Chapter 71: The Encirclement

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When Tang Ye noticed someone suddenly become alert, she plunged directly into the magma. Lan Ye was the first to rush over, followed by the rest who cautiously crossed the stone bridge and arrived at a flat, open space. None of them had expected to venture so deep into the volcano. Now, unable to withstand the intense heat, many retreated back into the mountain tunnel, leaving only Aunt Lan, Hu Guozheng, the siblings Li Ping and Li Ning, and Lan Huigang. The others, having fallen back, provided support from the other side of the bridge.

"Tang, come out, it's me, your aunt. Be good, everything is fine," Lan Ye kept calling, hoping Tang would remember her.

Hu Guozheng joined in, shouting loudly, "Tang, listen, Aunt Lan is your family, she would never harm you. Don't make us worry any longer, especially—"

He paused, wanting to mention Du Bin, but stopped himself. It was bad enough that Du Bin, out of fear that Fang Yilin would be jealous, had chosen not to come. Even if feelings were set aside, Tang had saved his life, and his absence was surely due to that woman's influence. The more Hu Guozheng thought about it, the angrier he became.

His thoughts drifted to Sasha, who was much better—an older woman had her advantages: experience, poise, and a maturity in dealing with people that young girls lacked. Every day apart from her felt like an eternity, and Hu Guozheng missed her terribly.

Bubbles rose from the molten lava. With a loud bang, several streams of magma shot up, shaped by Tang Ye into fiery birds. In moments, dozens of firebirds filled the cavern, soaring overhead. Looking up, one could see a passage leading straight to the volcano’s mouth.

Though Lan Ye had explained such phenomena during their flight, facing this magical scene in reality left everyone astonished. Lan Huigang snapped them back to attention by communicating with the distant team via radio, and they all raised their guns to fire.

Bullets passed through the firebirds as if through air. These bullets had been specially modified to kill genetically altered monsters, but against powers of such supernatural nature, they were useless.

Lan Ye began to chant. Inside the volcano, gathering her energy was slow, but her strength was undiminished. “I’ll cast the spell. Hu Guozheng, cover me for ten minutes.”

“Got it.” Hu Guozheng readied the Azure Dragon Blade, using its energy to hold off any firebird that approached.

Lan Huigang and Li Ping crouched behind a large boulder, occasionally popping up to shoot, while Li Ning stood behind Lan Ye, guarding the rear.

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A few members who could withstand the heat of the magma joined in to help contain the firebirds. Under Tang Ye’s control, the firebirds became ferocious, raining down countless flames. One member, unable to dodge in time, was completely engulfed by the fire; another was swallowed alive by a firebird, igniting from within its belly.

The sudden loss of two teammates saddened everyone, but undaunted by the prospect of sacrifice, they pressed forward to complete the mission assigned by their superiors.

Outside the cave, YOYO led a group into the tunnel, but she was no fool. She had left half her people outside—including several outstanding espers—ensuring that even if the others escaped the volcano’s depths, they would not evade those guarding the exit.

The firebirds began to take notice of the distant team, several breaking off to attack them. Though startled, the team did not fall into chaos. At that moment, Lan Ye finished her preparations and funneled her power into the ground. A pillar of freezing air spread rapidly, and when the magma met the ice, it sizzled and smoked, the opposing forces canceling each other out and filling the cavern with vapor.

“Hu Guozheng, Shockwave Slash!”

At Aunt Lan’s command, he raised the Azure Dragon Blade and struck the ground. With a thunderous crash, the volcano shook violently. The magma roiled, and deep within, Tang Ye felt a force following the rock downward, striking her.

She gritted her teeth and endured it. While it could not harm her, it did distract her for a moment. Suddenly, there was an explosion at the cave entrance. Lan Huigang turned to see smoke billowing out, and the team members, in panic, fled.

Li Ping sensed something amiss and said, “Could they have found us?”

“That means they're already here,” Lan Huigang replied, deeply worried. Facing these espers was like attacking a stone with an egg. Even Aunt Lan and Hu Guozheng might not stand against the top espers among them.

YOYO led more than thirty espers into the cavern in succession. At her command, they spread out—some to contain the firebirds, some to attack Tang Ye in the magma, while others encircled the investigation group.

“It seems you’ve all worked hard. Stay put, or you’ll all meet your end here."

The group dared not move under the espers’ threat. For the government's special investigation team’s sake, Aunt Lan could not let them perish, so she had no choice but to yield, though it pained her to see Tang Ye besieged.

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With a loud crash, Tang Ye burst from the magma and roared at the crowd, her voice unleashing a deafening sonic wave. The espers unleashed their powers in unison, and as they attacked, she wrapped her wings around herself.

All the attacks exploded at once, shaking the entire cavern and causing rocks to collapse. Taking advantage of the smoke, Tang Ye flew up and out of the volcano’s mouth—just as YOYO had anticipated. The corners of YOYO’s lips curled into a slight smile.

But not long after escaping the crater, Tang Ye struck an invisible barrier. The force rebounded and knocked her back, forcing her to hover in the air.

YOYO and her group led their captives out of the volcano. Once outside, they saw Tang Ye alone, facing an onslaught from over a hundred espers. As a vampire, she had the advantage of flight, but among her opponents were those who could manipulate the wind. By land, sea, and air, she was surrounded with no escape.

Tang Ye dodged a close-range attack from one esper and attempted a counter, but another behind her unleashed a wind blade. Faced with its deadly edge, she could only evade. The fight dragged on for nearly an hour.

Tang Ye was covered in wounds, but as a vampire, her body rapidly healed, her strength constantly renewed. On the other hand, many espers were seriously injured or even killed—only their vehicular tactics saved them from being wiped out.

YOYO grew impatient at the stalemate. In her hand was the real Crimson Blade, taken from the depths of the altar. She had learned from Wu Qiwei that Tang Ye grew stronger with every battle, each leap in power fueled by her unique vampire genes, which were unlike any other.

“Heavenly Thunder Judgment,” YOYO commanded, and five espers behind her swiftly moved to their designated positions.