Master Pang Qian and the Ape Commander were locked in an unyielding exchange; it was clear the Ape Commander possessed a unique mastery of swordsmanship, capable of sparring fiercely with a Nen master.

The high platform could not sustain the strain and shattered into ice shards. Master Pang Qian and the ape simultaneously leaped down, landing steadily on the ground, and resumed their fight.

Ultimately, Master Pang Qian proved superior. Within about fifteen moves, he seized the advantage, wielding his light saber with unrestrained power, pressing the ape back and forcing continuous retreat.

Hiding behind an ice outcrop, Yang Ying remained silent, intensely focused on the Ape Commander’s transition from initial aggressive momentum to his current state of struggling defense. He was profoundly impressed by the swordsmanship of the Nen Temple, certain that this duel would remain vividly imprinted in his memory for a long time to come.

Then, a jolt of dread surged through him—a killing intent!

Yang Ying spun around just as a black shadow flashed past, leaping five meters high and lunging toward him. A red light saber in the shadow’s hand suddenly flared to life, illuminating a startling sight: another ape!

So, there was more than one commander here!

The thought barely registered in Yang Ying's mind before it was extinguished. In that moment of crisis, his focus sharpened to an extreme. He snatched his light saber from his waist, ignited the blue blade, held it before his chest defensively, and simultaneously retreated rapidly backward—a sequence of motions executed flawlessly as one.

However, none of his defensive preparations proved necessary. A razor-sharp ice spike, a meter long, shot forward from a distance with lightning speed, piercing the ape’s shoulder socket directly from behind and pinning it against the ice wall!

Yang Ying looked toward the source of the ice spike. Master Pang Qian stood facing him, giving him a thumbs-up, clearly commending his quick response. Meanwhile, the Ape Commander behind the Master took the opportunity to raise its red light saber and slash toward Master Pang Qian.

Master Pang Qian didn't even glance back. He casually extended his blue light saber behind him, parrying the red blade. With a smooth sweep, he deflected the red sword and spun around to re-engage.

Yang Ying turned his attention back to the attacking ape. It stood silently, hacking off the portion of the ice spike embedded in the wall with its light saber, regaining its freedom of movement, and then bolted toward the cave exit.

Should he pursue the wounded ape or remain to witness the rare spectacle of this light saber duel?

The ape was severely injured, and its protective suit was breached; the frigid air would soon kill it. No matter how cold-resistant the apes were, they couldn't withstand temperatures below minus one hundred and fifty degrees. However, their motorcycles were parked outside, and the emergency kit was in the sidecar—if it managed to steal one, that would be a major problem.

The decision took only an instant; Yang Ying chased after it.

As he lifted his foot, he realized he hadn't fully mapped out his choice, yet his body had already moved ahead of his thought process. In retrospect, he felt that instinct—that momentary sensation—had told him pursuing the ape would yield a benefit.

“Master, I’m going after that ape,” Yang Ying stated into his communicator.

“Be careful,” Master Pang Qian replied while deflecting sword strikes. “I’ll find you once I finish this one.”

Seeing Yang Ying pursue the exit, the Ape Commander immediately intensified its attack frequency, even sacrificing some defensive maneuvers in an attempt to force a quick victory. Master Pang Qian yielded no ground, engaging in a fierce clash.

The surrounding ice pillars, shards, walls, and floor disintegrated under the intensity of their battle. In this high-stakes engagement, the Ape Commander’s fierce spirit began to wane.

The scales of victory tipped toward Master Pang Qian.

Meanwhile, Yang Ying tracked the blood trail and footprints toward the cave entrance. Soon, he spotted the ape stumbling ahead. The ape noticed Yang Ying, drew its pistol, and fired.

Yang Ying dropped low, evading the laser blast, and returned fire with his own sidearm.

Both possessed psychic abilities and the capacity to dodge laser fire, resulting in a temporary stalemate.

After bursts of fighting punctuated by brief halts, Yang Ying emerged from the ice cave only to see the ape already mounted on Master Pang Qian’s motorcycle, accelerating away at a distance of a hundred meters. Yang Ying immediately mounted his own bike in pursuit.

While driving, Yang Ying continuously fired at the ape. Because of its shoulder socket injury, the ape could only control the motorcycle with one hand; the other was useless and incapable of firing back.

However, due to the initial head start, the distance between them had widened to about five hundred meters—beyond the effective range of the laser pistol—meaning the impact of his shots was minimal.

But Yang Ying was fortunate. Shortly after, the two motorcycles—one fleeing, one pursuing—arrived at the edge of a precipice overlooking an abyss thousands of meters deep; there was no further path forward.

The ape, inherently stronger, was severely compromised by its injuries, unable to utilize its full power. As weakness set in from blood loss and numbness from the icy air, its strength and psychic reserves dwindled to roughly match Yang Ying’s own.

With no retreat possible, it fiercely dismounted the motorcycle, bracing itself for Yang Ying’s arrival.

Yang Ying stopped his bike one hundred meters from the ape. He saw the creature standing at the cliff edge, brandishing its light saber and emitting savage cries, seemingly issuing a direct challenge. At that moment, his communicator chirped. Yang Ying activated it, hearing Master Pang Qian’s voice: “I’ve dealt with that commander and am on my way out of the cave. How are things on your end?”

“Almost done, I’ll be right back,” Yang Ying replied easily, cutting the connection. He glanced at the ape. “I’d have to be crazy to fight you head-on!”

Yang Ying was self-aware; his combat experience paled in comparison to the ape’s, and he hadn’t yet mastered swordsmanship. Engaging in close-quarters combat would be leveraging his weaknesses.

This was a rare, perfect opportunity. The terrain was high, surrounded by peaks, ensuring secrecy. Master Pang Qian was still inside the cave, and according to the search grid assigned to the task force, the nearest search teams were miles away—too far even to hear an echo.

Therefore, the opportunity must be seized…

Machine Gunner Drill Commencement!

Drill Objective: To test the combat effectiveness of the Machine Gunners in a real-world scenario. Drill Personnel: One ape defending, four Machine Gunners attacking, Yang Ying serving as both attacker and referee. “Summon Machine Gunners!”

Yang Ying extended his right hand, and a flash of golden light erupted. Four soldiers, clad in red armored suits and wielding heavy machine guns, materialized on the otherwise empty ground!

The ape’s brain couldn't process the change; it assumed it was hallucinating due to blood loss. Then, Yang Ying roared, “Erect the firepower curtain! Eliminate this monkey!”

Instantly, the Machine Gunners opened fire en masse, unleashing a continuous torrent of noise—a storm of steel. Yang Ying simultaneously began shooting with his laser pistol.

The ape managed only half a dodging motion before being riddled by incoming bullets, blood exploding from its body. It collapsed five feet away, a pool of crimson spreading around it.

Yang Ying cautiously approached to verify the ape’s fatal injuries, observing the effect of the machine gun rounds.

Randall led the remaining three Machine Gunners, standing by at ease.