The vast Sahara Desert lay still, the yellow sands shifting gently like sluggish water under the sun.
A colossal mechanical roar, like the bellow of a dragon, shattered the eternal silence of the Sahara. A massive metal warship screamed past, flying incredibly low, almost skimming the golden surface of the sand.
Everywhere the extreme speed passed, it carved a massive sonic barrier channel in the air. The transparent atmosphere was violently torn open by the high-velocity craft, creating a rolling, translucent void that moved like flowing water. Countless pockets of air surged into this tunnel, compressing and colliding to produce a deep, rumbling thunder.
The yellow sand on the ground was sucked up by the powerful vacuum of the invisible channel, all the sand lying prone being drawn into the roaring, thundering void. Viewed from afar, it resembled a charging yellow dragon.
Zuo Dongting stared emotionlessly at the screen, watching the secret-realm-class warship expertly evade two waves of missile attacks that spread like a net from heaven. Its piloting technique, fluid and serpentine, honed to the razor's edge, proved one thing: defeating it would require significantly greater force.
If the East Asia region consisted only of the Zuo family, sending up fighter jets and launching countless more missiles in this encirclement battle would pose no issue.
However, East Asia was home to another major family: the Du family! This lineage possessed sufficient strength to establish a comprehensive balance of power.
After the second volley of missiles was launched, the Serpent King, Du Hen, who had remained hidden, finally revealed his ferocious fangs. He swiftly apprehended the soldiers at the missile base and immediately broadcast to the entire army that he intended to charge both parties with war crimes.
At almost the exact same moment, the commanders at various bases began to engage in mutual containment. While no one could secure a decisive upper hand to fully suppress the other, they succeeded in stalling them, preventing the opposing side from gaining the authority to fire.
Du Hen didn't just aim to secure victory in this confrontation. Simply by stalling for time, he had already won, forcing Zuo Dongting—who would never have otherwise moved—into action!
No further missiles were launched. Zuo Dongting knew this was the move his old rival had finally made.
“My dear General Zuo, are you not coming to kill me?” The irritating projection of Xie Wuyi spoke with a gentle politeness that begged to be shattered by a blow. “You’ve been pushed this far; you shouldn't have any complaints, right? Come now! If you delay any longer, just wait for the global broadcast where we will slowly carve your grandson into a thousand pieces. Rest assured, we will provide illustrative diagrams explaining, for instance, how your grandson enjoys women, how he bullies others, and what he typically does—things that might seem minor to you, but which the public will view as gravely serious.”
Zuo Dongting rested his hands lightly on the armrests of his chair. Slowly, he increased the pressure on his arms, his body gradually straightening, his backside inching away from the seat.
Zuo Dongting's expression was grim, etched only with killing intent, devoid of any trace of rage. Being cornered to this extent left no room for complaint or resentment. The opponent not only held the trump card of Zuo Lin but also boasted a super ace pilot in a secret-realm warship. Every minute detail was under their control.
There was no entrapment, no deceit—only methods so tangible, so openly coercive yet utterly inescapable, used to achieve their objective.
This wasn't strategy! Zuo Dongting shook his head lightly. This was merely execution. Wu Yi was leveraging every resource at his disposal, even those not strictly his, to control the situation and apply the most precise form of pressure.
Within the Federation, the true heavyweights of the military were invariably masters of martial arts! If one only possessed a brilliant mind, in this world saturated with absolute martial might, they could only become the chief strategist for the top leaders, never a leader capable of standing alone.
This wasn't an unwritten rule; the emergence of Divine Beast Warriors had been officially incorporated into the military promotion system. Even ordinary civilians knew that the highest echelon of military leadership consisted entirely of Martial Arts Masters, or even Martial Arts Grandmasters.
If such experts couldn't guarantee the safety of their own descendants, what ability would they have to guarantee the safety of the populace? Zuo Dongting smiled, his feet slowly lifting off the ground. In this world, the opinions of common grassroots people were the most useless; yet, the popular will was simultaneously the most potent and powerful force.
A single popular opinion held no weight, but when all such opinions coalesced, the resulting mighty torrent could only be quelled by a Divine Beast-level martial artist—a force that even the Commander-in-Chief could not contend with.
The floor of Zuo Dongting's chamber slowly retracted to either side, and the ceiling above stretched rapidly apart as well. Beneath the floor, a surprisingly small fighter craft emerged—a specialized vehicle unlike any conventional fighter.
