Guan Kelai’s face paled instantly.
“This is a warning signal. It means a huang elf invasion. Tree god city is going to be locked down!”
“What a coincidence,” Kaos said, his expression shifting slightly.
“It might not be a coincidence,” Yun Ruoxi said softly. “With only a few days left, it’s possible some trainees couldn’t help but make a move.”
“Will the root passages still operate if Tree god city is locked down?” Zi Jiu asked quickly.
“Are you planning to go somewhere? Stop dreaming,” Guan Kelai said, his face darkening.
“Once this signal is sent, the root passages will be requisitioned to transport a steady stream of troops into Tree god city! The entire city will undergo a major purge. Many people will die!”
“What about other nearby cities? Can the root passages there be used?” Lin Zhen suddenly asked.
Guan Kelai noticed him then. He frowned. “Who are you?”
“Our other companion,” Yun Che explained casually. He put an arm around Guan Kelai’s shoulder and asked seriously, “Now, just tell us where we can go to take a root passage!”
“The root passages in this entire region are being occupied. You’d have to go at least as far as — Fanghua City!”
“Fanghua City? Point out the specific location.”
Zi Jiu raised her right hand, her wristwatch projecting a map of the surrounding area.
Guan Kelai looked at the blue projection in surprise.
Under Zi Jiu’s guidance, he managed to identify the general area and pointed at the map. “Right here!”
Zi Jiu glanced at it and looked up at Lin Zhen. “Good news. Fanghua City is 100 kilometers east of Tree god city. Although it’s a bit far, it’s right in the direction of Giant stone city. We won’t be wasting any time.”
“You’re going to Giant stone city?” Guan Kelai raised his hand. “You’ll take me with you, right?”
“What’s wrong? You didn’t want to follow us before, and now you can’t wait to come along?” Anvil snorted.
“Didn’t you hear what he said?” Kaos chuckled.
“There’s going to be a purge in the city. Just think about what happens when common soldiers find an Aristocrat with a fortune but no house guards to protect him.”
Guan Kelai’s expression turned extremely grim. He simply said, “You’ll find a use for me. Besides, if you want to reach Giant stone city, you have to hurry. The tree god guards will officially take over city defense very soon!”
For the green elves, even those in Tree god city, the shadow of war was never far away.
Not long after the alarm bells rang, the carriages and crowds on the streets panicked for a moment before naturally dispersing as everyone rushed home.
As Yun Ruoxi’s group left Guan Kelai’s mansion and looked at the chaotic streets, they felt a sense of foreboding.
“We can’t use the carriage anymore. It’s too obvious!” Lin Zhen made a snap decision and jumped down from the vehicle.
The others followed suit.
“We’ll travel at full speed. Xiao Xi, you’ll be responsible for bringing Guan Kelai and Genbeier along,” Lin Zhen instructed.
Guan Kelai had his Aristocrat status, and Genbeier was a local from Giant stone city. Both might still be useful later. They didn’t plan on abandoning them just yet.
However, the full speed of a star energy user was not something ordinary people could keep up with. If Yun Ruoxi didn’t use her telekinesis to tether them to her side, they would be left behind in minutes, out of sight.
“No problem!”
Yun Ruoxi nodded and snapped her fingers gently. Guan Kelai and Genbeier floated up uncontrollably, tethered behind her like two large balloons.
The path out of the city was relatively peaceful. They encountered no obstacles. At first, they occasionally saw one or two pedestrians, or even cargo wagons rushing along.
But as they went further, the streets grew silent. Shops closed, pedestrians vanished, and even the blue flower lamps along the road were mysteriously extinguished.
Tree God City, which once had a rich nightlife, had become a ghost city where not a single soul could be seen.
Suddenly, Yun Ruoxi’s ears twitched. She heard the faint, dense sound of footsteps echoing from a distance.
“There are a lot of people ahead! It might be the army,” she warned.
“Stop!” Lin Zhen quickly led everyone into an alley, having Yun Ruoxi use her telekinesis to shield them from view.
Shortly after, hundreds of green elves carrying various weapons hurried past the alley entrance.
“Did they find us? Are they coming for us?” Guan Kelai whispered, covering his mouth.
“Not necessarily.”
Yun Ruoxi was closest to the alley entrance. She leaned out, poking half her head into the moonlight to look in the direction the army was heading.
“If they were coming for us, they’d be searching around here. Looking at how determined they are, their target must be someone else.”
「Reliable Xiao Xi」
「Rainy night with a knife but no umbrella」
「Dark night with TAO but no knife」
「Godly person」
“Who could it be?” Guan Kelai continued to ask.
“Who knows?” Yun Ruoxi curled her lip. “Maybe it’s the culprit who’s making us scurry around like rats right now!”
After saying that, she gave Lin Zhen a sweet smile.
“Ajin brother, they’re gone.”
“Alright, let’s keep moving!” Lin Zhen nodded.
They deactivated their invisibility and continued toward the city outskirts. But they hadn’t been away from the alley for even ten minutes when a terrifying explosion suddenly erupted behind them.
*Bang!*
Lin Zhen turned back in surprise. A spherical wave of white light from the explosion lit up nearly half the night sky.
The shockwave surged from down the street, sweeping up fallen leaves and dead wood, rattling the doors and windows of the shops along the way.
He narrowed his eyes, letting the shockwave wash over him.
「Killer Queen」
「Art is an explosion!」
「This destructive power is a bit strong. It’s probably at least street-level.」
Yun Ruoxi’s blue hair blew wildly in the wind. “This seems to be Flame star’s ability from Class two!”
“Yeah.” Lin Zhen nodded.
Flame star, a Class two trainee.
His supernatural power was simple: he could detonate any object he touched.
Precisely because of that simplicity and purity, although he was only ranked 34, his lethality was in the top five of the entire battle camp.
He was an opponent no trainee wanted to encounter.
At the same time, his personality was as singular as his power.
Arrogant and conceited, he looked down on every trainee except for Yun Ruoxi, Mo Yuan, and Highglow.
「Isn’t this just that booger man from One Piece?」
「Is his attack method throwing boogers then?」
“It’s likely him. Acting recklessly and causing such a stir is exactly his style,” Kaos said, stepping forward.
Yun Che shook his head. “Causing a stir is right, but I’m not so sure about it being reckless. He is rank 34 after all, and he definitely has a group of companions with him.”
“Together, they couldn’t possibly fail to come up with at least a semi-decent plan.”
“I think something unexpected must have happened mid-plan, or maybe they did this on purpose.”
“Whether it was on purpose or not, let’s go!”
Zi Jiu glanced around and urged them forward.
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