AHDIBCB Chapter 66

Yuan Yi saw on the light-brain screen that a team of people wearing color-changing combat uniforms were inspecting the research facility.

This research institute had been deliberately set up as a cover, and it wasn’t very big. Of the four rooms, one was a staff dormitory, along with a kitchen, a bathroom, and a reception area as the living quarters. The rest were laboratories and storage areas.

At this moment, this team — Yuan Yi counted and there were about fifteen of them — were splitting up and searching each room. Judging by their actions, it seemed they were trying to figure out what the people here normally did.

Because they were wearing oxygen masks that obscured their faces, He Yanwu couldn’t immediately tell which side they were from. But based on their body types, he could be sure they were all Owanda alphas. They were most likely from either the Fourth Prince’s faction or the Second Prince’s.

Ji Lan also saw and asked, “Is it possible for them to find the entrance?”

He Yanwu said, “They can’t find it for now. If they stay long enough, they might notice something unusual. But even if they do find it, they won’t be able to get in so easily. The sea beasts in this ocean region aren’t that easy to avoid. They’re only friendly to certain specific scents. If no one goes out to receive them, they’ll most likely be dragged into the sea.”

Yuan Yi patted Ji Lan, “Don’t worry. We have enough food and supplies to last a long time. Even if we don’t go out for an extended period, it won’t be a problem.”

What they feared now was that if those people couldn’t find the entrance, they might attack the place; or if they found the entrance but couldn’t get in, they might try to destroy it — that would be a real problem.

Someone in the research institute found and pulled out some notebooks, while someone else opened a computer and was trying to crack the password.

Flight Wolf said, “If their numbers aren’t too many, should Snow Wolf and I go out and take care of it?”

He Yanwu checked the data recorded by the stealth satellite and discovered that there were likely more than just those fifteen people. He said, “Let’s wait a bit longer. Right now, they probably can’t send out any messages, so they’re looking for a way to solve that.”

Because their presence here was under the pretense of environmental research, making things too complex would only arouse suspicion — so the defense network on this planet wasn’t as tightly secured as on the main star. Its greatest advantage, however, was that it blocked information transmission; to send messages out from here, they would have to use special channels.

Receiving messages was pretty much the same — and that was also one of the reasons why many people couldn’t get in touch with him when he had just returned here.

The newcomers turned the entire research institute inside out, but clearly didn’t find any way to communicate with the outside world. So some of them simply headed back to the spaceship they had arrived in — it looked like they intended to leave the interference zone and fly back into space to send a message.

Three people returned to the spaceship, while the remaining twelve continued searching the surrounding area.

Snow Wolf looked at the group and said, “Judging by the spaceship model, it seems like they’re from the Second Prince’s side — but we can’t rule out the possibility that the Fourth Prince sent people disguised as the Second Prince’s men to investigate.”

Ji Lan said, “It doesn’t look like there are many of them. If we bring out the mechanical soldiers from here, wouldn’t we be able to capture them all quickly?”

He Yanwu stroked his goose supervisor and said, “If we capture them, we’ll have to keep them alive, and that means taking on the risk of whatever comes after. It’s cleaner to just kill them. The problem is — if we kill this group, there will definitely be another group coming. And by then, it won’t just be this few people.”

Counting the ones who hadn’t left the spaceship, there were probably around fifty people in total — not too difficult to deal with. But since Yuan Yi was here, they still had to be cautious.

Yuan Yi noticed Ji Lan looking a bit dazed, so he patted him and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Ji Lan shook his head. He just wasn’t used to people talking about killing so… casually, like it was eating or drinking. Of course, he also knew that what He Yanwu said wasn’t wrong. It was just — a little sudden, and a bit hard to get used to.

Someone had already slipped into the water at this time, but the entrance to Immortal Mountain was not just far from the research institute — it was very far. And the ghost ship had already long been disassembled and moved into Immortal Mountain. For these people to try and find the entrance was basically no different than looking for treasure in the open sea.

Yuan Yi said, “Let them tire themselves out. If a large group really comes later, then we’ll send troops out and settle it in one go — that way, at least we can relieve some pressure on the front line. Let Li Mian keep a close eye on the outside news.”