Its form resembled a lion, or perhaps it was a lion forged from metal.
The mount of the Sleeping Lion naturally possessed unique characteristics. Its lifelike design exuded an indescribable majesty. The metal fuselage on its back opened slowly, and Zuo Dongting floated serenely inside.
A lion’s roar erupted from the metal beast. This specialized vehicle, bearing more resemblance to a Mobile Armor than a fighter, transformed into a streak of metallic yellow light, tearing through the air and rocketing toward the clouds.
“The Lion wakes?” Du Hen held a cup of clear tea. “Xiao Zhao, prepare a Phantom Space Fighter.”
Zhao Huzi started, looking at Du Hen in astonishment. “General, you…”
Du Hen placed the tea down, smiling faintly. “Zuo Dongting must die this time; there can be no room for error. Qin Fen and the others are not easy to deal with, but is Zuo Dongting any easier? I trust Qin Fen and the others, but I also trust Zuo Dongting. A mutual annihilation is the most likely outcome. Sometimes, the snake also likes to be the oriole waiting behind the praying mantis.”
The golden lion left a long, radiant golden tail streak in the sky, moving horizontally at high speed like a meteor plunging from the heavens.
“General,”
The internal control screen of the lion flashed, showing the solemn face of a Colonel. “The Gate Experimental Base is under heavy attack.”
It was not a military base, but private property belonging to the Zuo family. Like all other major clans, the Zuo family had its own commercial pursuits. With the sudden appearance of mutated creatures, bio-scientists quickly recognized the immense value, leading to a significant investment of personnel in research.
This was not biochemical research. Zuo Dongting disliked engaging in such pursuits. Under his leadership, the Zuo family had embarked on a different path.
Machinery! If bullets could kill and cannons could injure, it meant these cold weapons held intrinsic value. It was merely that the current era had developed too rapidly, making them seem obsolete. But what if their development could continue?
The Zuo family dedicated themselves to pushing machinery to a higher echelon. Fifty percent of the most advanced Mobile Armors in existence today originated from the hands of the Zuo family.
Aside from Mobile Armors, the Zuo family was also researching other mechanisms, such as fully automated combat robots! Stripped of emotion, divorced from life, unburdened by fear or the concept of death—fully automated combat robots that executed combat orders with one hundred percent fidelity!
This research institute was dedicated solely to the development of combat robots. Normally, major powers refrained from attacking one another, but the world contained not only the so-called 'White Path' but also the 'Black Path,' comprising terrorists and others.
Zuo Dongting frowned slightly, a profoundly irritating visage crossing his mind: the ingratiating smile of Xie Wuyi.
“I knew you’d try some petty maneuver. Trying to distract me?” Zuo Dongting sneered. “Send out the Martial Arts Masters hidden there and sweep away those troublemakers.”
“General,” the Colonel looked troubled. “They have already engaged, but there are no signs of victory yet.”
“No signs of defeat either?”
“No…”
“Xie Wuyi is truly clever,” Zuo Dongting nodded slowly. “Understood. If you are not clearly losing, do not contact me again. If the base is breached, detonate it.”
Zuo Dongting closed the communicator, his expression darkening further. His mind was filled with the hateful face of Wu Yi. The timing was calculated perfectly; if he turned back to rescue the base now, Zuo Lin would truly not be reachable in time.
The Metal Lion’s speed was terrifying. It crossed oceans and seas, tearing through the blue surface of the water, plunging directly toward the coordinates provided by Xie Wuyi in the merciless Sahara.
The golden sands stirred faintly under the desert wind, shifting at speeds of dozens of kilometers per hour. Zuo Dongting’s eyes snapped open abruptly. The canopy panel above his head retracted suddenly, and with a single motion, his body shot out of his craft. Three figures sprang up from the sand, twisting their waists in mid-air, making subtle mid-flight adjustments that shifted their initial lock-on target—the Metal Lion—to the airborne Zuo Dongting.
“Oh?”
Zuo Dongting’s ears twitched lightly. A flicker of surprise flashed through his eyes as he listened to the intensely powerful blasts of Qi, sounding like a dozen fighter jets diving at extreme velocity. The air ruptured with incredible force. These were top-tier experts, at least at the Fifteen-Star level, and they had achieved Qi Condensation and Form Manifestation!
Three figures propelled themselves forward at high speed, resembling Great Pengs or immense elephants. Like a reverse-flowing Lushan Waterfall, their enveloping fist winds were fierce and surging, aimed directly at the body’s three vital points from below!
