Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 786 Challenge Dungeon 42

Although Cheng Yan was pushed away by Xie Yipei and avoided the direct impact of the breath, he was still grazed by the air blast and ended up covered in dust.

"I'm fine." Xie Yipei straightened up, shook his head, and glanced at everyone. "How are you all?"

"It's just a superficial injury, nothing serious."

"Thanks to the defensive talisman my sister-in-law gave me, if that shock hadn't been blocked by that layer of light, I probably would have coughed up blood." Ding Sheng touched his chest with lingering fear, where an expired protective talisman had turned to ashes and fallen.

"Yes, that commander's breath attack range was too large. My lightness talisman helped me avoid the edge, otherwise my legs might have been ruined," Miao Yiming remarked.

Everyone spoke up, their words filled with gratitude for the talisman given to them by Yun Chu.

If it weren't for the life-saving items prepared in advance, the team would have been far more than just slightly injured in this sudden attack by an S-class commander; loss of manpower would have been almost inevitable.

As Xie Yipei listened, his feelings for Yun Chu deepened even further.

He said in a deep voice, "We should not stay here any longer. We should immediately collect the important spoils of war, clean up the traces, and retreat to the camp to rest."

"Yes!"

The group acted quickly.

Xie Yipei personally dissected the S-rank commander's corpse and retrieved the [Lava Core], which emitted scorching energy fluctuations, and the complete [Commander's Emblem].

Collect as many valuable energy crystals and metal parts as possible from other "hunters".

The atmosphere was somewhat silent on the way back to camp. Although the counterattack against the S-rank commander was a huge gain, the danger and exhaustion of the process left everyone shaken and needing time to recover.

Inside the camp, Yun Chu had already learned about the perilous nature of the battle through feedback from the Fire Iron Flying Ants and intermittent reports from the team channel.

Seeing Xie Yipei and the others return safely, though they were all somewhat disheveled and slightly injured, but none of them were seriously injured, she finally felt relieved.

She quickly approached Xie Yipei, looking him up and down. Her gaze lingered on the broken talisman on his chest and his slightly pale face, her eyes filled with undisguised worry: "You..."

"I'm fine." Xie Yipei held her hand, his fingertips tightening slightly, conveying a sense of reassurance and a hint of barely perceptible lingering fear. "Thanks to the talisman and the fire iron flying ants you gave me."

Yun Chu grasped his hand in return, feeling the warmth from his palm, and softly hummed in agreement. She didn't say anything more, but the concern in her eyes warmed Xie Yipei's heart.

Su Yining immediately began treating the injured team members. Cheng Yan also assisted her, and with Su Yining's guidance and her own understanding, her healing abilities seemed to be more stable than yesterday.

Yun Chu then walked to an open space to the side and took out the talisman pen and talisman paper again.

Instead of resting, she began drawing talismans on the spot.

This time, she drew even faster, her strokes flowing like dragons and snakes, completely focused.

More than an hour later, a new stack of talismans was completed. These included not only protective talismans and lightness talismans, but also some [Fire Repellent Talismans] and [Erosion Resistance Talismans] specifically designed to counter the energy characteristics exhibited by the "Hunter" in the previous battle.

She distributed these new talismans to all team members, including Cheng Yan and his sister.

"We used up quite a bit of energy just now, so take these new ones with you, just in case."

The team members received the talismans, feeling the stable and powerful energy emanating from them. Their respect and gratitude for the team leader's wife deepened. Her presence seemed to elevate the team's survival to a new level.

After treatment and rest, everyone's condition has largely recovered.

Xie Yipei decided that instead of a large-scale clearing operation in the afternoon, they would conduct patrols and resource collection in relatively safe areas around the camp in small groups. At the same time, he would let Cheng Yan and his sister participate more in some low-intensity combat and support work to speed up their integration into the team.

However, just as a group led by Lin Xun and Du Ruo, with Cheng Yan following along to learn, had located a lone B-level "hunter" in a relatively remote ruin in the southeast and was about to complete the encirclement and kill, another unexpected event occurred.

Another team of players, about twenty people, quietly approached and lay in ambush.

Just as Lin Xun's rapier was about to pierce the energy core of the B-grade "Hunter," several sharp arrows and energy beams attacked from the side, aiming directly at Lin Xun and Du Ruo's vital points!

At the same time, the leader of the group, a middle-aged man with a sinister face and holding a staff, shouted loudly: "This 'hunter' and the energy mine it guards, we, the 'Black Edge Society,' want them! If you know what's good for you, get out of here!"

They were blatantly stealing prey and resources!