“Got it, Brother Yi, don’t worry.”

“Has the general sent any new updates?”

“Nothing for now. But the letter you sent has already been opened and read by him.”

“That’s good.”

Yuan Yi thought of the drawing he had asked Ji Lan to make for him earlier, and was a bit surprised at how bold he’d been. He’d always been brave — but not in this kind of situation.

After that, He Yanwu went out to check on the mechanical soldiers, getting them ready to enter combat at any time. Meanwhile, Snow Wolf, along with Flight Wolf and Li Mian, continued monitoring the online news.

Now that the war had truly begun, the tone of public opinion online kept shifting again and again. Many civilians who had previously been engaged in heated arguments were now starting to panic. For a while, the skies above the cities were filled with smart couriers going back and forth, each one hauling large bundles of goods — mostly from supermarkets. It was clear that civilians had begun stockpiling food and water.

In the past, when things were lively, the streets were full of pedestrians — but now, most of those on the streets were robots.

Yuan Yi saw the news on the light-brain and reassured Ji Lan, “It’s alright. Don’t worry.”

Ji Lan said, “The Qiming Army has been preparing for years… To be honest, I’m still worried.”

If it were just Owanda versus the Brute Tribe, he honestly wouldn’t be this sad or afraid. But now, all the nations had been dragged into it — and worst of all, the Qiming Army was even working with the beastmen and the Dark Tree people to attack their own citizens and the Gel people.

Given the current situation, it would either end with the Xingyan Army bowing completely to the Second Prince, or with them beating the Second Prince into submission.

Submitting was out of the question — because if that happened, the people of the Xingyan Army, their families, the Gel people, and the Sirius would all meet a terrible end.

Ji Lan suddenly thought of a question. “Xiao Yi, if the Xingyan Army wins in the future, then Li Heng will surely be held in the highest regard. In that case… is it possible that he might become the Emperor?”

Yuan Yi replied frankly, “If everything goes smoothly, that possibility indeed exists. But the battlefield changes in the blink of an eye — anything can happen. It’s too soon to talk about this.”

Ji Lan’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Then doesn’t that mean… I might become the first person in the world to paint a nude portrait of the Empress—mmph mmph mmph…”

Yuan Yi quickly covered Ji Lan’s mouth. “Keep your voice down!”

Ji Lan was a little excited. If his best friend became the Empress, then wouldn’t he be able to walk sideways through the royal court from then on? Oh my god, just thinking about it made him thrilled!

The omega who had just been feeling down suddenly found new direction in life, chattering and babbling so much that Yuan Yi got a headache.

Still, that was better than being anxious and uneasy, so Yuan Yi let him go on.

By nightfall, the people who had come still hadn’t found a way into Immortal Mountain— or more precisely, they didn’t even seem to know that such a place existed. But their search didn’t stop. And within three days, two more groups arrived. One group seemed to be related to the first batch and joined up not long after arriving.

Then there was another group — this one clearly had more people than the previous two groups combined. They even brought along a pack of beastmen that looked like small mountains, likely sent by the Second Prince. But the most striking thing wasn’t even that — it was the fact that the leader was actually an omega!

These people seemed to have secretly followed the previous group when they landed, so after arriving, they didn’t alert the others.

It was only this time that Yuan Yi clearly realized that among the beastmen, there were actually land beastmen and water beastmen. Land beastmen were covered in fur, while water beastmen had scales on their bodies. The faces of the water beastmen somewhat resembled various types of aquatic creatures — their eyes looked a bit like dead fish eyes, but once they started moving, they gave off a strange and cunning vibe.

In the sea, they moved as easily as if walking on flat land.

After the water beastmen entered the sea, they quickly encountered the local sea beasts. The sea beasts formed groups and launched attacks. The water beastmen couldn’t withstand them for long, so they returned to the land’s surface. One of the beastmen cursed in beast-speak: “Damn it, who would hide something in such a dangerous place!”

