In the night sky, Lin Yi's figure split into ten like a ghost, and then into a hundred. Each illusion carried a faint spatial fluctuation, like countless pebbles thrown into a lake, instantly disrupting the inescapable net laid by the night owl.
The tracking signal became completely chaotic in that instant, darting around the city like a headless fly, losing its precise target.
"Su Qing, execute the 'silence protocol'!" Lin Yi's voice was calm and unwavering as he clearly issued the command through the encrypted bone conduction headphones.
"Received!" Su Qing's response was brief and forceful.
Her slender fingers flew across the virtual keyboard, and commands transformed into an invisible torrent of numbers, instantly severing all external communication links centered on the command center.
Like a giant black cloth, it ruthlessly covered the signal sky of the entire area, so even if the Night Owl had superhuman abilities, he could no longer trace their whereabouts through any conventional means.
In this tense moment, a faint yet clear fluctuation of thought pierced through the layers of blockade and directly entered Lin Yi's mind.
It's Xuanmingzi!
"The source of the key resonance frequency anomaly is located in the third energy tower in the western sector of the mother hive. The main force of the Night Owl has weak defenses, but its energy reaction is extremely high. It is recommended to eliminate it first, which may be able to cut off one of its arms."
Mother Nest West District, Third Energy Tower!
Lin Yi's eyes narrowed. That was one of the most important energy supply nodes for Night Owl. If it were paralyzed, the operation of the entire mother nest would be severely damaged.
More importantly, the resonance of the "key" points there, which means that the target is very likely inside the tower, or that the tower holds the key clues to unlocking the secret of the "key".
"Fortune favors the bold, it seems I have no choice but to go this time." A cold smile curled at the corner of Lin Yi's lips.
Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately ordered Chu Yao, who was lurking in the shadows: "Chu Yao, your data entity will infiltrate the Third Energy Tower first, ascertain its internal structure and defense system, and focus on the core database. I need to know what Night Owl is hiding inside!"
"Understood!" Chu Yao's clear voice carried a hint of excitement.
For her, this kind of highly challenging information infiltration was far more fascinating than direct combat.
In an instant, an invisible stream of consciousness, like the most precise probe, silently stripped away Chu Yao's physical form, transforming into a pure data stream that sped along the intricate underground optical cables at a speed exceeding the speed of light towards the third energy tower in the western district of the mother nest.
The Third Energy Tower, like a colossal pillar reaching to the heavens, pierces the clouds, its body shimmering with a ghostly blue energy halo, radiating a chilling pressure.
Its core database is surrounded by layers of physical and energy barriers, making it one of the most impregnable fortresses of the Night Owl organization.
However, for Chu Yao, who is in the form of data, all of this is just a puzzle that requires more "computing power" to solve.
Like a drop of water merging into the ocean, she silently bypassed the regular peripheral scans, easily broke through several firewalls, and went straight into the vast core database.
Countless data streams flashed past her eyes, the vast amount of information as dazzling as a galaxy.
Chu Yao's goal was clear: to target the encrypted files related to the "key," "higher-level consciousness," and "experiment."
Suddenly, her data stream paused slightly, and an extremely subtle but exceptionally powerful suction force came from the depths of the database, like an invisible giant net trying to capture her existence.
"Oh no! It's a consciousness trap!" Chu Yao exclaimed in alarm.
This force is extremely insidious. It does not attack directly, but rather gently attracts and envelops like a swamp. Once you are deeply trapped in it, the high-level consciousness will be gradually analyzed and assimilated, eventually becoming the opponent's puppet or nourishment.
Night Owl was indeed well-prepared, and it was a vicious trap set specifically for beings of their caliber!
"Don't even think about it!" Chu Yao snorted coldly, and the data stream suddenly accelerated. Before being completely entangled, she located the core node of the trap at an astonishing speed. At the same time, a powerful interference program that she had carefully prepared was instantly activated and uploaded.
"Buzz—" A barely perceptible stagnation occurred in the operation of the entire core database.
The hunting net targeting high-level consciousness entities seemed to have been plunged into a red-hot iron, emitting a silent hiss, and its capture efficiency dropped drastically.
"Lin Yi, there are consciousness traps specifically designed for us in the core area of the tower. I have already released the interference program, but it can only buy us thirty minutes at most! You must hurry!" Chu Yao's urgent voice came back through the one-way encrypted channel.
"Thirty minutes is enough!" Lin Yi's eyes were sharp. He had already gathered his elite forces, like a cheetah poised to pounce. "Everyone, target the third energy tower, prepare for a full-scale assault! Remember, we not only want to seize clues about the 'key,' but also to let Night Owl know that anyone who dares to scheme against us will pay a bloody price!"
A chilling killing intent permeated the air. Lin Yi led his team like a drawn sword, tearing through the night and heading straight for the ominous energy tower.
Below the tower, patrolling owls stood guard, the energy turrets gleaming coldly, and the air was filled with the acrid smell unique to high-pressure energy.
Just as Lin Yi and the others were about to step into the first warning line, and a tough battle seemed inevitable, a barely perceptible ripple suddenly appeared in the space in front of them.
Immediately afterwards, a powerful yet extremely restrained surge of energy flashed by, as if some invisible force had quietly created a barrier between them and the energy tower, or perhaps opened a hidden passage unknown to anyone.
Lin Yi paused slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the empty area, while the corners of his mouth subtly turned up.
He knew this was definitely not Night Owl's doing.
This aura... is familiar yet powerful.
The air ahead seemed to freeze for a moment. The airtight energy detection network surrounding the energy tower was suddenly opened by an invisible hand, creating a gap just big enough for them to slip in silently.