“…Dragon Form? Emperor’s Aura? Manic Battle Intent?”
Light flickered rapidly in Zuo Dongting’s eyes. The person charging forward first wore an excited smile. His body was like a cannonball, his arm drawn deeply back to his waist. The muscles in his shoulders visibly strained against the manifest Qi, exploding with sharp cracking sounds as if his shoulders were about to burst!
Dressed entirely in red, Yang Lie executed the Dragon Tooth Throat Rend, his eyes blazing with the fierce light of no return. His body spun like a gyroscope, tearing and gripping!
This grab commanded the very earth and sky! It was like a sudden eruption of fierce snow and biting winds! The subtle movements of Tai Bai seemed like mere childish play before this seize by Yang Lie.
Dual fists and one claw assaulted Zuo Dongting simultaneously!
Caesar, head pointed downward, shifted his legs rapidly in the air, unleashing even more ruthless attacks of Stepping Across Rivers and Mountains. The sound of his violent charge was deafening, ripping at the eardrums!
A sneak attack! Or perhaps, a sudden interception, knowing a true sneak attack was impossible!
These three had been waiting—the current generation's most elite young martial artists! At the peak of their physical, spiritual, and mental concentration, having merged with a Tier-Three bio-beast, and after consuming the latest concoctions from Inzarota—the Heaven-Defying Rampage Pill and the Heaven-Defying Iron Armor Pill—they unleashed the strongest combined attack of their careers!
The sudden, peerless assault! Yellow sand surged like a dragon, fists felt like steel, and surging streams of Qi roared and clashed! They were vastly more powerful than when they had killed David Solomon just a few days prior!
The most prominent young martial artists of the current age joined forces in a surprise attack targeting the high-ranking East Asia military official, Zuo Dongting!
“I always knew that cunning fox Xie Wuyi wouldn't let me reach my destination easily, but I didn't expect him to calculate my flight path so precisely and send assassins here for an ambush.”
The instant the three youths stirred the yellow sand, Zuo Dongting had grasped Xie Wuyi’s entire plan. A faint, cold smile touched the corner of his lips; he was not surprised by this sudden assassination attempt.
Xie Wuyi was no fool; on the contrary, he was extremely shrewd. Facing a martial arts master whose spirit and will were like hardened stone, he could repeatedly and tirelessly launch various minor tactical attacks, attempting to crack his opponent's flawless mental fortress, even if it was just a tiny fissure.
Zuo Dongting had anticipated encountering some form of resistance on his way, expecting perhaps another barrage of missiles to knock the War Lion out of the sky. He had not expected the first wave of attackers to be the currently most famous young martial artists.
The moment he flew into the Sahara, Zuo Dongting’s mind had vaguely sensed unstable killing auras, but he couldn't immediately locate the opponents’ exact positions; these young men practiced a very strange style of martial arts.
Zuo Dongting had intended to stop and search carefully—even Qin Fen’s disguise wouldn't escape his notice.
However, Xie Wuyi had perfectly exploited the temporal constraints, preventing Zuo Dongting from centering his focus entirely on searching, thus denying Zuo Dongting the chance to strike first.
Hiss hiss hiss!
The sound of three fighters diving rushed toward Zuo Dongting’s vicinity! The first to reach him was not the Little Dragon King Yang Lie, nor Caesar, whose feet traversed mountains and rivers, but Feng Mo Solomon!
This young Sixteen-Star Martial Arts Master wore a special light-blue combat suit that seemed to coat his body like a shimmering film, wrapping around his arms and fists. It appeared as if only his eyes—glowing with excited red light from beneath the bizarre headgear—were visible, radiating an intense hunger for battle.
Solomon’s eyes were stunningly beautiful. Even in a state where his emotions appeared utterly deranged, they remained beautiful, yet this beauty was unnerving, causing a sudden, sharp pang in the viewer’s heart, as if witnessing a true Asura born of slaughter.
Super Nano-Combat Suit!? Zuo Dongting, seasoned as he was, felt a shock. How could these specialized nano-suits, rumored to be unfinished lab projects, be worn by these young men? Moreover, these suits looked completely finalized! When were they completed?
The Nano-Combat Suit was originally a piece of high-grade military apparel resistant to biological agents, capable of deflecting bullets and absorbing kinetic energy, though incredibly expensive to produce.
