"I'm being serious, you know. There's an old saying that goes, 'A fair lady is a gentleman's desire,' right?"

"..."

Just as Sun Hang was about to ask more about Yamata Orochi, a piece of communication suddenly came through in the cabin.

"TS069, please be advised, this is Lizhou 051 Observation Station. You have entered the Shuzhou Territory, repeat, you have entered Shuzhou Territory; please constantly monitor the surrounding airspace for any unusual air currents and flying-type anomalous creatures. If you notice anything unusual, report to us immediately."

"Whoa, we're back." Sun Hang turned his head to look out the cabin window, "That was fast."

The window was still pitch black, and compared to when they left last time, this time they entered the region at midnight. Therefore, the dividing line between the Eternal Night Region and the normal areas was not apparent, and that peculiar scene of 'night on one side and daylight on the other' did not appear.

"TS069 understood." Yang Qi grabbed the communicator, glancing at various parameters displayed on the tablet, "No anomalies detected for now."

"Lizhou 051 received. No hazardous factors detected on the route to Celestial City. Bon voyage."

The plane swiftly flew over Lizhou City. Sun Hang noticed that this sizable city, like Celestial City, was also shrouded in darkness—its limited energy was all used to ensure heating in residential areas. Those once vibrant commercial zones were now as desolate as abandoned cities in post-apocalyptic films.

However, just as the plane was about to exit the Lizhou airspace, a string of explosive sounds came through the communicator, followed by a piercing electrical noise.

"What happened?" Yang Qi was stunned, "Lizhou 051? Hello? Lizhou 051? Can you hear us? What happened on your side?"

"Something's happened." Candle Dragon looked through the cabin window at the distant, silent city and saw a gigantic fireball expanding continuously in the city's center, engulfing all surrounding buildings.

"That's... Panlong Airport in Lizhou City!!" Yang Qi glanced at the map of Lizhou City she just brought up and then at the spot where the fireball appeared, "Lizhou 051 Observation Station is the tower at Panlong Airport! What... what exactly is that fireball?"

"Could it be an explosion at the airport's fuel depot?" Sun Hang suggested.

"No... an explosion at the fuel depot wouldn't look like this. Look, that fireball is clearly levitating close to the ground, and it seems to be absorbing matter from its surroundings, growing larger... My intuition tells me that's not an ordinary fireball, it's a mysterious creature."

"Xin-type anomalous creature?" Sun Hang frowned slightly.

Xin-type creatures not only included Spiritual Body Type Anomalous Creatures, but energy-type creatures were also included in this subtype.

"Hard to say, it could also be another type of creature with flame manipulation abilities." Candle Dragon shook his head.

"Should we go back to support Lizhou City?" The pilot's voice came through the communication channel, "We just received a request for help from the Lizhou City Management Committee."

"Which Hunters are stationed in Lizhou City?" Yang Qi asked.

"There are six, but they all went out on assignments a week ago and haven't returned yet," the pilot replied.

"So, there aren't any Hunters in Lizhou City right now?" Yang Qi showed a trace of hesitation on her face, which quickly turned into determination, "The explosion occurred at Lizhou City's only airport, is there anywhere else we can land?"

"Shouldn't be a problem, this plane has vertical takeoff and landing capability. We can land on any helipad meant for helicopters," the pilot said.

"I just checked, there's a helipad on the rooftop of the outpatient building of Lizhou City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, and it's currently vacant. We can land there," the co-pilot said.

"Alright, land there, please!" Yang Qi said.

"What a coincidence," Sun Hang suddenly remarked.

"What coincidence?" Yang Qi asked with some confusion, glancing at him.

"We just passed Lizhou City, and then this happened, it's as if... it was waiting for me," Sun Hang said thoughtfully.

"You mean, this explosion... was to lure us... must be a coincidence, right?" Yang Qi couldn't help frowning.

"That's why I said what a coincidence," Sun Hang said, "but even if it wasn't a coincidence, I would jump down to find out... Such a grand fireworks show just to welcome me back, I have to see who's being so 'enthusiastic'."

"A message from Lizhou City Management Committee, Panlong Airport has been completely destroyed, and within a ten-kilometer radius, it's reduced to scorched earth. The City Defense Army and Public Security Bureau are evacuating people from areas near the airport, but..."

"But what?" Sun Hang asked.

"People within the affected area by the fireball... cannot be rescued," the co-pilot continued, "Lizhou City's fire brigade tried to rush in to save people but were forced out by the high temperature... Even firefighters wearing heat-resistant suits were severely burned, and ordinary civilians in that area likely..."

"Does Lizhou City have a Mysterious Creature Research Institute?" Sun Hang turned to ask Yang Qi.

"No independent Mysterious Creature Research Institute, only a branch of the Celestial City Mysterious Creature Research Institute, but it's very small, with less than ten people," Yang Qi immediately replied, "Incidents related to mysterious creatures in Lizhou City are usually handled by the local Anomaly Investigation Bureau, and cases they can't handle are reported directly to the Celestial City Mysterious Creature Research Institute."

"Whether a research institute branch or the bureau, do they have equipment to detect creature memetics?" Sun Hang continued, "Can they confirm if that giant fireball is a mysterious creature?"

"They tried... but couldn't measure anything," the co-pilot handling ground communication said, "A ten-kilometer radius from the fireball's center is inaccessible, the monitoring equipment can't reach the core of the fireball!"

"Could we try sending a drone to carry a probe in..."

"No, the drone explodes as soon as it goes in, and the probe can't withstand such high temperatures!"

While talking, the plane had already landed on the rooftop of the outpatient building of Lizhou City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. As Sun Hang and the others disembarked, they were greeted by a group of physically and emotionally burned-out officials.

"Hello, I'm a member of the Lizhou City Management Committee." A slightly plump middle-aged man quickly shook hands with Sun Hang. Sun Hang noticed that the hair on his head had been singed and curled, exuding the unique burnt smell of scorched protein.

"Did you just come from the explosion site?" Yang Qi asked from the side.

"Yes... the situation is dire. According to the data, the air temperature within a ten-kilometer radius has exceeded a thousand degrees Celsius, the fire brigade can't get in at all!" The middle-aged man wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, "Moreover, the range is still expanding!"

"A thousand degrees... Can the deceits withstand it?" Sun Hang turned to Zhong Ling behind him.

In the cargo hold of the plane they were on, lay neatly arranged 'coffins' containing Zhong Ling's Deceitful Equipment—those specially modified deceits she could manipulate at will.

"Yes, but it's too far, the conscious link between me and the deceits would break."

"What about you?" Sun Hang then turned to Candle Dragon, "Your abilities should counter flames, right?"

Though it's said that Candle Dragon's body fat can be made into eternally burning lamps, its blood is a substance of extreme cold—Candle Dragon as a Hunter clearly inherited this ability.

"I can try, but reaching the core position cannot be guaranteed."

"Can you take one more person? I'll go in with you," Sun Hang said.

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