"Heavens above!"
The white-haired old woman knelt on the ground, continuously kowtowing while clutching prayer beads: "Thank you Bodhisattva, thank you all deities!"
"Hey grandma, you should be thanking these saviors, not the Bodhisattva."
Someone sensible corrected her mistake.
"Yes, yes! Thank you all, thank you!"
The old woman hurriedly expressed gratitude to Su Zhan and his group.
"My contract! My bidding documents!"
The businessman suddenly remembered something and struggled to rush back into the burning wreckage, only to be frozen in place by Xie Xi's glare. He then grabbed Su Zhan's sleeve: "Young man! You're Awakened, right? Could you help me..."
Liu Ziming slapped his hand away: "Hey, we just saved your life?"
Su Zhan gave him a cold look, feeling disgusted inside.
This kind of person showed no gratitude at all - saving them was a waste.
Seeing their unfriendly expressions, the businessman finally shut up and shrunk back.
"Everyone!"
Su Zhan raised his voice: "Please listen to me!"
The chaotic crying gradually subsided as all survivors turned to look at the young man.
"The authorities will investigate the cause of this plane crash and give everyone answers. Don't panic - since the plane's coordinates were abnormal, official help will arrive soon."
Su Zhan scanned the crowd: "Right now, we need to treat the injured, prioritizing serious cases. Those with medical experience, please raise your hands!"
Several passengers tremblingly raised their hands.
"Good."
Wang Mingyuan's weak yet steady voice came through: "In the name of Vermilion Bird Academy, thank you for your cooperation."
Hearing "Vermilion Bird Academy," the crowd visibly stirred.
"It really is that Vermilion Bird."
"I told you they weren't ordinary people."
"That man with gold-rimmed glasses must be their professor - he must have protected the plane and saved us!"
...
Su Zhan glanced at Xie Xi and nodded, signaling it was her turn.
"Save the chatter for later! Now follow my orders!"
Xie Xi impatiently stamped her foot: "Divide the injured into two groups - serious cases to the left, minor injuries to the right. Those with medical experience prioritize the seriously wounded."
Under her direction, the chaotic crowd began moving in an orderly fashion.
"Hey."
Liu Ziming nudged Su Zhan and whispered: "Look over there."
Not far away, Feng Jue was kneeling on one knee, using bandages to immobilize a little girl's fractured arm. His movements were stiff yet unusually gentle, completely unlike his usual cold demeanor.
"Tsk, never thought Ice Face had this side to him."
Liu Ziming marveled.
As the rescue operation progressed, all injuries were stabilized while awaiting official rescue.
Then an abrupt phone ring sounded.
"Beep—beep—"
Wang Mingyuan pulled out a specialized communicator from his pocket and answered.
"Hello?"
Su Zhan and the others instinctively formed a protective circle around him.
"Five students, no casualties."
Wang Mingyuan's gaze swept over Su Zhan's group: "Passengers - currently confirmed seven fatalities, twenty-three serious injuries."
After listening to the response, his eyes suddenly turned sharp: "Not an accident. An Aberrant appeared in the cockpit wearing the co-pilot's uniform."
"Not a hunting incident."
Wang Mingyuan's voice grew colder: "It was intentional sabotage. Before dying, the Aberrant shouted a slogan—'Only when the Mist descends can we transcend.'"
The other end fell silent for several seconds.
"I suspect..."
Wang Mingyuan lowered his voice: "There's an organization behind this. Recommend investigating all recent personnel changes in civil aviation systems."
After a lengthy response, Wang Mingyuan's frown deepened before finally saying: "Understood... yes, got it."
Just as he hung up, a tremendous roar came from the distance.
Everyone looked up.
"Woom woom woom..."
Three black helicopters hovered overhead, stirring powerful winds as several military off-road vehicles sped toward them.
"Quick! Serious injuries first!"
"Drone Three ascend, expand search radius!"
"Medical team stand by!"
Well-trained rescuers sprang into action. Fully armed medics pushed mobile stretchers, administering first aid.
A middle-aged officer with gleaming insignia marched toward Wang Mingyuan, saluting solemnly before extending his hand:
"Professor Wang, long admired your reputation."
Wang Mingyuan wiped blood from his hands and shook it: "Appreciate your efforts."
"Our duty."
The officer said gravely: "Thanks to your timely control of the situation, or the consequences would've been unthinkable."
In the distance, medics were loading the last injured passenger when the businessman who'd lost teeth to Xie Xi suddenly shouted: "I want to file a complaint! These students used excessive force—"
With one glance from the officer, two soldiers immediately stepped forward: "Sir, you need immediate medical attention," forcibly escorting him to an ambulance.
"My apologies."
The officer turned back to Wang Mingyuan: "We've prepared a military transport ready to take you to your destination."
"Thank you, but first..."
Wang Mingyuan nodded toward the burning wreckage: "The scene investigation..."
"Rest assured."
The officer immediately understood: "Our team has begun evidence collection. All data will be shared with Vermilion Bird Academy immediately."
Xie Xi suddenly interjected: "That Aberrant's corpse—"
"Miss Xie, all data will be shared with Vermilion Bird Academy immediately."
The officer clearly recognized her, patiently repeating before gesturing: "The transport is ready, this way please."
Under military escort, they boarded the transport plane whose engines soon roared to life, carrying them toward Lan City.
Inside the military transport's cabin, Wang Mingyuan's pale complexion gradually regained color after drinking the military-provided golden potion.
Su Zhan and the others watched expectantly, clearly wanting to know more about the incident.
Noticing this, Wang Mingyuan waved his hand, creating a white spiritual energy barrier that isolated all external sound.
"According to Academy intelligence, this crash was orchestrated by an Aberrant organization calling itself 'Transcendence Cult.' And it's not just us—similar terrorist attacks have occurred across Daxia, all targeting talented Awakened like yourselves."
Su Zhan frowned deeply: "Aberrant organizations aren't new, but that one was suicidal—since when did they have such conviction?"
Previously, Du Feng's premeditated Aberrant hunt in the villa clearly indicated some organization, but that was for hunting, survival, and gaining strength. The plane's Aberrant was different—revealing itself, sacrificing its life not to hunt or grow stronger, but simply to kill everyone aboard and eliminate talented Awakened in their infancy. These motives resembled... a terrorist organization.
"That was the past."
Wang Mingyuan adjusted his glasses: "Previously Aberrants indeed operated independently. Even when organized, they were small groups distrustful of each other, hiding behind masks lest captured members expose others."
"Then why now—"
"Faith."
Wang Mingyuan said gravely: "This Transcendence Cult has mastered some Mist-summoning technique, and the Mist has become their shared faith."
Liu Ziming interjected: "So what the co-pilot shouted before dying—'Only when the Mist descends can we transcend.'"
"Exactly their doctrine."
Wang Mingyuan nodded: "This faith makes them willing martyrs. You saw—that Aberrant instantly chose to self-destruct to protect secrets. Incidentally, self-destruction is their organization's signature skill. They fear neither capture nor death, always self-destructing at the last moment to preserve secrets."
Xu Hao inhaled sharply: "Meaning... from now on, the Aberrants we face might be fearless fanatics?"
Silence fell in the cabin. This realization was more terrifying than any enemy—what disasters could emerge when monsters with formidable power no longer feared death but craved martyrdom?
Outside the window, sunset dyed the sea of clouds crimson.
Wang Mingyuan dispelled the sound barrier, murmuring almost to himself: "The sky has changed."