Translator: CinderTL
"The Shadow Hunting Bureau?"
Hearing this, Zhang Jianwu instantly understood Jiang Ye's anxiety.
He knew, of course, that Jiang Ye's father was on duty at the Shadow Hunting Bureau—the night shift, no less!
With all the bureau's elite shadow hunters deployed to combat the Shadow Calamity, the appearance of a Cosmic Void Passage near the bureau would be catastrophic.
"Jiang Ye," Zhang Jianwu said urgently, "don't act rashly. The bureau's experts have undoubtedly detected it and will send reinforcements. You must not venture out alone!"
"Jiang Ye! Do you hear me?" Zhang Jianwu's voice was stern.
"Director, I understand," Jiang Ye replied calmly.
But hearing his voice, Zhang Jianwu's heart sank.
He snapped, "If this is a Level 2 Shadow Calamity, you won't be able to save your father. You'll only get yourself killed!"
"Jiang Ye, stay put at home. Don't go anywhere. Do you understand?"
"Your father is my responsibility. I'm already on my way!"
Zhang Jianwu's voice was punctuated by the sharp whistle of wind, clearly indicating he was rushing to the Shadow Hunting Bureau at top speed.
"Director!" Jiang Ye's heart tightened involuntarily.
"Don't worry about me. I've already notified Cao Feng and the others," Zhang Jianwu said rapidly. "Stay home and don't go out!"
"Understood. Please stay safe!" Jiang Ye replied gravely.
Zhang Jianwu hung up, focused entirely on rushing to the Shadow Hunting Bureau. He couldn't afford any distractions.
Jiang Ye didn't linger on the rooftop either.
He quickly returned to his apartment.
"Brother!"
Jiang Ting ran out, her face pale with panic, and threw her arms around Jiang Ye. "Is it the Shadow Calamity? I'm so scared."
"Don't be afraid," Jiang Ye murmured, gently stroking her hair. "Even if the sky falls, your brother will hold it up."
Beside them, Li Anping stood trembling, her hair disheveled and her hands shaking uncontrollably.
"Mom, don't worry about Dad," Jiang Ye said, knowing what she was thinking. "He'll be fine."
"Mm," Li Anping nodded, her voice catching in her throat.
Jiang Ye didn't press further.
After comforting his terrified sister, he went to the window.
He gazed out at the scene beyond.
Their apartment was on the sixth floor, but even from that height, he could still see a massive, twenty-meter-long rift hanging in the sky above the Shadow Hunting Bureau.
Through the crack, a vibrant Cosmic Void Passage shimmered into existence.
The Shadow Clan hadn't yet emerged.
But Jiang Ye could faintly sense the Cosmic Void Passage slowly writhing.
I must!
I must hold out until the director arrives, Jiang Ye silently vowed.
Gazing out the window, he felt an overwhelming urge rising within him.
Become stronger!
If he were already a second or even third breakthrough martial artist, what fear would he have of the Shadow Calamity?
The distance from Taoyang Community to the Shadow Hunting Bureau was far shorter than Zhang Jianwu's.
Yet even this short distance felt insurmountable to Jiang Ye now.
Jiang Ye wasn't one to cling to life out of cowardice.
He understood that if this truly was a Level 2 Shadow Calamity, rushing out would not only fail to save Jiang Dahai but would also cost him his own life.
Moreover, Li Anping and Jiang Ting were still at home, needing his protection.
This agonizing helplessness stemmed from one thing: not being strong enough!
Only strength matters, Jiang Ye thought, closing his eyes.
A surge of heat coursed through his chest.
In that moment, Jiang Ye yearned for strength more fiercely than ever before.
Meanwhile, across Ancheng, vibrant, multicolored Cosmic Void Passages began to materialize.
From some of these passages, massive hordes of Shadow Clan creatures surged forth, sweeping in all directions.
Fortunately, the Shadow Hunting Bureau had already sealed off the surrounding areas and deployed personnel to guard the perimeters.
However, the bureau's elite shadow hunters soon discovered that these Shadow Clan forces weren't just composed of Infant Forms.
There were also Shadow Clan Juveniles!
Shadow Clan Juveniles—standing three to ten meters tall, comparable in strength to first or even second breakthrough experts.
A single Juvenile Form posed little threat.
But what if ten, twenty, or even a hundred Juvenile Forms emerged simultaneously?
Ancheng's current defense system was utterly inadequate to withstand such a massive assault!
"What's going on?!"
"Why are there so many Juvenile Forms?"
"This isn't a Level 1 Shadow Calamity!" In one sealed-off zone, members of the Shadow Hunting Bureau's Third Squad fought valiantly against the encroaching Shadow Clan forces.
But as they gazed upon the towering Shadow Clan Juveniles, a chill ran down their spines.
Monitoring error!
If this were merely a Level 1 Shadow Calamity, such a large number of Juvenile Forms would be impossible.
But if it's truly a Level 2 Shadow Calamity, Young Adult Forms of the Shadow Clan might appear!
Those are terrifying enemies, comparable to those who have achieved their third breakthrough!
"Sector 3, West Ancheng, requesting immediate reinforcements!"
