely sharp, high-speed rotating wind blades, like a knife array that slowly sliced ​​through the monster's body, instantly enveloping it!

The Wind and Cloud Beast transformed into a pale blue afterimage, constantly weaving around the monster with its "Swiftness" talent.

Each time the claws slashed across, they left behind a trail of corrosive bodily fluids and shattered carapace. Its "wind element affinity" even slightly guided Xie Yipei's scattered wind blades, making their trajectories more unpredictable.

Focus fire! Unreserved focus fire!