The omega leading the group said, “Precisely because it’s dangerous, that’s what makes it possible. And the Fourth Prince’s people wouldn’t have come here for no reason. The Fourth Prince met with He Yanwu earlier — he must have discovered something, which is why he sent people to follow. The batch of blue gel energy that the Second Prince wants — there’s definitely a high chance it’s hidden here.”

The beastman grumbled, “But this place is so huge — how are we supposed to find it? If we’re going to search, we need to come up with a plan. Otherwise, by the time we find the blue gel, the war will already be over!”

The leader naturally understood the difficulty, so while sending people to secretly follow the Fourth Prince’s group to see if they discovered anything, he also began considering another possibility.

He asked his subordinates, “How exactly are the Fourth Prince’s people searching? Are they patrolling with energy detectors?”

A subordinate replied, “The brothers who sent back messages said no. And from the looks of it, they don’t seem to be looking for blue gel.”

“Not looking for blue gel? Then what are they looking for?”

“They said… it looks like they’re trying to find some kind of switch?”

“Isn’t that still searching for a hiding place?” the beastman said. “They definitely know the blue gel is hidden here — that’s why they’re looking for a switch.”

The subordinate also felt this made sense, though something about it felt off.

The leader said, “Activate the energy detectors and begin low-altitude scans. Don’t leave out a single area! Go — have someone capture a couple of their people for questioning.”

Though the omega had a small and delicate build, the way he issued orders was clean and decisive.

The mechanical buzzing of scanning devices quickly spread across the sea surface, drawing the attention of the Fourth Prince’s men. But they were few in number and weak in strength — outnumbered five to one. Plus, the Second Princes’s side had far more advanced weaponry. In no time, a few of them were captured.

Without saying a word, the omega walked up and shot one of them in the hand, blowing it apart. Listening to the screams of pain, he asked, “What are you searching for here?”

No one answered. Without hesitation, he blew apart another man’s foot — the flesh tore open, white bone pierced through.

He didn’t even ask again — just turned the muzzle of the gun toward the third man’s face, one by one.

That person couldn’t hold out any longer and raised his hands. “I’ll talk, I’ll talk! We—we came to look for someone.”

The omega was momentarily stunned. “Looking for someone? Who?”

Just as the man with raised hands was about to speak, one of his companions suddenly punched him on the top of the head — it happened in an instant. And in that exact instant, the omega shot him in the head.

The brain matter of the man who had wanted to keep the secret looked as if it had been scorched.

The alpha who got splattered with blood said, “The Fourth Prince sent us to look — to look for Yuan Yi.”

The omega asked, “Are you sure he’s here?”

The alpha frantically nodded. “N-not completely sure. But the Fourth Prince thinks it’s very likely.”

The omega glanced at the others and said coldly, “Strip them all and throw them into the sea.”

Cries for mercy and angry curses instantly erupted all around.

Yuan Yi couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he had definitely seen enough to understand what kind of methods this omega used.

He asked He Yanwu, “Senior Yanwu, do you know who this person is?”

He Yanwu replied, “His name is Visser. He was originally trained by Marshal Huaman. He should be working under the Second Prince now. Like you, he’s one of those rare omegas who are bold.”

Yuan Yi said, “Then that’s trouble.”

“How so?”

“If he’s looking for blue gel, then he might still have some patience. But if he’s looking for me, and can’t find me, and wants to use that to threaten Li Heng — what do you think he’ll do?”

“Of course he’d… attack this place. Damn it!” He Yanwu suddenly stood up.

“You’re going to find Li Heng?”

“We have to get him to send reinforcements!”

“No. If he really sends troops here, this place will instantly become a second battlefield — and Li Heng will be put in a very passive position,” Yuan Yi said. “I have an idea, though I don’t know if it will work.”

“What idea?”

“Lure them in — and make sure they never leave.”

“How could that work? You’re here — if anything happens to you, I’ll have to bring my own head to see Li Heng!”

“Why say something so scary? The mechanical soldiers here can fight underwater, and we’ve got plenty of energy supplies. The important thing is to draw them into the sea, then cut off their retreat.”

“That way, they’ll find out there’s a hidden army here.”

