Aboard the steam train bound for the Scarlet Mist City.
As the train plunged deeper into the 'Crimson Mist', the special armor plates on the outside of the train dropped down, preventing any accident from breaking the windows and endangering the entire carriage.
Only the specially reinforced windows in the first-class compartment at the front could still offer a view of the outside.
It was a small perk of first-class travel.
The steam train traveled steadily on the sea rail tracks in the dead of night. In the quiet carriage, only the low hum of the air conditioning and the passengers' uniform breathing could be heard.
The second-class seats were slightly cool. Liu Ma shrunk his neck, just leaning his head against the seat to catch some rest.
But the next second, a piercing metallic grinding sound suddenly exploded in his ears.
Screeeech!
The massive inertia from the emergency stop threw everyone in the carriage forward.
Water cups crashed to the floor, splashing water everywhere.
Simultaneously, sleeping passengers jolted awake. Complaints and exclamations instantly filled the carriage, and the air grew tense.
"What happened?"
Liu Ma quickly steadied Ying Qianhuan, who nearly slipped off her seat, while he himself was jolted into the backrest with a dull thud.
The moment Liu Ma spoke, Chen Kong and Vivian also woke up.
Chen Kong looked out the window. The thick armor plating blocked the view, and he could only faintly hear the sound of the ocean waves outside.
"Looks like something's happened."
Vivian also frowned, analyzing, "The steam train's faux Star Beast armor can only fool low-level Star Beasts. Remaining stationary for too long will expose the life signs inside the carriage and attract a large-scale beast surge."
The announcement system crackled to life at that moment. The voice of the attendant carried an almost imperceptible tension.
"We request all Star Envoy passengers Level One and above to proceed to the First Class Cabin. Repeat, we request all Star Envoy passengers Level One and above..."
As the broadcast repeated, Liu Ma, Chen Kong, and the others exchanged glances and stood up.
"Let's go."
Chen Kong took the lead, and Liu Ma quickly followed.
But after only two steps, he noticed that Ying Qianhuan had also tagged along, her pink ponytail swaying in the dim aisle.
Liu Ma subconsciously said, "You stay here and wait. It's not safe outside."
Ying Qianhuan immediately puffed out her cheeks and waved her Star Envoy Association certification card.
"Uncle, I'm a legitimate Level One Association Star Envoy! Don't underestimate me, besides, I might even be a better fighter than you!"
Liu Ma opened his mouth but ultimately couldn't find a reason to argue.
Seeing this, Chen Kong immediately made a decision.
"Alright, let's all go together."
Hearing Chen Kong's words, Liu Ma finally gave up on trying to persuade Ying Qianhuan.
The group walked through the swaying carriage, passing many passengers who also possessed Level One Star Envoy strength or higher.
But for reasons unknown, these people chose to remain in their seats, ignoring the broadcast as if they hadn't heard it.
At this, Ying Qianhuan secretly winked at Liu Ma, mouthing silently, 'A bunch of cowards~'
When the group arrived at Cabin One, the first person they saw was Isabelle, standing with her arms crossed, leaning against the window.
"What's going on, Isabelle?"
With a familiar face present, Chen Kong immediately asked her.
Isabelle replied with a hint of exasperation, "A small swarm of Star Beasts is blocking the train tracks. The train can't move forward."
"A small swarm of Star Beasts?"
Vivian frowned, perplexed. "As far as I know, the steam train rails are mixed with special Star Beast bone powder. Normal Star Beasts should instinctively avoid them."
"After all, in the eyes of those Star Beasts, the steam train rails are part of a giant creature, and they shouldn't dare approach them casually."
Hearing this, Isabelle shrugged.
"Who knows?"
Just then, the conductor from the driver's cab opened the door and entered Cabin One.
"Star Envoys, I suspect it's the unique Star Energy stimulation of the Crimson Mist Season that has caused some Star Beasts to migrate early. They probably mistook the rails for a safe path..."
"Has this never happened before?"
Chen Kong quickly pressed the sweaty conductor.
The conductor shook his head, then nodded. "I've been running this express line for a full fifteen years, and I've never encountered this situation."
Hearing this, Chen Kong gave a wry smile. "Then it looks like we've hit the jackpot, to encounter such a small probability event."
Liu Ma nodded. "Yeah, that's really unlucky."
Vivian calmly stated, "Then what should we do? Should we wait for the small swarm of Star Beasts to rest and leave, or find a way to drive them off?"
Before the conductor could speak, Isabelle answered, "We can't wait. A prolonged stop will allow Star Beasts to notice the life signs leaking from the train, attracting more Star Beasts."
"So we don't have a choice, do we?"
Liu Ma cracked his neck, his eyes turning fierce.
