Chapter 72: Ghost-Faced Owl?

Magic train, cockpit.

This is the train’s control hub.

Outside the window, the wilderness blurred into streaks of indistinct color.

“Old Zhang, how’s it going? Any issues?”

Shen Yifeng walked into the cockpit and asked casually.

The train carried four Dragon Order Class freshmen, filling him with immense pressure.

The train conductor stared intently ahead:

“Relax, Commander Shen. The train was just serviced before departure, and I’ve run this route eight hundred times—I could drive it blindfolded.”

“Good.”

Shen Yifeng nodded.

Hss—

The cockpit’s automatic door slid open.

Xiao Liu entered.

Shen Yifeng turned his head and asked, “Xiao Liu, what happened in the luxury carriage just now?”

Xiao Liu pulled out his phone and sighed:

“Hey, Commander Shen, take a look yourself—this is the carriage’s surveillance footage.”

Shen Yifeng took the phone.

Soon, the playback ended.

Xiao Liu glanced at Shen Yifeng and asked:

“Commander Shen, that’s the situation—what do we do with that dead bald guy?”

“Hmph.”

Shen Yifeng snorted, “Openly committing violence on the train? He only got lucky hitting a hard target. If not for the Dragon Order Class students stepping in, someone would’ve died.”

“Detain him. Hand him over to the Public Security Bureau when we reach the capital.”

“Got it! Understood!”

Xiao Liu grinned, putting away his phone.

Then, unable to resist, he added:

“But Commander, these Dragon Order Class students are really terrifying!”

“A Level 24 professional couldn’t even withstand one strike from a Level 20 Dragon Order Class student.”

“Obviously.”

Shen Yifeng gave him a withering look. “Do you have any idea what the Dragon Order Class is? It’s where the absolute top freshmen from across Dragon Nation are gathered.”

“Not just talent—combat awareness, every aspect is top-tier.”

“It’s normal for a bully like that to be taken down in one blow.”

Xiao Liu nodded in deep agreement, then continued:

“That student’s name is Han Mengyao. I checked—the list ranks her third in the Dragon Order Class.”

“If even the third-ranked student fights this hard, I’d love to see Lin Mo in action…”

“He must be unimaginably strong.”

Shen Yifeng glanced at him, a faint, knowing smile on his face:

“Oh? Didn’t you just say Lin Mo got in through family connections?”

“Cough…”

Xiao Liu scratched his head awkwardly and chuckled:

“Commander Shen, after thinking it over, I realize you were right.”

“The Dragon Order Class—how could anyone sneak into first place through backdoor connections?”

Shen Yifeng let out a light laugh:

“Good. You finally get it.”

“The Dragon Order Class represents the nation’s future peak combat strength. Lin Mo, ranked first, must possess terrifying power that silences everyone.”

Shen Yifeng gazed out the window at the rushing wilderness:

“These people will inevitably become the focus of Dragon Nation. Their strength can’t be hidden.”

“Want to see Lin Mo fight? You’ll get your chance soon enough.”

Xiao Liu listened, heart pounding, eyes gleaming:

“Hey Commander, should I go ask for an autograph or a photo right now?”

Shen Yifeng laughed and kicked him lightly:

“Get a grip!”

“Have some ambition! Better to spend that time improving your own strength.”

“When you rise high enough to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with these elites, won’t that beat getting a signature a thousandfold?”

Xiao Liu rubbed his butt, grinning:

“You’re right, Commander—your awareness is way higher!”

At that moment,

“Huh?”

The train conductor suddenly spoke:

“Commander Shen, the radar’s showing something.”

Shen Yifeng and Xiao Liu both rushed to the radar screen.

On the display, a dense cluster of red dots surged toward the train’s path.

“Ah, just another beast surge.”

Xiao Liu remained relaxed. “We encounter one every two runs at least—they can’t break through the train’s defense array.”

“Not even close—they get wiped out by our guards before they even get near.”

Shen Yifeng wasn’t overly concerned either.

As Xiao Liu said, it was true.

In this world, encountering beast surges in the wild was commonplace.

Most were small, insignificant outbreaks that posed no real threat.

But since the train carried several “national treasure” students,

Shen Yifeng still gave a cautious order:

“Xiao Liu, bring me the binoculars. I’ll verify it myself.”

“Yes!”

Xiao Liu didn’t waste time—he turned and fetched two high-magnification binoculars, handing one to Shen Yifeng.

The two walked to the cockpit’s wide observation window and raised their binoculars.

The lens zoomed in.

Five kilometers away, the wilderness teemed with creatures—running on the ground, flying in the air, countless and dense.

But judging by the types of demons, they were no different from past beast surges.

Suddenly,

Shen Yifeng stiffened, pupils contracting sharply:

“That’s… Ghost-Faced Owl?”

“Ghost-Faced Owl?”

The train conductor, hearing those three words, snatched the binoculars from Xiao Liu’s hand and peered through them.

“Old Zhang, Commander, what’s wrong?”

Xiao Liu looked utterly confused.

The train conductor ignored him.

Through the high-magnification lens, he clearly saw the few gray-white monstrous birds circling above the beast surge.

They had eerie human faces, gray-white feathers, and cold, chilling eyes.

“Yes… it’s Ghost-Faced Owl.”

The train conductor lowered the binoculars, face pale, whispering:

“We’re done… this is over.”

Xiao Liu was even more baffled, stamping his feet in panic:

“Wait, what’s going on? What the hell is a Ghost-Faced Owl?”

Shen Yifeng took a deep breath, his tone turning grave:

“Ghost-Faced Owls are a special type of demon. They’re not strong, but they’re among the most intelligent demons, with extremely high mental resistance.”

“They never join small or medium-sized beast surges.”

“When they appear, it always means one of two things.”

“First: this beast surge is massive beyond imagination—large enough to sweep everything away—and they’ve come to claim their share.”

“Second…”

“There’s a dominant force behind this surge—one so powerful that even Ghost-Faced Owls are forced to submit.”

Xiao Liu opened his mouth wide, his mind struggling to process it:

“So… this beast surge is either massive in scale, or backed by an extremely powerful boss?”

Shen Jun’s expression turned grim:

“Most of the time, both conditions occur together.”

“Whoa—”

Xiao Liu sucked in a sharp breath, “Then… then our guard force, three times stronger than usual, should… be fine, right?”

Shen Jun did not answer, but turned and ordered:

“No more talk—immediately notify everyone! Take up combat positions on the vehicle roofs! Prepare for battle at any moment!”

“I’ll contact my superiors immediately and request the fastest possible reinforcements!”

“Yes!”

Xiao Liu dared not delay another moment; he spun around and dashed out of the cockpit.