# 237
**Chapter 237: Ritual Failed**
Not just him—every other passenger in the first-class cabin had collapsed in pools of blood. There were no other wounds on their bodies; it was as if they had simply fallen asleep, their faces wearing eerie smiles.
An Qingyu stepped forward and carefully analyzed the condition of each person, then shook his head.
“They’re all dead. During our fight, these people must’ve had their minds controlled to complete a ritual. Only one was killed by a stab to the heart—the rest died from mental obliteration.”
“That bug was sealed in crystal and on the verge of death, yet it could still control so many people?” Lin Qiye scanned the economy cabin ahead with his mental power and slowly said, “The passengers in the rear cabins are fine. Looks like its control has a limited range.”
“Maybe it saw the situation turning against it and went all-in.”
“Even if it killed the final person for the ritual, the soul energy from the sacrifice should’ve been far from enough.” Lin Qiye fell into thought. “There are only six bodies here—six ordinary souls. That’s not nearly enough to complete the ritual…”
Just as Lin Qiye finished speaking, the entire plane suddenly jolted. A strong sense of weightlessness hit as the aircraft began plummeting downward!
Lin Qiye and An Qingyu exchanged glances and spoke in unison:
“It’s trying to crash the plane!”
The two rushed into the cockpit, where the sole pilot’s eyes glowed red as he madly steered the plane into a steep dive!
Dense residential buildings rapidly loomed larger in their view!
From the cockpit, Lin Qiye and An Qingyu could clearly hear the screams coming from the passenger cabin behind.
Without hesitation, Lin Qiye chopped the pilot’s neck with a palm strike, knocking him out instantly. An Qingyu stepped up to the control panel and began operating it swiftly.
“You know how to fly a plane?” Lin Qiye asked in surprise.
“I do.”
“When did you learn?”
“Three seconds ago.”
A gray glint flashed in An Qingyu’s eyes as he grabbed the control stick and yanked it back hard!
…
**On the ground.**
The circling plane suddenly lost control and dove toward the residential area. The abrupt change made everyone in Team 136’s hearts skip a beat.
“Captain, it’s going to hit the buildings!” Wu Xiangnan’s face was grave.
The massive aircraft grew rapidly in their vision, its low engine roar thundering through the sky. At this rate, in less than ten seconds, the plane would crash into the residential district!
The casualties would number in the thousands!
Chen Muye stared intently at the plane, confliction growing in his eyes. He reached toward his chest and slowly asked:
“Xiangnan, what’s the serial number of that plane?”
“What?”
“The plane’s serial number.”
“It’s XXXXXX. Captain, why are you asking that now?” Wu Xiangnan was baffled, his palms already slick with sweat from tension.
Chen Muye didn’t answer. His fingertips had brushed something, pulling out a corner of it. It appeared to be an old, yellowed parchment scroll.
The moment the scroll appeared in the air, it was as if a seal had been broken, and a strange energy ripple spread outward.
At the same time, a mysterious and ethereal gaze seemed to descend from the void, hovering above the city as if searching for something.
Three seconds remained until the plane crashed.
Suddenly, the massive aircraft adjusted its posture mid-air, violently changing its dive trajectory and veering away from the residential area. It skimmed just above the rooftops, wings trembling violently before beginning to climb again!
The wind from the plane sent trees rustling in the neighborhood, its engine rumbling like continuous thunder between the buildings.
Countless people were jolted awake, turning on their lights and peeking outside curiously…
By now, the plane had pulled up and was flying steadily into the night sky.
Seeing this, everyone in Team 136 exhaled in relief, their backs soaked in cold sweat.
“I thought we were gonna die…” Hongying clutched her chest, still shaken.
Chen Muye stood alone on the rooftop, watching the plane disappear into the distance. He let out a long breath and tucked the parchment back into his clothes.
The gaze from the void lingered over the city for a while longer, but finding nothing, it eventually dissipated.
…
**In the cockpit.**
Lin Qiye finally relaxed once the crisis was averted.
“What, didn’t trust me?” An Qingyu asked, piloting the plane skillfully while glancing at him.
“Yeah.”
“…” An Qingyu was silent for a moment. “You’d better have the flight attendants make a couple of announcements to calm the passengers. If they find the bodies in first class, it’ll cause chaos.”
Lin Qiye nodded and walked to the flight attendant rest area. He untied one of the attendants and removed the tape from her mouth. After showing his police credentials, she immediately cooperated.
“Due to weather conditions, the plane may experience unstable airflow. Please remain seated with your seatbelts fastened and do not move around unnecessarily…”
The attendant’s gentle voice echoed through the cabin, soothing some of the anxious passengers. But many didn’t buy it—after all, they had just watched the plane nearly crash into a building. That’s “unstable airflow”?
Lin Qiye untied the other attendants and had them help calm the passengers, informing them the plane would return in about ten minutes.
Finally, Lin Qiye walked over to Wen Qimo, who was slumped on the floor. Wen Qimo looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.
“All done?”
“Not sure.” Lin Qiye shook his head. “The tavern owner and the Ten-Slice Ghost Child are dead, but the ritual was still completed. I don’t know if their souls were absorbed. If they were—one River Realm, one Pond Realm, plus the bodies in first class—it might just meet the minimum requirement.”
Wen Qimo reached out as if to pat Lin Qiye’s shoulder, then noticed his blood-soaked hand and withdrew it with a bitter smile.
“You saved everyone on this plane and in the residential area. That’s already incredible. As for that mysterious entity from the Western Fog—this falls under the Phoenix Special Squad’s jurisdiction. They’ll handle the rest.”
Lin Qiye blinked. “There have been mysterious entities from the Western Fog before?”
“Of course. They’re extremely rare, but each one is incredibly dangerous—otherwise they wouldn’t survive in the Fog. Any incident involving the Western Fog, no matter how small, must be handed over to the Phoenix Squad.”