Lin Xun and Du Ruo reacted extremely quickly, dodging the arrows and beams of light as they grazed their bodies and struck the nearby ruins, creating a cloud of dust.

The already heavily injured B-level "hunter" seized the opportunity to struggle and escape.

"Hmph!" A cold glint flashed in Lin Xun's eyes. Ignoring the attacker, he increased the speed of his rapier by three points and, at an incredible angle, still accurately pierced the "Hunter's" energy core, ending it completely.

Du Ruo's figure flickered and disappeared from the spot. The next moment, he appeared next to the "hunter's" corpse and quickly dug out the energy crystals from its body.

"How dare you!" The middle-aged man who claimed to be the leader of the "Black Edge Society" was furious when he saw this. He waved his staff, and a jet-black energy spear instantly condensed, about to shoot towards Du Ruo.

Just then, a dark red "cloud" silently appeared around the "Black Edge Society" team; it was the remaining Fire Iron Flying Ants released by Xie Yipei!

Although their numbers were not as high as initially, their sudden appearance, like a persistent leech, swarmed towards the faces, necks, and other exposed areas of the "Black Edge Society" members, biting and interfering with their movements, though they could not cause fatal damage.

But the terrifying feeling and disturbance of being instantly surrounded by countless tiny creatures threw the "Black Edge Society" into chaos. Curses and shouts filled the air, and the leader's dark energy spear lost its aim and flew past Du Ruo.

"Damn it! What the hell is that?!"

"It's bugs! Lots of bugs!"

"Defense! Dispel it immediately!"

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Xun and Du Ruo, along with the energy crystal and Cheng Yan, quickly retreated and joined up with the support team led by Xie Yipei, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion.

Xie Yipei coldly observed the chaotic "Black Edge Society" group not far away, giving no order to pursue. He simply kept a close eye on them through the vision of the Fire Iron Flying Ants. The lightning-infused longsword in his hand hummed slightly, and his body emanated a cold yet powerful aura.

The leader of the "Black Edge Society" finally managed to disperse most of the Fire Iron Flying Ants with an area-of-effect spell. Looking at the Divine Speed ​​Guild team standing guard in the distance, their auras refined, especially Xie Yipei's obviously intimidating presence, his expression turned extremely ugly.

He originally thought that there were only three or four people on the other side, and that he could easily handle them. However, he did not expect that not only did he fail to snatch the prey, but he was also made to look bad by the other side's strange methods. He also did not expect that the other side's reinforcements would arrive so quickly and that they seemed to be very strong.

His eyes flickered a few times, knowing he had kicked a hornet's nest.

Continuing to fight head-on, even with a numerical advantage, would be a losing proposition in this perilous instance, not to mention the enemy's elusive "bugs" are a real headache.

"Retreat!" He gritted his teeth, glared fiercely at Xie Yipei and the others, and decisively issued the retreat order.

The members of the "Black Edge Society" were relieved and retreated hastily, disappearing into the depths of the ruins.

"What bad luck," Lu Ting spat.

Xie Yipei sheathed his longsword, his eyes turning slightly cold. He looked at Lin Xun and Du Ruo, "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing, just a little trick," Lin Xun said calmly, handing the B-grade energy crystal to Xie Yipei.

Du Ruo nodded, and her figure disappeared into the shadows again.

Cheng Yan stood aside, watching this scene, and gained a deeper understanding of the strength of the Divine Travel Guild and its response.

Not only are they formidable in combat, but they are also remarkably calm and decisive in handling unexpected situations and conflicts between players.

This team is far stronger and...reliable than he imagined.

Xie Yipei glanced at the direction the "Black Edge Society" had retreated and made a note of it.

"Continue the mission and remain vigilant. 'Black Edge Society'... I've got it."

The minor incident did not affect the overall situation, but it undoubtedly served as a reminder to everyone: in this "bloody hunting ground," the competition and malice between players are sometimes no gentler than that between the "hunters."

The team continued to operate according to plan, but with greater caution.

The talismans drawn by Yun Chu and the fire iron flying ants of Xie Yipei continued to play an important role in the subsequent operations, whether in early warning, defense or interference at critical moments.

The second day was spent in a mix of tension and accomplishment.

When "night" fell again, the Divine Travel Guild's camp remained safe and sound, with the array's aura softly enveloping this temporary safe zone.

Around the campfire, the group shared food and quietly discussed their experiences and takeaways from the day.

Cheng Yan and his sister gradually relaxed and began to try to communicate more with their teammates.

Yun Chu leaned against Xie Yipei, listening to his steady heartbeat and watching the leaping flames, feeling calm and resolute.