As she watched her sister successfully complete her transformation—now clad in a black, classical Hanfu with long white hair and crimson eyes, resembling her usual self but noticeably larger in every aspect—Yan Qi’s eyes flickered with a hint of complexity. Yet, she said nothing.
Seeing that her sister was now ready, Yan Qi spoke up.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
Feeling the unusually abundant power coursing through her, Yan Yu, who was only on her second transformation, couldn’t help but marvel at the novelty of it all. Hearing Yan Qi’s voice, she quickly lifted her head and responded.
Then, the two of them walked one after the other toward the first-floor entrance of the dormitory.
Realizing that Yan Qi and Yan Yu were about to disappear from sight, Zhou Jiamin—who had been stunned by witnessing Yan Yu’s complete transformation into someone entirely different—finally snapped out of her daze and called out to them.
“Um, please… take care of my mom. Bring her back safely.”
“Jiamin, we’ll definitely bring your mom back,” Yan Yu, her close friend, quickly turned and promised.
Hearing this, Yan Qi, who was walking ahead without looking back, remained silent, only adding in her heart:
If her mother is still alive.
With that, Yan Yu said nothing more to Zhou Jiamin, and the two of them exited through the dormitory’s first-floor entrance.
Once they reached the open area between the dormitory buildings, after a brief exchange, Yan Yu wrapped her arms around her sister’s slender waist, and the two soared into the sky, heading toward their destination.
…..
After flying for over ten minutes, Yan Qi—already accustomed to observing the world from this height—showed no fear as she took in the nightscape of Ninghang City below.
Spotting the tunnel entrance where Zhou Jiamin’s mother had last been seen, Yan Qi quickly pointed downward.
“Yu-jie, we’re here. That tunnel entrance up ahead is where Zhou Jiamin’s mom was last seen.”
Following her finger, Yan Yu saw the tunnel entrance at the foot of the nearby mountain. Knowing this was their destination, she said nothing and began descending. Soon, they landed safely on the ground.
“Is this the tunnel?” Yan Yu asked, eyeing the seemingly ordinary entrance where a few cars occasionally passed through.
Yan Qi nodded. “Yes, this is it. Zhou Jiamin’s mother was last seen here.”
“But… nothing looks out of the ordinary here.”
“We won’t find anything just by looking. We need to go inside and investigate.”
After saying this, Yan Qi strode decisively toward the tunnel entrance. Seeing this, Yan Yu followed without another word.
Having scoured the human internet and knowing that many supernatural incidents were linked to Abyssal Beasts, Yan Qi sharpened her senses as they entered the tunnel via the pedestrian walkway, trying to detect any traces of their presence.
But after careful observation, she sensed nothing.
No Abyssal Beast had been here.
How is this possible? The surveillance clearly showed Zhou Jiamin’s mother disappearing after entering this tunnel.
Frowning, Yan Qi muttered under her breath.
“What’s wrong? Did you find something?” Yan Yu, noticing her expression, asked with concern.
“It’s nothing, Yu-jie. Let’s keep going. Maybe we’ll find some clues further in.”
Without elaborating, Yan Qi pressed forward, hoping to detect any lingering aura deeper inside.
Yet even after walking the entire length of the tunnel—several hundred meters—she sensed nothing.
Strange… Why can’t I feel anything at all?
“Yu-jie, do you sense anything unusual?” she finally asked.
Yan Yu shook her head. “No, nothing.”
“You don’t either? Then what’s going on here? Could something be blocking the Abyssal Beasts’ aura?”
The moment she said it, a realization struck her.
Of course. There are things in this world that can mask their presence.
Turning to Yan Yu, she pointed toward a nearby grove.
“Yu-jie, this situation is more complicated than we thought. Handling it alone might be beyond us now. I need to go into that grove to ask a friend for help. Can you wait here for a bit?”
At first, Yan Yu’s heart sank at the first part of her words. But when Yan Qi mentioned calling for backup, she relaxed.
“Alright, Xiao-Ge. Go ahead and contact your friend.”