The scientist rescued by Qin Fen during a mission had subsequently modified these suits, dramatically enhancing their resistance to pressure and granting them other extraordinary capabilities!
“Unbounded Void Fist!” Solomon’s waist muscles convulsed, his arm snapping straight from a deep bend, like an elastic super-heavy spear suddenly released from maximum tension, unleashing an earth-shattering strike!
Zuo Dongting felt as though Solomon wasn't thrusting an arm, but a massive spear—a general's spear from ancient battlefields, capable of piercing armies and slaying generals!
From the desert floor, fingertips jabbed out, the arm vibrating and whistling. The air filled with the sound of frantic attack. Four directions converged as if dozens of spears were thrusting forward, enveloping Zuo Dongting’s heart, throat, eyes, and brow!
This punch carried not merely killing intent, but madness! In that instant, through his eyes, which shone with an eerie luster, Zuo Dongting sensed a profound desire for his opponent to kill him—like a demon from hell, unable to climb out of the abyss, desperate to drag any living soul down with it! A chilling wind swirled the surrounding air, and the yellow sand around Solomon's body had yet to fully disperse.
Solomon had pushed his spirit, concentration, momentum, and will to their absolute limit. Coupled with his resentment toward Zuo Dongting, he unleashed a single punch that had been accumulating for hours—arguably the strongest of his career. Even David Solomon, encountering this blow on that day, would likely have sought to evade it first.
Zuo Dongting had faced countless martial artists: domineering, bloodthirsty, powerful, gentle, swift—but he had never encountered the sheer frenzy radiating from Solomon. No one willingly fought a lunatic. Even current Federation law decreed that a madman’s murder did not constitute a crime; they were merely confined to a psychiatric hospital.
A faint appreciation surfaced in Zuo Dongting’s mind. Such ability at such a young age was both admirable and alarming. Coming here today was absolutely the right decision. Xie Wuyi had to die, and this person also had to die. If he spared Solomon today, controlling him in the future might prove impossible.
Taking a deep breath, Zuo Dongting swept his arm across his throat! His arm smashed heavily onto Solomon’s punching arm. The collision of flesh and bone caused the air to explode like a solar burst.
Blood surged violently within Solomon’s chest. His entire arm felt as though it was being pierced by a million needles. He grimaced in pain, violently wrenching his arm back. Blood mist seeped from the pores of his fist and arm. The disparity in strength was immense! This opponent wasn't just Seventeen-Star; he felt closer to Eighteen!
Zuo Dongting tried to grab Solomon, but the Sixteen-Star youth moved like the wind, possessing a speed unfitting for his rank. He had clearly ingested some peculiar serum, but even an expensive Super Rampage Pill shouldn't grant such velocity or defense. A single strike like that should have severed the opponent’s arm, yet it only managed to make him spit blood!
As Zuo Dongting sought to press the attack, the other two young martial arts masters had already entered his range!
Little Dragon King Yang Lie struck with Dragon Tooth Throat Rend, his three fingers slashing horizontally toward his Adam’s apple.
Caesar’s Stepping Across Rivers and Mountains leg technique produced a savage leg wind, sounding like hundreds of cement mixers operating simultaneously, enveloping Zuo Dongting’s core, chest, groin, and knees.
The opponents’ strikes made Zuo Dongting’s skin jump instantaneously. How could these youths all be this outstanding? Far surpassing the data he had received just days ago!
Zuo Dongting expelled the air from his lungs, escalating his power within the momentary gap in the battle. The surge of power, though brief, was another increase against these two Fifteen-Star martial artists. His hands transformed into eagle claws, meeting the two assailants, aiming to rip off an arm with a single grasp!
At that very moment!
Ten thousand li across the sand, it exploded once more. A figure clad in clothing the color of yellow sand, wielding a great saber, eyes blazing with world-shattering killing intent, Brooks launched the Heaven-Cleaving Slash!
This strike transformed from absolute silence to world-shattering impact in almost no time, completing its motion utterly instantaneously!
The broad, massive battle saber was etched with cloud-like patterns on its surface. Its keen edge gave the impression that even a glance would cause one's skin to crack and bleed!
The yellow sand in the sky, before even touching the strike, naturally parted to either side—this was a slash rumored capable of cleaving the heavens! Silent, yet achieving full momentum, it swept upward from below, producing a ghostly shriek as the blade light locked onto Zuo Dongting’s lower abdomen!
Brooks had pushed his Iaido technique to its absolute limit. This was also the most powerful strike he had ever unleashed!
