My Mosquito Clones Are on a Killing Spree

Meanwhile.

Lin Yi’s gaze swept across the crowd.

It quickly locked onto a particularly conspicuous figure—

Luo Qian.

Luo Qian was hauling a massive, bulging tactical backpack, with two swollen leather pouches slung diagonally at his waist. He looked like a walking armory.

The corners of Lin Yi’s mouth lifted slightly as he strode over to meet him.

"Luo, did you decide to bring your entire house with you?" Lin Yi teased.

Luo Qian looked up at the sound of his voice. When he saw Lin Yi, empty-handed except for his long spear, his eyes went wide.

"Lin?! You... you just came like this?"

He looked Lin Yi up and down. Besides that signature long spear of his, he didn’t even have a decent backpack.

"We’re going into a tomb! Deep into the ruins of Pre-Qin Qi Cultivators! This isn’t some sparring match on the training grounds. You only brought a spear? How are you going to manage without any professional equipment? This is just reckless!"

Lin Yi was unconcerned. With a flick of his wrist, the Owl Dragon Long Spear on his shoulder slid smoothly into his hand.

He raised an eyebrow and retorted,

"With a spear in hand to shatter all evil, what else do I need to prepare?"

"Hey! You brute!"

Luo Qian looked at him with sheer exasperation, as if scolding a hopeless case.

Panting, he set down his backpack and deftly unzipped it.

"Tomb exploring is all about being professional! Understand? Professional!"

His tone was exaggerated, but tinged with a hint of showing off.

First, he carefully took out a black pottery jar sealed with a special talisman paper.

"See this? Third Grade black dog’s blood! Collected during a Pure Yang Hour. It’s the purest Yang and incredibly potent. Excellent for dispelling evil and dealing with foul creatures!"

He shook the jar proudly.

Next,

he pulled out a massive, perfectly formed hoof, black as ink and faintly shimmering with a metallic luster.

"A Second Grade black donkey’s hoof! It’s well-aged and packed with Yang energy. Works like a charm for suppressing zombies and evil spirits!"

After that,

he cradled an ancient-looking Brass Compass in his palm, its surface intricately engraved with the Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, and the paths of stars.

"An authentic Feng Shui dragon-seeking compass! We’ll rely on it to find dragon veins, determine fortune from misfortune, and avoid traps and mechanisms!"

Lin Yi watched as Luo Qian, like a magician pulling tricks from a hat, took out one bizarre item after another, each radiating an extraordinary aura.

Even with his resolute mind, he couldn’t help but let his jaw drop slightly.

A flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

’This guy,’ he thought, ’is truly a product of his family’s deep-rooted knowledge. These preparations... he’s armed to the teeth!’

Compared to Luo Qian, his single spear did seem a bit inadequate.

Just as Lin Yi and Luo Qian were bantering,

the low rumble of an engine grew louder as it approached.

A specially reinforced bus, jet-black like a steel beast, came to a steady stop in front of the group.

Chen Zhenguo’s sharp gaze swept over everyone, his voice booming.

"Everyone, on the bus! We’re leaving!"

At his command, the once-noisy plaza fell silent in an instant.

Over a dozen teachers with solemn auras and Cultivation Levels of at least the Third Grade, along with the two students, Lin Yi and Luo Qian, quickly composed themselves. They grabbed their respective Weapons and gear, filing onto the bus in a swift and orderly fashion.

The sound of heavy footsteps and the soft clang of weapons against armor echoed inside the bus.

Lin Yi and Luo Qian found a spot by a window and sat down.

Luo Qian carefully placed his precious backpack by his feet and let out a long sigh of relief.

Lin Yi leaned his Owl Dragon Long Spear against the window and gazed outside.

Finally,

Chen Zhenguo and Wang Yiming also boarded the bus.

With a heavy CLANG, the bus door shut.

The engine gave a low growl.

Like an arrow loosed from a bow, the bus sped out of the school gates, heading toward the east gate of Yang City.

The bus rolled onward.

The clamor of the city was quickly left behind.

The scenery outside flew past.

Skyscrapers gradually gave way to low-rise residences,

which in turn dissolved into a vast, verdant wilderness.

「Over half an hour later.」

The bus had left Yang City far behind, entering a winding mountain road that led into an unknown range.

Luo Qian, who had been staring out the window, suddenly furrowed his brow, a look of clear confusion on his face.

He whipped his head around and whispered to Lin Yi,

"Lin, something’s not right! This direction... The two Pre-Qin tombs controlled by the government, and the one belonging to the Zhou family, are all to the west and south! Why are we heading east into the mountains?"

His voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet bus, it was exceptionally clear.

As a member of a family of archaeologists, Luo Qian knew the information about the ancient tombs around Yang City like the back of his hand.

The bus’s deviation from the expected route made him keenly sense that something was amiss.

Many of the teachers on the bus, who had been resting with their eyes closed or talking in low voices, now also looked up. They gazed out the windows, their faces showing similar expressions of doubt and curiosity.

They had only been notified to join the tomb expedition; the school had not disclosed the specific destination beforehand.

The atmosphere inside the bus quietly grew tense and delicate.

Chen Zhenguo exchanged a look with Wang Yiming, who was sitting in the front row.

Wang Yiming gave a slight nod.

Chen Zhenguo stood up, his burly frame seeming especially tall within the confines of the bus.

He cleared his throat. His resonant voice instantly suppressed all other noise as his sharp gaze swept over the crowd.

"Teachers, students!"

"To ensure absolute secrecy for this operation, a lot of key information was not shared with you beforehand."

"Now that we are on our way and deep in the wilderness, it is time to reveal the secret!"

"The target of this expedition organized by Yang City No. 1 High School is not any of the publicly known great tombs of the Pre-Qin Qi Cultivators!"

"Instead, it is a brand-new, unexplored ancient tomb—one that student Wang Yiming successfully found clues for and located within a vast ocean of ancient text fragments!"

"Its location..."

Chen Zhenguo pointed a hand out the window toward the majestic, rolling mountain range shrouded in clouds and mist.

"...is deep within Wangwu Mountain!"