“If they’re dead, no one will be able to tell whether it was sea beasts or soldiers that did it. As long as we’re fast enough.”

“What if—”

“It’s fine. I’ll talk to Li Heng.”

Snow Wolf said, “Flight Wolf and I will go — we’ll use mechas. If we coordinate well, this plan really can work. Captain He, you stay here and take care of network control. While cutting off their communications, stay in touch with us. Be prepared for either outcome. If anything goes wrong, evacuate Madam and Ji Lan immediately.”

He Yanwu glared at Yuan Yi. “I take it back — you’re even wilder than that Visser.”

Yuan Yi smiled and gently rubbed his belly. He wasn’t being wild. He just wanted to see someone — as soon as possible.

Flight Wolf and Snow Wolf quickly went to make preparations. The hidden mechanical soldiers in the Immortal Mountain descended like falling snow, gathering in two locations. Flight Wolf and Snow Wolf entered their mechas and swiftly deployed.

The people Visser brought were still flying low with energy detectors. Although finding Yuan Yi would be equivalent to gaining a large amount of energy, real, tangible energy sources were obviously even better.

At that moment, Visser issued an external order, instructing someone to send a medium-sized battleship over. But just after he gave the order, two low-flying aircraft suddenly contacted him — reporting that their detection systems had picked up a signal!

And it was a strong signal!

It was blue gel energy!

Visser immediately took people into the air and called over two teams to check out the areas where signals had been detected. Water beastmen and alpha team members, along with some mechanical soldiers, quickly dove into the sea.

At that moment, other aircraft also reported detecting energy signals. Visser sat aboard the command ship, waiting for results.

But although people had already entered the water, quite some time passed without a single sign or movement.

The beastman leader asked, “Did something go wrong? I’ll go take a look.”

The tall beastman leapt into the sea with a thunderous noise.

He dove into the depths, but his vision wasn’t affected in the slightest. Like a shark, he swam swiftly through the water, searching for the location of the blue gel energy.

In his hand was a miniature energy detection rod. Suddenly, it began to glow — he immediately swam toward the direction it indicated. Very quickly, he dove to a depth of at least thirty meters, with his soldiers following closely behind.

They saw several blue light sources, and just when they thought they had successfully located the blue gel—a swarm of mecha soldiers and mechanical troops suddenly surged out from the once-calm seafloor!

By the time they reacted, some had already been shot, others electrocuted into unconsciousness!

By the time the beastman leader realized it was a trap and tried to swim away, a lightning-fast, heavy blow struck him from behind. His back was smashed open by a spiked iron hammer, and blood gushed into the sea in torrents.

The scent of blood drew in crazed sea beasts, which quickly swarmed and surrounded him. Before long, nothing remained but a pile of massive beastman bones…

The sea beasts seemed to avoid attacking the other side’s people — but he would never know the reason why.

Visser, watching as batch after batch of soldiers entered the sea without a single one returning, received yet another report from the aircraft saying energy had been detected — but this time, he didn’t send in anyone else.

He clearly sensed something was wrong and signaled for his ship to ascend higher. At the same time, he attempted once more to send a signal to the Mingzhu Fleet.

The communicator showed the signal had been sent, but bizarrely, no reply came. At that point, he was certain: this place was an ambush, and Yuan Yi was very likely hiding in the vicinity.

But his moment of excitement barely flickered across his eyes before it was interrupted — he suddenly saw a small scout ship up ahead trying to flee. He immediately ordered his own vessel to pursue, but they had barely gone ten li (5 kilometers) when an enormous wall of blue gel rose up to block their path!

The ship’s ascent wasn’t fast enough to outpace the rising wall, and in the blink of an eye, his vessel was trapped, clamped down on the sea’s surface! Meanwhile, not a single one of the aircraft equipped with energy detectors escaped — every last one was dragged into the sea by countless mechanical soldiers that leapt from the water!

Yuan Yi stood behind a transparent gel wall, looking straight at Visser.

He slowly caressed his belly — a gesture that had become a habit — then smiled and asked, “Are you here for the blue gel? Or for me?”