Isabelle nodded. "No, we have to find a way to drive them off."
"Understood."
Saying this, Liu Ma prepared to open the door and jump out.
But Chen Kong stopped his impulsive action.
"Hold on."
Liu Ma looked at Chen Kong in confusion. "Why?"
Chen Kong pressed on his shoulder, his eyes steady.
"If we just need to scare off those Star Beasts, I might be able to do it alone. Too many people might actually make it harder."
At this, Liu Ma remembered Chen Kong's Star Core: Mark of the Void.
Truthfully, for stealth and sneak attacks, the Mark of the Void was excellent and perfectly suited for the current task.
"But just you alone, will you be okay?"
Facing Liu Ma's concern, Chen Kong smiled. "It's not a big problem. If I can't beat them, I can always run."
With that answer, the people in the first-class cabin ultimately accepted Chen Kong's plan and let him go down alone.
Chen Kong jumped off the train, his figure instantly melting into the thin crimson mist, quickly disappearing from sight.
Inside the carriage, the conductor looked at his vanishing back and suddenly sighed with emotion.
"Young people these days are truly amazing... Just like the group of first-class guests last month."
Hearing the conductor's words, a bored Ying Qianhuan asked curiously, "Last month? Uncle, have you encountered this before?"
"Yes."
The conductor nodded, then said with a look of reminiscence, "Just last month, a first-class guest suddenly ordered me to stop the train."
"I initially ignored it, but that guest suddenly took control of the entire cab and forcibly stopped the train."
"And you know the consequences of stopping the train, especially since the train was stopped here for almost half the night."
"Stopped for half the night in the Crimson Mist Sea, which is suspected to be a high-risk zone?!"
Liu Ma and Ying Qianhuan exclaimed in unison, looking at each other with shock in their eyes.
Stopping for half the night in the Crimson Mist Sea was practically suicide, wasn't it?
"But if it was such a big deal, why didn't I hear any news about it?"
Looking at Ying Qianhuan's puzzled expression, the conductor laughed. "That's because nothing ultimately happened! Most of the passengers were still sleeping and didn't know anything."
"You were that lucky? No Star Beasts came to bother you?"
The conductor waved his hand, his eyes shining with excitement.
"Quite the opposite! There were so many Star Beasts outside they could have buried the entire train!"
"But I saw it clearly on the monitor: those two young girls plus a young man treated the entire beast swarm like their personal playground!"
He gestured with his hands, vividly describing the scene at the time.
"One released pink spores, and the Star Beasts started fighting each other. Another played with fire, burning the Star Beasts until they howled."
"The silver-haired young man was the most incredible. He stood on the roof of the train barely moving, and all the Star Beasts that got close just exploded!"
The carriage instantly fell silent. Even Isabelle raised an eyebrow.
Making Star Beasts explode by themselves?
That level of control was not something an average Star Envoy could achieve.
"Though there were two other adults who looked very strong helping out, they kept their distance, and I couldn't see what they were doing."
Suddenly, the conductor clapped his hand.
"That's right! One of the young girls was a big star! Named Jing... Jing something?"
"Jing Liuli?! The one with light purple hair whose eyes curve when she smiles?"
Ying Qianhuan looked at the conductor in astonishment, completing the name he couldn't recall.
The conductor slapped his thigh, immediately responding, "Yes, yes, that's the name! You know her?"
"Of course, we know her! We're going to her New Year's Eve concert!"
Ying Qianhuan said, holding up her ticket.
Just then, the nearby Vivian couldn't help but ask, "Conductor, was the young man who acted last... the one with blue eyes and silver-white hair?"
The conductor froze for a moment.
"How did you know?"
Upon getting this answer, Vivian, Liu Ma, and even Isabelle understood.
It turned out that the group who stopped the train last time was Tendo and his companions, who had recently left the City of Steam.
After all, the strength of those few individuals had long transcended that of their peers; they were monsters in every sense of the word.
At the same time, the dimensional viewers also sent comments.
'Seriously, Tendo's legend is everywhere.'
'Jing Liuli's movie? More like Tendo's movie!'
'"Stars: The Legendary Path of Tendo"'
Just as the group was talking and laughing, a dull thud suddenly echoed through the carriage, followed by a brief groan from Chen Kong and the angry roars of the Star Beast swarm.
Hearing the commotion, everyone's expressions changed.
Without hesitation, Liu Ma and Vivian immediately got off the train and looked toward the direction where Chen Kong was.
Chen Kong, who should have been silently approaching the small Star Beast swarm, was now somehow discovered by the Star Beasts and was frantically running away.
Liu Ma and Vivian exchanged glances and drew their weapons simultaneously.
It looked like tonight's situation... wouldn't be easy to handle.
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