This sudden turn of events transformed the already tense atmosphere into something eerie.
Who is it?
To help in secret?
Or perhaps, this is another, even deeper trap?
But in any case, an excellent opportunity to break in has been presented to them.
The night was as dark as ink, and a deadly intent lurked beneath.
The moment Xuan Mingzi's words, "Someone is imitating your consciousness fluctuations," exploded in Lin Yi's mind like a thunderclap, alarm bells rang in his heart!
Mimicking fluctuations in consciousness?
This is no ordinary tactic; there must be a deeper conspiracy hidden behind it!
"Withdraw!" Lin Yi made a decisive decision, his voice low but leaving no room for doubt.
He shoved the eerily glowing "key resonator" source device into a specially made shielded box, then slapped a hidden button on the control panel with his backhand.
"Boom!"
A series of soft explosions suddenly rang out inside the energy tower. This was the activation of the interference program that Lin Yi had set up, designed to destroy some data and create chaos, buying them time to evacuate.
Meanwhile, outside the energy tower, Long Wu's battle had reached a fever pitch!
He was covered in blood, yet he was like an invincible war god. As he swung his fists, the air crackled with unbearable force!
"Dragon fights in the wild!" With a roar, he moved like lightning, forcefully crashing into the formation of more than a dozen elite patrol members.
As fists and feet flew everywhere, the sounds of bones breaking and screams of agony rose and fell, and the enemies were sent flying like leaves swept by a whirlwind!
However, the enemy was too numerous, and reinforcements were closing in from all directions. Dense energy beams intertwined to form a deadly net, constantly compressing Long Wu's space to maneuver.
"Long Wu, hold on!" Lin Yi's voice came through the tactical channel, tinged with urgency.
"Don't worry, Captain, these bastards aren't even enough to tickle me!" Long Wu laughed wildly, his arm muscles bulging as he withstood the glans from an energy ray. With a backhand whip kick, he sent one of the attackers spitting blood and his sternum collapsing!
At this critical moment, from a concealed sniper position several kilometers away, a cold glint flashed in the hawk-like eyes of the dark figure.
His slender fingers danced rapidly across the complex instruments as he muttered incantations, as if chanting ancient spells.
"Spatial Laws, Reversing Heaven and Earth—Distortion Field, Activate!"
In an instant, an invisible and eerie force enveloped the battlefield where Long Wu was!
The patrol members who were about to surround the enemy suddenly felt their vision blur, the ground beneath their feet seemed to turn into a soft swamp, their weapons became unresponsive, and even their sense of direction was completely lost!
"What's wrong? My body..."
"Ah! Space... space is distorted!"
The enemy was thrown into chaos, and cries of alarm rose from all sides.
They bumped into each other like headless flies, their attacks lost their aim, and the scene descended into extreme chaos.
"Well done, Shadow!" Seizing the fleeting opportunity, Long Wu transformed into a blur, broke through the final encirclement, and sped towards the designated evacuation point.
Inside the energy tower, Lin Yi and Aizen met up. With the help of the spiritual pressure barriers that Aizen had already deployed in various places and that were difficult to detect with the naked eye, the two avoided wave after wave of search teams.
Aizen had a faint smile on his lips, as if he had everything under control: "The Night Owl's mental labyrinth is ingenious, but in the face of absolute power, it is nothing but a child's trick."
Lin Yi glanced at him, not in the mood to argue with him.
Earlier in the mental labyrinth, he had indeed sensed the Night Owl's cold and powerful mental energy.
If he hadn't taken a different approach, using his profound understanding of the laws of space and time to pinpoint the weak points in the labyrinth's barrier and forcibly tear it apart, he probably would have been trapped for quite some time.
“Night Owl’s mental strength is stronger than expected, and…” Lin Yi paused, his eyes serious, “Senior Xuanmingzi’s warning doesn’t seem to be unfounded.”
Ayazaki's eyes flickered slightly behind his glasses: "Imitating consciousness fluctuations, an interesting method. It seems that among our enemies, there are experts who are proficient in this, or... they have mastered some kind of technology unknown to us."
The two traveled quickly and soon arrived at the secret exit of the energy tower.
Long Wu's burly figure was already waiting there. The bloodstains on his body looked particularly ferocious under the moonlight, but his eyes were still as sharp as knives.
"Captain, is everything resolved?" Long Wu asked in a deep, muffled voice, his breathing slightly unsteady, clearly indicating that the fierce battle had taken its toll.
"Okay, got the stuff." Lin Yi nodded, shaking the shielding box in his hand. "The shadowy figures are ready to provide backup. Let's evacuate immediately!"
Without the slightest hesitation, the three of them disappeared into the night like ghosts, speeding towards the base.
The night wind howled, stirring their tense nerves.
Lin Yi's brows remained furrowed, and Xuan Mingzi's words, "Be careful... someone is imitating your consciousness fluctuations," swirled in his mind like a curse.
Who is it?
Why imitate his fluctuations in consciousness?
Is it for tracking?
Or is it for deeper infiltration and control?
This unknown enemy, like an invisible poisonous thorn, has deeply pierced Lin Yi's heart.
He vaguely sensed that although the trip to the Energy Tower had successfully obtained the "Key Resonator," it also seemed to have triggered something more dangerous and mysterious.
The "key resonator" source device, which had been forcibly removed, was now lying quietly inside the shielding box.
The data it contained, along with Xuanmingzi's sudden warning, shrouded everyone's minds like a fog.
They must return to base as soon as possible and thoroughly investigate everything!
The wind whistled in my ears, and the road ahead seemed even more treacherous than when I came.
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