knew that in controlling the flying knives to save everyone, he had simultaneously exposed the secret that he was a Psychic!

"You must have all guessed it. You're all deliberately looking at me with those expressions. Fine, I admit it..." Luo Feng offered a wry smile. "I am a Psychic!"

"Haha." Chen Gu laughed heartily. "Luo Feng, I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

Wei Qing and Wei Tie also broke into smiles.

"A Psychic. Our Fire Hammer Squad finally has a Psychic too," Gao Feng nodded with a grin. "I believe that if the Tiger Fang Squad knew how powerful Luo Feng was beforehand, they definitely wouldn't have dared to play dirty tricks on us. If they knew... that they had offended a Psychic, they would regret it immensely!"

"They must regret it to death!" Wei Tie chuckled slyly.

Zhang Ke, lying nearby, couldn't help but add, "The strongest among those bastards from the Tiger Fang Squad were only two Intermediate Warlord-level martial artists! Luo Feng's current physical fitness barely reaches 'Advanced Warrior Level.' According to the rules, one's Psychic power should be two tiers higher than their physical fitness level, meaning he should be at 'Intermediate Warlord Level.' However... an Intermediate Warlord-level Psychic can absolutely sweep aside peers of the same rank. They can be compared to martial artists a whole level higher!"

All the martial artists understood the terror of a Psychic!

At the same level, they absolutely crushed other martial artists!

No matter how skilled one was with swordsmanship, shield defense, or movement techniques, a Psychic could stay far away and launch rapid remote attacks with flying knives. Moreover, the knives could instantly change direction, and their speed was absolutely supersonic. How could a martial artist of the same rank contend?

"As long as Luo Feng is careful, he can sweep the entire Tiger Fang Squad by himself!" Chen Gu grinned widely. "For the Tiger Fang Squad to scheme against us Fire Hammer Squad this time, it was the most foolish thing they've ever done!"

"This time, we were truly lucky," Gao Feng sighed.

Gao Feng's physical fitness had barely crossed into the 'Intermediate Warlord Level,' but against the horde of beasts, he was almost useless. This was the difference between an ordinary martial artist and a Psychic!

"Brother Zhang."

Luo Feng half-squatted in front of Zhang Ke, looking at the pale-faced man, and whispered, "The Tiger Fang Squad attacking us this time was likely because I offended Zhang Zehu last time... For Brother Zhang to lose an arm this time... I apologize!"

The Fire Hammer Squad fell silent for a moment; they all looked at Luo Feng and Zhang Ke.

"Luo Feng," Zhang Ke managed a smile. "Don't take all the blame yourself. You saved our entire squad this time, that’s undeniable. As for me..." Zhang Ke looked down at the wound on his right shoulder; his right arm was already gone, lost back among the beasts earlier.

"My career as a Freelance Martial Artist is probably over," Zhang Ke sighed.

Gao Feng, Chen Gu, the Wei brothers, and Luo Feng all remained silent.

"However," Zhang Ke showed a faint smile, "this is actually the best-case scenario I could have hoped for. Do you remember the Great Nirvana Era? I was just a child then. I lived through that time and witnessed countless people being killed by monsters. I swore then... that when I grew up, I would personally kill these monsters and become a hero!"

"I’ve been working hard."

"Finally, I became a martial artist, a Freelance Martial Artist! I entered the wilderness zone to hunt large numbers of monsters, fulfilling my childhood dream. I also became a hero in people's eyes. My wife admired me, which is why she eventually married me. My daughter has always been proud to have a formidable martial artist for a dad."

"As time passed and the number of monsters killed grew, I gradually grew tired... Every time I came to the wilderness zone, my wife and child worried I wouldn't come back. And I worried I wouldn't see them again. But I didn't have the courage to quit." Zhang Ke spoke slowly, "It’s been like this for over a decade; I’ve long grown accustomed to it."

At that moment, Luo Feng’s heart ached too.

Family?

He also had a younger brother and parents who worried about him constantly.

"This injury is a reason for me to finally step down," Zhang Ke smiled faintly. "I’ve been weary for over ten years. In the future, I can teach at a martial arts academy; with my record, I can definitely become an instructor at a district-level Ultimate Martial Arts School. I can spend more time with my wife and child! Besides, I have you all behind me. To be able to gain the friendship of a Psychic before retiring—haha—that’s worth it."

Luo Feng forced a smile.

"Brother, enjoy the peaceful life," Gao Feng encouraged him. "If you ever need anything in the future, just ask! We’ve been together for seven or eight years; we are brothers unto death!"

"Mm." Zhang Ke nodded with a smile. "I won't be modest; if I run into trouble, I will definitely call on you. Especially Luo Feng, I know that Psychics go through a period where their strength improves astonishingly fast. Your power will increase rapidly. In the future, if I need help, Luo Feng, don't refuse!"

Asking him for a favor?

