New Mission

Over the next few days, Qin Tian immersed himself completely in cultivation. His Psionic Energy grew rapidly, and he soon opened his first Star Aperture, officially becoming a first-rank, one-star Psionic User.

Not only that, but his progress in mastering Thunderous Charge Saber and Ninefold Thunder Flash was also very encouraging, and he became increasingly adept at applying them in actual combat.

"Qin Tian, Yunlong, Zhaozhao, we've got a new mission."

In the cafeteria, Qin Dadi glanced at the new notification on his Smart Watch and said gravely,

Xiao Yunlong had his mouth full. He mumbled,

"Didn't they say the war was almost over? How come there's still a new mission?"

Liu Zhaozhao wiped her mouth and asked, "Captain, what do we have to do for this mission?"

Qin Dadi said slowly,

"A few days ago, a company escorting supplies back to the Scorching Sun Valley base suddenly disappeared just before reaching it. The base then sent several squads to look for clues, but they also... disappeared."

At that, everyone's hearts sank.

A missing company was no small matter. The Military Department had surely sent elite troops to investigate what had happened.

Yet even those elite troops had disappeared. That meant the enemy was much stronger than they had expected.

"Shouldn't something like this be beyond us?" Xiao Yunlong said timidly.

To put it bluntly, among all the Special Forces Squads at the base, the Earth Dragon Squad was at best middle of the pack.

There were plenty of squads stronger than them.

The elite squads were the ones who should be sent in.

Qin Dadi explained, "The Military Department has sent out more than a hundred Special Forces Squads this time. Our mission is only to investigate for clues. If we run into a real tough opponent, another squad will deal with it."

"Oh, I see~"

Xiao Yunlong breathed a sigh of relief. If all they had to do was investigate, there was no need to worry too much.

"When do we leave?" Qin Tian asked.

Qin Dadi replied, "This afternoon. A combat aircraft will take us to the designated location, and each squad will be responsible for one area."

"All right. The good life never lasts. Time to get back to work," Xiao Yunlong sighed.

They had thought they could safely and peacefully wait out the war at the Scorching Sun Valley base. They hadn't expected a new mission to come after just a few days' rest.

Who knew what kind of opponents they would encounter next?

Qin Tian lowered his head and gently bit his straw, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

He hoped he would find some more interesting Talent Orbs this time.

Vrooom~~~

The combat aircraft streaked across the sky, leaving a long trail of white vapor behind it.

The four members of the Earth Dragon Squad sat in the cabin, fully equipped.

Qin Tian had brought the "Hidden Kill" Rune Gun and a Dragon Falcon Rifle. He had also checked out a decent Black Steel Battle Saber from the quartermaster.

The saber was extremely sharp, able to cut hair with a breath, and felt very comfortable in his hand.

Unfortunately, the blade had been lent to him by the 319th Legion. He would have to return it once the mission was over.

Not long afterward, the aircraft landed in an open area on a plain.

The four of them jumped out and looked around.

As far as the eye could see, vast stretches of brown earth spread in every direction. It was as if the passage of time had drained the land of all life, leaving behind a dull, monotonous hue that stretched lifelessly into the distance.

A short way off, several low hills stood out abruptly. A few sparse patches of withered grass grew on them.

"The squad we're looking for disappeared here, and their signal was cut off."

Qin Dadi opened the electronic map. A red dot blinked in its center.

Every Special Forces Squad wore a Tracking Device when they went on a mission, so the Command Center could pinpoint their exact location.

If the signal ever became abnormal, it meant the squad was in danger and needed another squad to come to their aid.

Vrooom~~~

The combat aircraft slowly rose into the air, blue flames belching from its underside. Once it reached a height of a hundred meters, flames burst from its rear, and it flew back toward the base.

"Wow, that guy left without even saying goodbye."

Xiao Yunlong pursed his lips. He had a bone to pick with the pilot. The man had ignored him when he tried to chat, then later snapped at him to keep quiet.

What was so great about being a pilot, anyway?

"Everyone has a different personality. Try to understand," Qin Dadi said, patting him on the shoulder. Then he looked around and said with some exasperation,

"What I'm worried about now is where we should start looking on such a huge plain."

Xiao Yunlong shrugged. "If we really have no ideas, we can just pick a direction and try our luck. Qin Tian, Zhaozhao, what do you two think?"

"Either way is fine."

Liu Zhaozhao nodded. She usually didn't like voicing her opinions and mostly went along with Qin Dadi. She was a quiet young beauty.

Qin Tian crouched down and scooped up a handful of fine sand. He gently rubbed it between his fingers, and the tiny brown grains trickled through them.

"Qin Tian, what are you doing?" Xiao Yunlong asked curiously.

Qin Tian stood up and held out the sand in his palm. "Look closely at the color."

At that, the other three immediately gathered around and stared at the grains in his hand.

Soon, they noticed something unusual.

"Is the color a little darker than the sand around it?" Xiao Yunlong asked uncertainly.

"It does seem that way," Liu Zhaozhao agreed with a nod.

"Qin Tian, what did you find?" Qin Dadi asked directly.

Qin Tian said slowly, "There's blood in the sand."

"Blood?"

Xiao Yunlong blinked, then suddenly understood. "I was wondering why the color was darker. It's mixed with blood! Wow, Qin Tian, your eyes are sharp. How did you even notice that?"

Qin Tian said nothing. In fact, his eyesight wasn't that good. He had simply smelled the blood.

His Blue Talent, [Shadow Muscle and Bone], not only gave him the same explosive strength, reflexes, and flexibility as a Shadow Catman, but also granted him exceptionally powerful senses of smell and hearing, as well as Night Vision Ability.

The moment he stepped onto this land, he had caught the faint smell of blood beneath his feet.

It was very faint.

But there was no doubt about it: this was where the squad they were looking for had met with disaster.

"Qin Tian, do you have any other clues? Or can you point us in a direction?" Qin Dadi asked.

Without anyone noticing, Qin Tian had gradually become the backbone of the squad whenever they went on a mission or entered combat.

In a fight, Qin Tian led the charge.

And when it came to making decisions for the squad, they also turned to Qin Tian's opinion first.

Qin Tian's nostrils twitched slightly as he tried to pick out the strongest trace of blood in the air.

"Let's head that way first."

Qin Tian pointed southeast.

"Sure. We'll follow your lead."

Qin Dadi agreed without hesitation.

"That's it? Decision made?"

Xiao Yunlong raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a little too hasty?"

In his view, Qin Tian hadn't even crouched down to inspect the ground. He'd just pointed in a direction as if at random.

They did have no leads, and could go in any direction, but somehow it still felt a little odd.

"Trust Qin Tian," Liu Zhaozhao said. After everything they had been through, she trusted him unconditionally.

"Fine."

Xiao Yunlong didn't dwell on it. After all, their mission was only to find clues. If they found some, great; if not, they wouldn't be punished.

"Move out!"

The four of them formed a line and headed into the distance beneath the dusky evening sun.