"Sector 3, West Ancheng, requesting immediate reinforcements!"
The team here is on the verge of collapse.
But their calls for help are destined to go unanswered.
Because at this moment, nearly all of Ancheng's dozens of sealed zones are facing the same dire situation.
One after another, terrifying Shadow Clan Juveniles are emerging.
The Ancheng Hunter Bureau is on the brink of being overwhelmed!
"This is the Ancheng Hunter Bureau. Suspected Level 2 Shadow Calamity outbreak. Requesting immediate reinforcements from Qingyang City!"
"Repeating: Ancheng is suspected to be experiencing a Level 2 Shadow Calamity outbreak. Requesting immediate reinforcements from Qingyang City!"
Amidst the frenzied slaughter, the bald-headed Captain roared furiously.
"Kill them all!!!"
Qingyang City, Shadow Hunting Bureau.
A piercing alarm shattered the silence, jolting everyone awake.
"Urgent notice! A Level 2 Shadow Calamity is suspected to have erupted in Ancheng. First Squad, Second Squad, and Third Squad, deploy immediately to provide support!"
"Repeat: Deploy immediately to provide support!"
In an instant, the Qingyang City Shadow Hunting Bureau transformed into a war machine awakening.
Incomparably powerful qi prowess surged skyward, engulfing the entire sky.
"Ancheng? A Level 2 Shadow Calamity?"
"More people are going to die."
"First and Second Squads, I hope you return safely!"
Many didn't even have time to say goodbye before rushing to their posts.
They all knew that some might never return from this mission.
Yet not a single one hesitated.
From the moment they joined this profession, every shadow hunter had prepared to sacrifice themselves.
Rumble!
Moments later, aircraft soared from the Qingyang City Shadow Hunting Bureau, carrying hundreds of shadow hunters as they sped toward Ancheng.
East Sea Province, Penglai University.
In an unremarkable villa, the red-haired elder Zhu Honglie sat cross-legged.
A holographic screen projected before him displayed classified documents.
"Jiang Ye, 915 points?"
"Heh, I knew it! That kid definitely passed the Cosmic Divine Path Certification," Zhu Honglie said, shaking his head. "No wonder even that old fox Chen Yuntian was scrambling to recruit him."
Achieving such a score with a Primitive innate talent was exceedingly rare!
In some ways, it was even more remarkable than a perfect 1000-point Dao Bone Aptitude.
"Chen Yuntian probably gave him a guaranteed spot through his connections."
"With that favor hanging over him, it'll be tough to snatch him away," Zhu Honglie mused.
Just then, a news alert popped up on the large screen before him:
Ancheng Suspected to Be Experiencing a Level 2 Shadow Calamity.
"Ancheng? A Level 2 Shadow Calamity?"
Zhu Honglie instinctively reached to dismiss the alert, but the words froze his hand.
"Ancheng... isn't that the city where that kid lives?"
Zhu Honglie shot to his feet. He knew that in small, rural cities like Ancheng, with their weak defenses, a Shadow Calamity could be an unimaginable disaster.
And a Level 2 Shadow Calamity?
With that thought, Zhu Honglie swiped through the projection, pulling up Jiang Ye's profile.
After a moment's contemplation, he made a call.
Meanwhile, at Taoyang Community, Jiang Ye was anxiously watching the direction of the Shadow Hunting Bureau when his communication watch suddenly buzzed.
"What's this?" He glanced at the watch and saw an unfamiliar number.
After a moment's hesitation, he answered the call.
"Jiang Ye, I'm Zhu Honglie, a teacher at Penglai University."
"Penglai University?" Jiang Ye was slightly taken aback. He had just submitted his application tonight—how could they be contacting him so soon?
"We've detected a Level 2 Shadow Calamity outbreak in your city," Zhu Honglie said urgently. "What's the situation there?"
Jiang Ye was stunned again. He hadn't expected the call to be about the Shadow Calamity, not his application.
Forgetting everything else, Jiang Ye replied gravely, "Teacher Zhu, I'm fine, but the situation in Ancheng is dire."
He was halfway through his sentence when suddenly—
Boom!
A torrent of pitch-black shadows erupted from the Cosmic Void Passage near the Shadow Hunting Bureau.
Countless Shadow Clan Infants and Juveniles surged forth like a tidal wave.
Jiang Ye's pupils constricted sharply.
The Shadow Calamity had erupted!
Its speed far exceeded his expectations.
And Zhang Jianwu hadn't arrived yet.
"Jiang Ye?" Zhu Honglie pressed through the communicator. "What's happening there?"
"I'm sorry," Jiang Ye replied, forcing himself to remain calm. "My father is on duty in the Shadow Hunting Bureau's security room. A Shadow Calamity has broken out there, but no one is stationed to defend it."
He struggled to control his emotions, but Zhu Honglie could already hear the urgency in his voice.
"I understand. Don't panic," Zhu Honglie said firmly. "I have connections in Ancheng. Your father will be safe—I guarantee it!"
(End of the Chapter)
⚡ 𝟏𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 | 𝟖.𝟔𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 𝟏𝟒.𝟓𝐌 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 [𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦]