Every Sentinel I Dreamed of Came Looking for Me

"And you? What are you planning to do?"

Xing Che knew Si Jin had already sent his spiritual body to Yun Sheng’s side. A spiritual body couldn’t be separated from its main body for too long unless a massive amount of spiritual power was used to sustain it.

In this regard, he truly admired Si Jin. For Yun Sheng, it seemed he cared about nothing else and was willing to sacrifice anything.

"I’m going to the Central Zone to investigate and find out who the mastermind is!" Si Jin’s voice turned cold in an instant.

The person behind the scenes had been plotting against him, and now they had their sights on Yun Sheng. He had to eliminate this threat.

He would not allow Yun Sheng’s secret to be exposed to someone with such ulterior motives.

Xing Che raised an eyebrow, his tone holding a hint of an ambiguous smile. "Are you planning to entrust Shengsheng to me?"

Si Jin whipped his head around, his glare at Xing Che so icy it could freeze water.

"Just to have you protect her temporarily." His voice was low, as if squeezed through gritted teeth. "If I weren’t worried about Yun Sheng’s safety..."

He didn’t finish, but the unspoken half of his sentence was colder than anything he could have said.

But Xing Che wasn’t intimidated by his gaze. Instead, he let out a light laugh, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and took half a step back.

"Fine, temporary it is. You can go investigate without worry. Leave Shengsheng to me."

Si Jin shot him a look, said no more, and turned to dart into the depths of the dense forest, his figure quickly vanishing into the dim light.

Xing Che stood there, watching his receding figure, and let out a soft "tsk."

"All talk. He’s just jealous."

He muttered quietly to himself, then turned and walked toward the camp.

...

When Yun Sheng and the others arrived at the assembly point, everyone from Team Three was present, except for Zhao Qian.

Zhao Qian was still laid up in the medical bay, so she naturally couldn’t participate in this mission.

Guo Kai stood at the head of the team, looking down at the terminal in his hand. He glanced up at the sound of footsteps, and his eyes landed on Yun Sheng, pausing for a moment.

His gaze was complex, a mix of appraisal and an unreadable emotion.

Ma Yu also glanced at her. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words.

They all knew what had happened with Zhao Qian. Yun Sheng had defeated her, practically destroying her spiritual landscape.

For an F-level to beat a C-level that badly—anyone would give her a second look.

Yun Sheng walked to her position with an impassive expression and stood still, flanked by Cheng Nian and Li Wen.

Guo Kai retracted his gaze and didn’t say much, simply stating in a deep voice, "Everyone’s here. Let’s move out."

The team moved quickly along the forest path outside the camp, heading for the designated area.

The sky was oppressively gloomy. A thick layer of clouds hung extremely low, blanketing the entire dense forest in a hazy darkness.

A pungent, rotten stench filled the air, like something had been decaying in the shadows for a long time. Mixed with the damp, earthy smell, it was enough to make one’s throat tighten.

From time to time, low roars echoed in the distance, sometimes near, sometimes far, making it impossible to pinpoint their direction.

Guo Kai raised a hand, signaling the team to halt. He was about to say, "First, check your gear," but before the words could leave his mouth...

"Watch out!"

Ma Yu abruptly drew his blade and lunged toward the team’s left flank.

A black shadow shot out from the bushes with astonishing speed.

It was a rabid, mutated deer. It was a full size larger than a normal deer, its body covered in dark gray scales. Its once-gentle eyes were now scarlet, its fangs were bared, and it was charging head-down toward the group!

Guo Kai’s expression changed. He drew his blade to meet the charge. The clash of his blade against its antlers produced a piercing, metallic clang.

The mutated deer’s strength was astounding. Guo Kai was knocked back several steps, his feet carving two deep grooves in the ground.

Ma Yu swung his blade from the side, striking its neck. The scales split open, and black blood gushed out. The creature cried out in pain and whipped its head around to ram Ma Yu.

"Spiritual power attacks! Don’t let it get close!"

Guo Kai shouted, blocking another of the mutated deer’s charges with his blade, but the impact forced him back half a step.

Cheng Nian gritted her teeth and condensed her spiritual power, forming a thin needle that she shot at the mutated deer’s abdomen. However, it only left a shallow white mark on its scales. The beast didn’t even glance at her.

Li Wen’s spiritual power was a bit more solid than Cheng Nian’s. She fired several thin needles at once, which accurately lodged in the gaps of the mutated deer’s front leg joints.

The creature’s charge faltered slightly, and Ma Yu seized the opportunity to retreat several steps, creating some distance.

He Yi and Zhou Ying flanked it from the left and right. Their blades, wreathed in spiritual power, clashed with its antlers, sending sparks flying.

Zhou Ying slashed at the mutated deer’s ribs while He Yi took the chance to stab at its hind leg. The two worked in perfect sync, but they still couldn’t land a fatal blow.

Yun Sheng narrowed her eyes. The spiritual power gathering in her palm suddenly compressed, forming an invisible blade.

She aimed for the mutated deer’s scarlet eye, and with a flick of her wrist, the blade shot through the air, its speed so fast its path was nearly invisible.

PSHH!

A spray of black blood erupted. The mutated deer let out a piercing shriek, thrashed its head, and staggered sideways, crashing into and snapping a tree as thick as a bowl.

Its left eye was now a bloody socket, black blood streaming down its cheek.

The beast struggled frantically, rolling and shrieking on the ground, making the earth tremble slightly.

Everyone was stunned.

Yun Sheng calmly withdrew her hand and said coolly, "Finish it."

Ma Yu was the first to react. He charged forward with his blade and slit the mutated deer’s throat.

The creature twitched a few times, then finally went still.

Zhou Ying sheathed her blade and turned to look at Yun Sheng, her eyes burning with an intense light, like a hunter who had finally found a worthy opponent.

She was the first to walk over, stopping in front of Yun Sheng. "Yun Sheng," she said in a low voice, "after this cleanup mission is over, I insist on having a match with you."

Yun Sheng curved her lips into a slight smile. "Fine."

Cheng Nian looked from Yun Sheng to Zhou Ying and muttered softly, "Why is everyone so eager to have a match?"

The moment her words fell, a piercing screech suddenly erupted.

Unlike the chaotic roars from before, this was a singular cry from a single pollutant, carrying a kind of skin-crawling pressure.

The little wolf that had been resting quietly in Yun Sheng’s pocket suddenly became agitated. It poked its head out, its ears standing straight up.

Its deep blue eyes were fixed on the direction behind them, as if it had sensed something extremely dangerous.

Yun Sheng’s heart sank.

The little wolf was Si Jin’s spiritual body. Its perception of danger was far more acute than any human’s.

’For it to react like this, whatever is coming is definitely not simple!’

She reached out and pressed down on the little wolf’s head, gently pushing it back into her pocket. "I know," she whispered.

The little wolf nuzzled her palm and quieted down, but its eyes remained fixed on that direction, not wavering for an instant.

Guo Kai’s expression had also turned grim. The veins on the hand gripping his blade bulged as he said in a heavy tone, "Everyone, maintain formation. Watch your surroundings."

The team regrouped, everyone’s nerves stretched to the breaking point.

Just then, the trees a dozen meters ahead began to shake violently, their leaves and branches rustling loudly, as if some colossal creature was forcing its way through.

A low roar exploded from behind the trees, shaking the very ground beneath them.

"This is bad!" Ma Yu’s face paled, his voice cracking. "It’s an S-Class Iron-Backed Bear!"