Zhang Ke was the one who strongly pushed for him to join the Fire Hammer Squad, and Zhang Ke’s disablement this time was likely related to him—how could he refuse to help?

"Brother Zhang, your business is my business!" Luo Feng declared.

Zhang Ke nodded, then asked with a hint of confusion, "By the way, Luo Feng. Why did you keep it hidden that you’re a Psychic for so long?"

"Mainly because I don't want too much trouble," Luo Feng shook his head and smiled. "Once the fact that I am a Psychic is exposed, I won't have a peaceful life anymore." It was only after becoming a martial artist and browsing many posts on the 'Ultimate Home' forum that he realized keeping his Psychic secret was the best course of action.

Because once publicized, he would immediately become a key cultivation target for the Ultimate Martial Arts School, first sent to the global headquarters, then receiving the best training, the best resources, and so on...

He would lose the quiet life he currently enjoyed. Although he still came to the wilderness zone occasionally, he could at least spend frequent time with his parents when he returned.

"Mm."

Gao Feng nodded. "Luo Feng’s thinking is sound. Right now, whether it’s the government military or the various martial arts schools and clans, they are desperately scrambling to recruit Psychics. The moment one appears, all factions fight over them! The government and military will use every means available immediately, and the martial arts schools, upon finding out, will quickly move the Psychic out of the country's jurisdiction until an agreement is reached with the government and military before allowing the Psychic to return."

A Psychic was a trump card!

Every single Psychic was immensely valuable, enough to spark fierce competition among factions. Being in the spotlight, despite having privileges, meant losing the life of an ordinary martial artist.

"Captain, I hope everyone can help me keep this secret and not disclose it publicly," Luo Feng requested.

"Mm, of course, we won't disclose it. Our martial artist squad loves that Luo Feng keeps secrets," Gao Feng laughed heartily.

Chen Gu beside him nodded excitedly, "Exactly! Our Fire Hammer Squad has a 'Psychic,' and the other squads don't know—tsk, tsk... hiding our strength like this, making others lower their guard. Then, anyone who dares to mess with us will suffer a great loss. Plus, it will be a huge advantage when hunting monsters later!"

A trump card is only truly effective when hidden!

Once revealed, it loses its shock value.

"Right, in the future, the Captain can engage the monsters head-on, and Luo Feng can use his flying knives for sneak attacks. He’ll hit the mark every time," Wei Tie couldn't help but say.

Wei Qing beside him added, "Exactly! Luo Feng attacks first with his combat knife, making the monster think Luo Feng relies on his blade, then Luo Feng secretly uses his flying knives for a surprise attack! The monster won't even have time to cry!" Having a Psychic in the team meant the squad's overall strength instantly increased tenfold!

...

The members of the Fire Hammer Squad excitedly discussed Luo Feng's future role in the team.

Clearly, the addition of a Psychic brought immense benefits to the Fire Hammer Squad.

After a long while, the Fire Hammer Squad members began to rest as the sky gradually darkened, revealing a ceiling of countless stars.

Under the starry sky, Luo Feng sat quietly at the edge of the rooftop, contemplating the battle from earlier that evening: "In today’s fight, when that armor-piercing round shot toward me, I actually managed to execute the first level of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade!" Thinking of this, Luo Feng couldn't help but stand up and walk aside, drawing his Blood Shadow Combat Knife.

"Hoo!"

A slight advancement—a burst of force erupted almost instantly from his 'waist and hip' core area, but simultaneously, as the muscle power transmitted into his arm, the waist and hip naturally unleashed another burst of force, like the passing of a wave. Two successive forces transmitted into his arm.

"Psh!"

The Blood Shadow Combat Knife turned into a cold streak, slicing through the air.

"It’s true. I can now produce an extra layer of latent force. Combining two forces—seven parts plus seven parts results in fourteen parts of strength." Luo Feng felt that after generating one extra layer of latent force, his body was spent; he couldn't manage another.

Even so, it was excellent progress.

The Nine Heavens Thunder Blade was notoriously difficult to master, and to naturally step into the first level during a life-or-death moment meant there was hope of further improvement in the future.

Suddenly—

"Awooo~~~"

A howl filled with rage and unwillingness echoed from somewhere below. Under the starry sky, the resting members of the Fire Hammer Squad were startled awake.

"That's a wolf's cry!" Gao Feng said solemnly.

"There are wolf-type monsters here," Chen Gu gasped, knowing that every single wolf-type monster was trouble.

Wolves?

Luo Feng was also surprised. Wolf-type monsters were rare even before the Great Nirvana Era and were incredibly ferocious. After the evolutionary changes of the Great Nirvana, their wildness and ferocity were far beyond what they were before, and their strength was equally terrifying.

Swish!

Luo Feng grabbed his binoculars and dashed to the edge of the rooftop, peering down toward the source of the wolf howl.

..