Chapter 72: The Journey of Seeking

These five were all carefully selected by her, each a talented wielder of electricity and thunder. The one thing they shared was their mastery over lightning. The five of them silently chanted their incantations, while countless arcs of electricity spiraled around them.

Aunt Lan was well aware that the Heavenly Thunder Judgment was a fearsome formation—an overpowering spell that gathered the strength of five to summon down a divine thunderbolt. Its destructive power might not be significant against other gifted individuals, but for vampires, it was nothing short of fatal. This was a top-tier secret art reserved for the heirs of the Hunter Family. She had not expected that the art was already so thoroughly mastered and openly taught to others with special abilities.

Indeed, in the Hunter Family, every secret technique was forbidden to anyone but the heir. This feudal stubbornness had led to the disappearance of many exceptional abilities over time.

Ye Tang roared in agony, baring her fangs. Even with her vampiric body, the relentless exertion left her exhausted, her wounds healing far more slowly than before.

The sky was shrouded in dark clouds, flashes of lightning flickering within. The five had completed the final stage, waiting only for the moment their prey would be judged.

With a sly smile, Yoyo snapped her fingers. At her signal, the five launched the Heavenly Thunder Judgment. The others, who had been restraining Ye Tang, immediately fell back. Countless golden lightning bolts connected the five into a pentagram. A powerful force began to drag Ye Tang toward the earth; the more she struggled, the less she could escape.

At last, she was pulled into the heart of the star, countless small bolts of lightning binding her tightly. She howled in pain as a tremendous force gathered in the clouds above. A pillar of golden lightning struck down with a deafening crash, aimed straight at Ye Tang’s head.

With a start, Du Bin woke from his nightmare, drenched in sweat. He sat dazed at his desk for a long time. He had just dreamed that Ye Tang was trapped by lightning, unable to break free—she was in grave danger.

He glanced at the clock; noon was approaching. Though it was only a dream, unease gnawed at his heart. He called Hu Guozheng, but outside the server room, everyone else seemed just as lost.

Taking his passport, he walked to his room. Fang Yilin was cooking, and seeing his hurried expression, she asked, “Bin, where are you going? Lunch is almost ready.”

Slipping on his shoes and opening the door, Du Bin replied, “They’re in danger. I can’t just watch them die. I’m sorry.”

No matter how much Fang Yilin protested, he left the apartment without looking back. She stood frozen, fists clenched in anger and jealousy, before smashing every fragile thing in sight.

On his way to Baiyun Airport, Du Bin booked his ticket, but it still took considerable time. Seated on the plane, all he could do was pray he would make it in time.

After a two-hour flight, he landed and immediately sought a way to reach the Songsolor Islands. With limited funds, he had to rely on a fisherman willing to take him along since he was already heading there to fish. He also learned that two groups had rented boats to the islands earlier that morning.

By the time Du Bin reached the deserted island, the sun was setting. He searched the entire place, finding only traces of fierce battles and bloodstains. Spent bullet casings littered the ground and, most startling of all, there was an enormous crater, several hundred meters across.

He realized he was a step too late. If not for his own hesitation, he would not have been separated from his friends. Hating himself, he stood in the middle of the crater as tears fell unbidden from his eyes.

Suddenly, several mysterious figures appeared behind him. They were draped in long robes that covered their bodies, their faces hidden in the darkness. One of them approached and asked, “Friend, can you tell us what happened here?”

Du Bin turned to see four mysterious people before him and instinctively grew wary. He knew many individuals with powers were searching for Ye Tang, but he had no idea what these strangers wanted. Besides, he didn’t know where she was.

“Don’t be nervous, young man. We mean you no harm. We’re looking for a girl. Have you seen her?” The man smiled in an effort to appear friendly.

“No.”

“Very well, thank you.”

With that, they began to leave. One of them suddenly turned back and said, “By the way, there’s someone injured in a cave half a kilometer away. Hopefully, it’s your friend.”

With suspicion, Du Bin made his way to the cave as directed and did indeed find Li Ning, battered and unconscious from her wounds. Panicked, he carried her back to the fishing boat.

In the hospital, Li Ning gradually woke to see Du Bin sitting beside her. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital.”

She immediately tried to pull out her IV, but Du Bin stopped her. “You’re injured. Don’t move around.”

“Coward. Leave me,” Li Ning snapped, refusing to listen.

“I’m here now, aren’t I? What happened to you all? Where are Li Ping and Fatty?”

Li Ning, after a moment’s thought, stopped resisting. She began to recount what happened after they arrived at the Songsolor Islands. Just as the heavenly thunder was about to strike Ye Tang, Raku Nakashima suddenly unleashed her hidden ability—Dimensional Overlap. She emerged from the ground before Ye Tang, casting a shield of holy light to block the thunderbolt.

Clutching Ye Tang, Raku Nakashima used her power again, and in front of everyone’s eyes, the two vanished without a trace.

Du Bin broke out in a cold sweat at the story. Thank goodness Raku Nakashima acted in time to save Ye Tang’s life. “And then?”

Tears ran down Li Ning’s cheeks as she continued, “After that, they tried to take my brother, Aunt Lan, and the others as hostages. In the chaos, we were separated. Some of our brothers sacrificed themselves to cover my escape.”

Seeing her sob so bitterly, Du Bin felt awkward, handing her a tissue. Though reassured that Ye Tang was safe, he now worried for the others.

Li Ning spent the next week recovering in the hospital. If not for Du Bin’s insistence, she would have joined the search immediately. With Li Ning’s financial resources, Du Bin was able to hire several fishermen to help search, but even after scouring the entire island, there was no sign of Hu Guozheng or the others.

Despair set in until a villager found a corpse in the forest. If not for a wild animal digging up the earth in search of food, it might never have been discovered. Du Bin rushed over, only to find the deceased was Lan Huigang, his throat slashed.

Such a strange cause of death left Du Bin deeply puzzled. It was impossible for someone with special powers to kill in this way. Who could be so skilled as to assassinate a former military man like Lan Huigang? After transporting the Special Investigation Squad member’s body to the hospital, Du Bin told Li Ning about it.

“The captain is dead? That’s impossible,” Li Ning said in disbelief as she stared at the photo on his phone. She knew full well how capable Captain Lan was.

“He was ambushed from behind. With Captain Lan’s keen reflexes, it must have been someone he knew, or he would not have been caught off-guard,” Du Bin explained his theory. Though it was just speculation, it seemed the most plausible explanation.

Li Ning examined the knife wound and said, “Don’t forget we’re in the Philippines. Maybe they ran into the military.”

“If it was the military, they wouldn’t have handled it this way. He was a Chinese citizen—the consulate would have intervened,” Du Bin replied, having some understanding of political matters.

“I think it’s more likely the Hunter Family captured him,” Li Ning suggested, and Du Bin agreed. To confirm their suspicions, they handed over the bodies of Lan Huigang and the others to the consulate. With so many losses, the Special Investigation Squad was thrown into chaos.