In the Sacred Martial Hall, he had once watched his master face the ocean with his saber; without even issuing a cut, the ocean waves were split apart by the saber’s aura. He knew that wasn't true blade energy, but his master’s Saber Intent!
Zuo Dongting, having fought hundreds of battles throughout his life, had seen countless saber users, including opponents whose massive blades could effortlessly dismember an elephant into unrecognizable specks of meat—blades of peak refinement. But he had never seen a saber like Brooks’. Even before contact, he felt as if his body was already being cleaved in two.
Brooks’ saber had reached a terrifying state of mastery! Zuo Dongting judged that if Brooks were at the same star level as him, this ambush and assassination attempt would already have succeeded! While dealing with Yang Lie and Caesar, he would have certainly perished by this sneak attack!
Zuo Dongting felt admiration well up, but his killing intent intensified. These young men absolutely had to die today, or they would surely become boundless trouble in the future!
Bang! A gunshot echoed from the sand ten kilometers away! Zuo Dongting couldn't hear the shot immediately, nor could he hear the sound of the bullet tearing through the air, but as a high-star martial artist, his instincts screamed of a deadly threat from behind. His head violently jerked sideways.
Whoosh! A bullet whipped past his earlobe, the searing pain ripping out a blinding spray of blood. The sharp agony caused his focus to waver for a fraction of a second, and the steady grip of his hands shifted ever so slightly. Instead of grabbing Caesar and the other by their arms, his backhand collided with their fists and kicks.
Bang! Bang! The eighteen-star power of vast carbon erupted. Even with the enhancement drugs, the bio-beast, and his jing qi shen at its peak, Caesar couldn't contend with an opponent several star-levels higher. A bone-snapping sound echoed from his leg. The Little Dragon King, Yang Lie, fared no better; his arm bone fractured, and he spat out a jet of blood.
This is? Zuo Dongting started, shocked. The two repelled youths—their true objective was to gather their zhenqi, one cold and one hot, condensing it to a point smaller than a needle tip, executing a highly targeted breakthrough.
Carelessness? Zuo Dongting couldn't call it carelessness. Even zhenqi concentrated to the size of a needle tip shouldn't have been enough to penetrate, but the two were deeply rooted in Yin and Yang respectively, and their combined intensity was exceptionally fierce. The instant the sniper hit his body, they seized the opportunity and actually managed to drive their zhenqi inside him.
Just as Zuo Dongting was about to force the intruders' zhenqi out, Brooks' battle saber was already upon him. He couldn't block the dual zhenqi strike and simultaneously expel it. He brought his saber down with his legs, and endless saber energy shredded his uniform, even slicing off a good amount of his leg hair.
Zuo Dongting twisted his legs clamping the battle saber with explosive force. The blade, capable of cleaving the heavens, emitted a sharp metallic zheng and instantly snapped!
"Die!"
Despite his eighteen-star martial prowess, Zuo Dongting was constantly being outmaneuvered by the youths. He casually flicked his short knife like a projectile toward Brooks, who was spitting blood and flying backward.
"Old man..."
A sinister voice. A knife out of nowhere! Xue Tian, more elusive than a phantom, materialized behind Zuo Dongting.
He had learned so much at the Sacred Martial Academy. Those days were like a super photocopier, duplicating every combat technique he could witness within the Hall of Sacred Martial Arts.
Tu Dun! It sounded akin to an immortal cultivation spell, but it was actually the complete merging of his own aura into the desert sand, making himself an entity both physically present and utterly imperceptible.
The four young martial artists who had just exerted force had kicked up countless plumes of yellow sand, which hung suspended hundreds of meters in the sky all around. While this sand couldn't completely obscure vision, for Xue Tian, it was more than enough to utilize his Earth Evasion technique to mask his presence.
Especially! That single bullet had cleanly concealed this aura!
The four youths, still spitting blood in mid-air, spun around and fled toward the depths of the desert!
Trying to run? Zuo Dongting’s eyes flashed with light as he saw the four youths retreating, his heart seizing with panic. He must kill them this time, or they would surely become endless trouble later.
"Your opponent is me!"
Not a spoken word, but the chilling edge of the blade almost touching his skin forced Zuo Dongting to evade.
Xue Tian was not like the other four youths. The moment Zuo Dongting discovered Xue Tian, he knew this young man's appearance wasn't meant to assassinate him; his real purpose was to buy time for the other four to escape!
