Pearl lightly coughed, pulling everyone's attention back to the matter at hand:
"Regarding the abnormal power index of the underground dark river, we still need to investigate further. However, before taking action, it's best we prepare ourselves first."
The group exchanged simple opinions, discussing potential dangers and counter-strategies.
The atmosphere in the room gradually relaxed, and everyone was filled with anticipation for the upcoming adventure.
At this moment, Pearl stood up and elegantly surveyed her surroundings:
"Everyone, I think it's time to arrange accommodation."
"We will first go to the hotel to rest and organize our gear, then we can start our action. This way, we can ensure we face the upcoming challenges in our best condition."
Hiyakura and her extraordinary team nodded in agreement.
Soon, a large group of people were headed towards the elevator.
The corridor echoed with light conversation and laughter, as everyone seemed eager for the impending adventure.
When they arrived at the elevator, the doors slowly opened.
Two people dressed in black robes stepped out, and their demeanor appeared somewhat furtive.
The attire of these two would have attracted attention in an ordinary city.
But in the Sea Country, where unusual clothing was commonplace, they did not draw much notice.
Pearl merely cast a slight glance at the two black-robed figures and continued talking with the person beside her.
In the Sea Country, all sorts of peculiar outfits were an everyday sight.
However, just as the two groups brushed past each other, an unexpected event occurred.
One of the black-robed individuals suddenly stopped, turned, and stared intently at Tao Yao.
Her body clearly stiffened, and her voice was filled with incredulous shock.
"You..."
The black-robed person reached out her hand, seemingly intending to grab Tao Yao.
But in this critical moment, Forget-Me-Not quickly reacted and stepped in front of Tao Yao.
"You are very suspicious!"
Forget-Me-Not shouted sharply, "Looking so furtive, you must not be ordinary people, right?"
As Forget-Me-Not spoke, the temperature around them dropped sharply.
A sense of coldness spread through the air, whipping up a chilling wind.
Forget-Me-Not's hands began to emit blue light, ready to launch an attack at any moment.
Taking advantage of the black-robed person's moment of shock, Forget-Me-Not quickly moved to pull back her hood.
Only then did the black-robed person react in a panic, hurriedly stepping backward to avoid Forget-Me-Not's hand.
However, it was already too late.
Although the black-robed individual barely managed to evade in time, a corner of her hood was still flipped up by Forget-Me-Not.
Everyone present held their breath, staring intently at the gradually revealed face.
Hiyakura's pupils suddenly constricted, her voice filled with disbelief:
"Shiro?!"
Upon hearing this name, the other black-robed person sighed lightly, her tone tinged with resignation:
"Shiro, we've been exposed."
As she spoke, she slowly lowered her hood, revealing a gentle face that also bore a hint of vigilance.
Zhu Jin's gaze swept across everyone present before finally settling on Hiyakura.
Shiro seemed to still be recovering from her shock.
Her eyes remained fixed on Tao Yao, filled with complex emotions.
After a while, she regained her composure and said to Zhu Jin:
"I'm sorry, Miss Zhu Jin, maybe I was lovesick; her scent is so similar to Miss Tao Yao's that I couldn't control my emotions..."
At that moment, Laurel also recognized the two, especially when she clearly saw Zhu Jin's face, her expression changed dramatically:
"An apostle cult member? What are you doing here?!"
Upon hearing Laurel's words, Zhu Jin displayed a relaxed smile, as if she had anticipated such a reaction.
She shrugged, her tone carrying a hint of mockery:
"Is it even a question? What else would we be here for, if not to stop you?"
Before her words even fell, Zhu Jin's hand had already reached behind her.
Before anyone could react, she had pulled out a uniquely shaped bow.
The bowstring was drawn tight, and an arrow shimmering with a strange glow was aimed at Laurel and her group.
"Watch out!"
Laurel shouted loudly, quickly deploying a protective barrier in front of herself.
The arrow struck the barrier, producing a piercing buzzing sound.
Although the barrier blocked the attack, Laurel's expression turned grave.
Just as Laurel prepared to advance and engage Zhu Jin in close combat, she saw the other party pull out a black control device.
It was a small device with several prominent buttons, resembling...
"A bomb!"
Laurel's pupils suddenly constricted as she realized what was about to happen.
However, it was already too late.
A cold smile crept onto Zhu Jin's lips as she unhesitatingly pressed the button.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion echoed throughout the entire hotel.
The ground shook violently, cracks appeared in the walls, and the lights in the ceiling swayed precariously.
Dust and debris flew everywhere, and the air was thick with acrid smoke.
Hotel guests screamed and fled in all directions, and the entire lobby fell into chaos.
Alarm bells rang, the shrill sound echoing in every corner.
The shockwave from the explosion knocked everyone to the ground.
Hiyakura struggled to prop herself up, dazedly looking around.
Through the smoke and dust, she saw Laurel desperately trying to maintain the protective barrier, safeguarding her companions behind her.
Pearl, though staggered back by the shock, quickly stabilized herself and kept a vigilant eye on Zhu Jin and Shiro's direction.
As the aftershocks of the explosion gradually subsided, the dust hanging in the air slowly began to clear.
Everyone struggled to get up from the ground, cautiously scanning their surroundings.
However, when their vision cleared again, Shiro and Zhu Jin had already vanished without a trace.
It was as if they had never existed, leaving behind a scene of devastation as proof of their former presence.
Laurel stood up, brushing off the thick dust from herself.
Her face was filled with annoyance and anger,
"They ran away..."
She took a deep breath, striving to calm her inner fury.
Then, Laurel turned to Hiyakura and Jasmine, who had been standing beside her, "Are you guys hurt?"
Jasmine gently shook her head, still maintaining her composure:
"I'm fine."
Hiyakura: "It's nothing serious; just a scratch from something..."
Only then did everyone notice that on Hiyakura's fair arm,
There was a long bloody mark.
Bright red blood slowly flowed, contrasting sharply with her pale skin.
At that moment, Tao Yao stepped forward.
She carefully examined Hiyakura's wound and said softly:
"It should be from debris from the explosion. Don't worry; I'll help you treat the wound."
As she spoke, she had already taken out simple medical supplies from her small bag.
Hiyakura didn't reject Tao Yao's kindness.
She sat quietly, allowing Tao Yao to treat her wound.
Tao Yao's movements were gentle and practiced; first, she carefully cleaned the area around the wound with disinfectant, then she carefully applied ointment.
Finally, she used a pristine bandage to wrap the wound,
The entire process was light and delicate, as if afraid of hurting Hiyakura.
And Hiyakura kept gazing at the focused profile of Tao Yao.
Suddenly, a hint of a smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.
Taking advantage of the moment when Tao Yao was absorbed in bandaging,
Hiyakura reached out with her other hand and swiftly removed the fox mask from Tao Yao's face.