Chapter 977: Advanced Sniper Xia Qing

The helicopter carrying 19 Evolvers lifted off from the helipad atop the first peak of Mountain 49 and flew toward the northern Evolution Forest without arousing the suspicion of any of the lords.

Because this helicopter was tasked with patrolling the northern Evolution Forest, its flight was normal; if one day it didn't fly, the lords would start to worry.

After the helicopter lifted into the air, the view broadened, and Xia Qing looked down to check her territory.

Good — her animal companions had all hidden after hearing the helicopter take off. Even Xia Qing, a half-step ninth-tier visual Evolver who knew roughly where the boss and fourth brother were hiding, couldn't spot either of them from the air.

The Broken-Waist Wolf? That king of the curly-coated wolves was sitting inside watching videos with the air conditioning on — no need to hide at all.

Seeing Xia Qing gazing at her territory with reluctance, Tang Huai, who was holding his sniper rifle, mulled over what supplies he would have to offer to repay the favor of Xia Qing joining this mission.

After Xia Qing stopped staring at her territory, the captain of this rescue mission, Tang Zhengpo's bodyguard and seventh-tier speed Evolver Du Zuohang, finally spoke. "Everyone, the helicopter will reach the designated location in two and a half hours at full speed. Everyone start adjusting your walkie-talkies now…"

After the walkie-talkies were adjusted, Du Zuohang had the rescue team members report their combat strength.

After the fourteen members of the Tang family reported in order of seating, Xia Qing, who sat in the first seat on the territory side, spoke up: "Territory Three, Xia Qing, sixth-tier strength, Advanced Sniper, effective nighttime range 1,900 meters."

Xia Qing's current effective range had already exceeded 2,000 meters — she was a top-tier sniper in the truest sense. But her publicly stated identity was Advanced Sniper, so she reported a range only 100 meters above the Advanced Sniper passing line.

This rescue mission was most in need of snipers, so logically after Xia Qing finished her introduction, it should have been Tang Huai's turn.

Huo Zhun, who was piloting the helicopter, paused for a few seconds. Hearing no one speak, he introduced himself: "Territory Eleven, Huo Zhun, seventh-tier strength, fifth-tier elasticity Evolver, formerly served five years in the Hui-1 Jiaolong Special Operations Team."

Huo Zhun was definitely joining the rescue mission, so he reported his true combat strength directly.

Hearing that Huo Zhun was a member of the famed Jiaolong Special Operations Team, the members of the Tang family rescue squad all cast admiring and reverent gazes at the back of his head.

Zhang Hongda followed up: "Territory Fifteen, Zhang Hongda, fifth-tier speed Evolver, veteran of the Hui-3 main combat force."

Zhang Hongda, a three-system Evolver, had always publicly stated his ability as single-system speed Evolver. The reason he emphasized being a veteran of the main combat force was to show that he possessed extensive combat experience in the Evolution Forest.

Shi Du was the last: "Territory Ten, Shi Du, fifth-and-a-half-tier strength Evolver, has long participated in Evolution Forest hunting and gathering missions as a logistics member."

Tang Huai spoke last: "Territory Twelve, Tang Huai, fifth-and-a-half-tier auditory Evolver, Intermediate Sniper, effective nighttime range 1,480 meters."

Tang Huai's auditory Evolver ability had improved half a tier since he first entered the territory, and his effective range had increased 80 meters since May. This showed that every time he went to the Blue Dragon combat team's training ground to practice shooting, he wasn't just joining in the fun — he was genuinely training.

Hearing Young Mr. Tang identify himself as a member of the territory side, the tactful Du Zuohang smoothly picked up his thread and continued: "Thank you to the five for joining this mission. I'll first brief everyone on the situation with Zheng Jialin's group, then we'll begin assigning tasks."

The personnel Zheng Jialin himself reported included Ye Yang's niece, totaling 15 people, of whom 10 were Evolvers. But Du Zuohang believed that given Zheng Jialin's cautious nature, there were certainly no fewer than 10 more hidden in the dark, waiting for an opportunity.

"Our mission objective is to eliminate the mob taking advantage of the chaos to rob Zheng Jialin's group, and rescue the 15 people including Ye Yang's niece, along with the supplies they're carrying. If during this process our displayed combat strength is insufficient, or if we suffer excessive casualties fighting the robbers, the people hidden in ambush will pretend to be part of the robber group and take us out. If our combat strength far surpasses the robbers, the hidden ambushers will, after our victory, pretend to have just arrived and return to Hui-3 with us."

Hearing Du Zuohang say this, Xia Qing wasn't surprised at all — dog-eat-dog, black-turning-evil, and battles between Mr. Dongguo and Bai Yan-type humans happened every day in the Evolution Forest.

It was precisely because trust between people had fallen to its lowest point that the price of rescue missions remained high.

After analyzing Zheng Jialin's group's style of operation and today's battle situation, Du Zuohang began to lay out the combat plan: "I've already confirmed with Zheng Jialin. He says that aside from the 15 people inside the cave, everyone outside the cave — the besiegers and the ambushers — are enemies. The number outside the cave is unknown, estimated at no fewer than 30. When we're 2,000 meters from the cave later, Sister Qing will first clean out the enemy snipers and gunners…"

"Copy that." After hearing Du Zuohang's briefing, Xia Qing understood her combat mission for the day: demonstrate Advanced Sniper combat strength to intimidate both the enemy and Zheng Jialin's group.

Deng Xiaoqiong, the Intermediate Sniper of the Tang family escort squad, gazed intently at Xia Qing — she had long wanted to test herself against this rarely seen direct disciple of Luo Pei.

After Du Zuohang finished assigning each member's task, he calmly ordered: "Ten kilometers from the target location. Begin preparations."

"Xia Qing, copy." After Xia Qing replied on the walkie-talkie, she quickly sent a message to Zhang Shi, who was hidden somewhere unknown, telling her to stay hidden and not show herself, lest the rescue team mistake her for an enemy and take her out instantly.

"Five kilometers from the target. Radar monitoring normal. Optimal landing point spotted ahead." Huo Zhun, piloting the helicopter, used radar to quickly locate the best landing point and reported the situation.

Before Xia Qing could speak, the eighth-tier visual Evolver lookout in the Tang family guard squad reported: "Twelve o'clock ahead, 1,000 meters out, on the second-tallest tree on that mountaintop — one sniper spotted."

A sniper that radar couldn't detect but the naked eye could meant the enemy's equipment had radar-stealth functionality.

Tang Huai, who was holding his sniper rifle and using the scope to search for where the enemy was hidden, heard two almost simultaneous sounds from behind him:

"Not good!" — that was the lookout's voice.

"Bang, bang!" — that was the sniper rifle.

At the same instant the lookout spotted the enemy gunner aiming at the helicopter, Xia Qing's rifle fired. Through the telescope, Tang Huai saw a person fall from the tree at twelve o'clock, and another hidden person on a more distant mountaintop at ten o'clock also get hit!

He turned back in shock to look at Xia Qing standing at the helicopter's sniper position — how had she spotted the targets?!

"Bang!" After firing another shot, Xia Qing calmly reported over the walkie-talkie: "Xia Qing has killed one sniper at twelve o'clock, one gunner at ten o'clock, and one gunner at two o'clock."

As the Tang family escort squad was thoroughly shaken by Xia Qing, Huo Zhun piloting the helicopter also spoke calmly: "The enemy is equipped with new-material smart skin, which can block radar and night-vision devices. This isn't a group of ordinary mobs."

This also meant the rescue team had to eliminate these well-equipped enemies before sunset, or else they would be the ones on the back foot.