Of course, if he truly could kill him, Zuo Dongting believed Xue Tian would show no mercy.
"Thousand Blades Never Cease, River Severed!"
A roar burst forth! Zuo Dongting’s muscles twitched, but he saw all of Xue Tian's saber energy converge into a single strike, exploding downward from the sky!
Deception? Zuo Dongting blinked, realizing he had been tricked! He had witnessed Xue Tian use "Thousand Blades Never Cease, River Severed" during the New Recruit Tournament. He knew that if a seventeen-star martial artist used this move, the saber energy would surely flood the area like a tidal wave. Hearing the name of Xue Tian's ultimate move, he instinctively prepared a counter-technique, but Xue Tian, while shouting the move's name, was actually executing the "One Blade Pierce Empty, Thousand Blades Return to Origin!"
Zuo Dongting raised both hands above his forehead and suddenly clamped them inward, employing the most basic, yet most difficult, technique demanding the strictest timing: empty-handed blade catching! If he could just grasp this blade, Xue Tian's offensive power would be drastically reduced!
Pfft! Zuo Dongting’s hands clamped onto Xue Tian’s battle saber. The powerful cut, shifting speed at the most critical moment, caused a mist of blood to erupt from the hands that held the saber—he was injured! Even with the bio-beast for instant healing, this was the first time he had suffered such a substantial injury.
Zuo Dongting was smiling. This level of damage was worth it! By catching the blade, he could kill Xue Tian! Among these youths, he was the most dangerous one.
Xue Tian was also smiling. The moment the blade was caught, a smile spread across his face too. Before Zuo Dongting could figure out why he was smiling, a sharp, agonizing pain slammed into his lower abdomen near the kidney!
A bullet! The second one, capable of injuring him, had pierced horizontally from the waist area beneath his armpit.
The head is the ultimate convergence of all spirits! If a bullet aimed for the head, even with Zuo Dongting's power, and with Xue Tian's series of unexpected attacks drawing attention, the chance of a hit would be less than two percent.
Qin Fen would not waste the Gun King's bullet on that two percent chance. He only needed this bullet to strike Zuo Dongting! To let Zuo Dongting know that his Master, the Gun King, was teaching him a severe lesson! To let him know that the Gun King, by using his own bullet, was wounding this lofty martial artist—that was enough!
Pfft! The bullet entered Zuo Dongting’s left waist and exited his right waist. The sudden, intense pain made Zuo Dongting’s brow twitch violently. Level Four Bio-beast fusion! Activated instantly, the wound on his waist began to vanish at a visible rate.
"Thousand Blades Never Cease, River Severed!"
The pain caused the slightest shift in Zuo Dongting's posture. Xue Tian, who was prepared for such a contingency, swiftly pulled out the caught iaijutsu blade and unleashed millions of visible blade-energy flowers directly onto Zuo Dongting's head!
Saber energy bloomed across the sky! Endless saber energy swept forth! Zuo Dongting roared! This was one of his true ultimate skills, the Lion's Roar!
The desert seemed to tremble. A slight gap appeared in the infinite blade force blooming above his head. He executed the Wu Kong Technique, plummeting toward the ground. The moment his feet struck the sand, he exploded with power, kicking up countless grains of yellow sand to swirl back toward the sky, while his body shot horizontally away. The endless saber energy only struck the swirling sand.
After firing the second shot, Qin Fen had already discarded the God Slaying Rifle. Having reached the seventeen-star level back in the Arctic, he unleashed his full power, combining it with his Level Two Bio-beast, bursting forth with the strength of Three Dragons and Ten Elephants!
Sand blotted out the sun! Qin Fen had vanished from his spot. Only now did a clap of thunder explode in the sky! Thunder Step? Electric Step? No! Lightning Step!
Sand poured down from the sky. Lin Ling sat silently like a puppet behind the multi-ton super sniper rig, holding the single remaining bullet out of the original three.
Hit the heart, or the head—that was Qin Fen's final request. Lin Ling found sweat gathering in her palm. Her usually expressionless eyes flickered with a trace of confusion. Was this what tension felt like? Why was I getting nervous?
Tense! Lin Ling had never been tense before. Even when she had shot and wounded the Martial Arts Master that day, she was filled with calm composure, and her palms never sweated. She didn't even know the meaning of nervousness.
Lin Ling steadied herself, slowly loading the final bullet into the chamber. With serene focus, she scanned through the scope for Zuo Dongting, who was currently locked in fierce battle.