Lu Zhaoming stared at the semi-transparent system interface in front of him. The line of cold prompt text floated in the air like a ghost, with a metallic texture and crystal clear.
[Warning: Weak, unknown signal fluctuations detected in the core region of the Annihilation Matrix... Energy trajectory analysis in progress... Abnormal targeting... Preliminary assessment suggests possible connection to the latest movements of target 'White Robe'...]
“Unknown signal residue…” Lu Zhaoming muttered to himself, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
That scoundrel ran away pretty fast, but he still managed to leave his tail behind.
This signal is most likely the work of that white-robed teleportation device.
"Qinglian." Lu Zhaoming lowered his voice, his gaze sharp as he swept over Qinglian, who was waiting beside him.
"The signal is weak, but it's enough for us to track it. Can we find that scoundrel's hideout?"
Upon hearing this, Qinglian immediately stepped forward, her expression focused.
She closed her eyes, her slender fingers trembling slightly, and a faint blue energy emanated from her body.
This is her unique auxiliary ability, which allows her to sense and amplify even the slightest energy fluctuations; she's practically a mobile signal tower.
A few seconds later, Qinglian opened her eyes, her gaze showing a hint of weariness, but even more so, determination.
“Brother Zhaoming, I can feel a faint signal fluctuation, pointing towards…” She stretched out her hand, pointing deep into the tunnel, “over there!”
Professor Lin stood to the side, his gray eyebrows furrowed, his expression somewhat solemn.
He pushed up his reading glasses and said seriously, "This signal could be a trap. That guy in the white robe is no pushover. He won't easily expose his weaknesses."
"A trap?" Lu Zhaoming scoffed, curling his lip in disdain.
"Then let him see that our methods go beyond this. Since he wants to play dirty tricks, I'll play along with him."
After saying that, Lu Zhaoming took the lead and walked into the depths of the tunnel.
"Afu, clear the way!" he ordered without turning his head.
"Alright!" Afu responded, nimbly darting to the front of the line.
He pulled out a strangely shaped detector from his waist and cautiously probed the way, muttering to himself, "This place is eerie; I have a feeling something's not right."
Following the signal, the group carefully traversed the abandoned underground tunnel.
The tunnel walls were covered with dense cracks, spreading like a spider web, as if they had been ravaged by countless earthquakes and could collapse at any moment.
Water droplets dripped from above, making a "drip-drip" sound that was particularly clear and eerie in the silent tunnel.
Lu Zhaoming looked up and saw countless swaying rocks hanging from the top of the tunnel, like sharp swords hanging overhead, making him feel a sense of unease.
The air was filled with a damp, rotten smell, mixed with a faint stench of blood, which was nauseating.
"Watch your head!" Lu Zhaoming warned in a deep voice, quickening his pace.
While scanning the surrounding environment with a detector, Afu carefully observed the structure of the tunnel.
Suddenly, he stopped, squatted down, and carefully examined a section of the wall.
“Brother Zhaoming, something’s not right here.” Afu pointed to several hidden reinforcement marks on the wall and said in a low voice, “These places have been reinforced by someone, and the material used is very special. It’s not ordinary concrete. It seems to be…” He paused, as if recalling something, “It seems to be a high-strength alloy material!”
"High-strength alloy?" Lu Zhaoming raised an eyebrow, a vague sense of unease creeping into his heart.
"It seems this place is indeed not simple."
“And…” Afu continued, “I found some fresh footprints on the ground, they must have been left recently. And… and I also smelled a faint perfume scent.”
"Perfume scent?" Lu Zhaoming's lips curled up slightly, revealing a playful smile.
"It seems this man in the white robe is quite particular. Even at this hour, he still remembers to spray on some perfume."
"Afu, can you estimate how many people own these footprints?" Lu Zhaoming asked.
Afu observed carefully for a while, then said, "Judging from the number and depth of the footprints, there should be about five or six people. Moreover... these people acted very cautiously, leaving almost no obvious traces."
“Five or six people…” Lu Zhaoming stroked his chin and pondered, “It seems this white-robed man is quite something. But… no matter how cunning he is, he can’t escape my grasp!”
“This place might lead to some important location; people in white robes frequently come and go here,” Afu said, standing up with a serious expression.
Lu Zhaoming nodded, his gaze fixed firmly on the depths of the tunnel.
"It seems we are getting closer to the truth."
"Speed up, but stay alert!" Lu Zhaoming ordered.
Upon hearing this, everyone quickened their pace and sped towards the depths of the tunnel.
However, just as they approached the source of the signal, a cold system notification suddenly sounded in Lu Zhaoming's mind.
[Warning: High-intensity energy interference detected, which may affect tracking accuracy.]
Lu Zhaoming frowned and stopped in his tracks.
He sensed a powerful energy fluctuation interfering with the system's signal reception, making tracking extremely difficult.
"What's wrong, Brother Zhaoming?" Qinglian asked hurriedly when she saw Lu Zhaoming suddenly stop.
“There’s interference,” Lu Zhaoming said in a deep voice. “The energy fluctuations here are very strong and are affecting the system’s tracking accuracy.”
"Interference?" Professor Lin's expression changed upon hearing this.
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