"A'Gai must be nearby." "Then, issue orders to the security perimeter. Simultaneously, deploy the sonar probes in all directions, and remember to maintain communication."

The tense, low, and dense sounds occasionally echoed through the forest of the natural graveyard. Teams of warriors, clad in the "Tian" character samurai uniform, gripped old automatic shotguns manufactured before the federation was established.

These firearms, capable of holding seven rounds, possessed incredibly potent close-range stopping power, capable of instantly blasting some mutated creatures into dust.

Lü Dongbin stood in the very center of the clearing, his face the color of a ripe jujube, spreading his martial sense outwards as much as possible, attempting to locate any potential lurking dangers. According to the last segment of video footage relayed by the Tianmen Explorers, besides the possibility of new energy sources and new metals here, there was something else—a mutated creature of extreme speed and lethality.

The Tianmen teams were dispersed, generally divided into three major clusters. Each large area covered by the sonar probes was overseen by one of the Eight Immortals of the Upper Realm, positioned to intervene and offer assistance at a moment's notice.

Lü Dongbin’s gaze occasionally drifted towards He Xiangu’s position. Among the Eight Immortals of the Upper Realm, her strength was the weakest, and she was the only female. Her striking beauty earned her the protective attention of the other seven immortals. The main reason Lü Dongbin joined Tianmen, beyond the organization's inherent appeal, was more largely due to He Xiangu's presence.

Today, He Xiangu wore a camouflage military uniform, eschewing any dazzling, bright colors. In this treacherous natural graveyard, while powerful martial artists didn't need to be overly concerned about the mutated creatures, they could not afford to ignore the existence of "men." Humans were far more terrifying than the graveyard's mutated inhabitants, and bright colors only served as the most noticeable targets.

Even minor figures could fell martial arts experts, even those above the Martial Arts Master level! The Eight Immortals of the Upper Realm had not forgotten that Lan Caihe had once died at the hands of a sniper who hadn't even achieved the true Xiantian stage of blood replacement and rebirth.

Lü Dongbin certainly hadn't forgotten the profound shock he felt upon discovering that anti-sniper equipment capable of killing a "God" existed.

"Thankfully, the sniper who locked onto targets without being detected is dead."

"Thankfully, that strange weapon also fell into Tianmen's hands," Lü Dongbin murmured softly to himself, his eyes never leaving He Xiangu's form. Even the loose camouflage uniform couldn't conceal her exquisitely curved figure. The green camouflage actually made her long, slender legs appear even longer, exuding a unique feminine allure against the backdrop of the jungle.

He Xiangu felt someone's gaze fixed upon her. She turned back towards Lü Dongbin, offering a slight smile, and made a gesture as if she were about to playfully strike him.

For a moment, the few Tianmen martial artists near He Xiangu were stunned, even forgetting they were in a natural graveyard where one moment of distraction could cost them their lives.

He Xiangu was beautiful, possessing an inherently elegant temperament. Clad in the camouflage uniform that exuded a masculine aura, her tall figure gained an added layer of charm.

Lü Dongbin smiled faintly and shifted his gaze elsewhere. He Xiangu had already agreed: if he avenged her brother, Li Jianglong, by killing Qin Fen, she would marry him. Once this mission was complete, he would request leave from Tianmen, go out to slay Qin Fen, and then marry He Xiangu.

"Found it!"

An excited exclamation sounded near Han Zhongli, instantly drawing everyone's attention. A middle-aged man, wearing gloves, held high a stone emitting a faint, ethereal blue glow. It looked like a piece of blue wellspring, only it radiated a weak light of its own.

Lü Dongbin's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as he surveyed the surroundings, searching for any sign of abnormality. The last Tianmen members were ambushed precisely after finding the new energy source and new metal. Who knew if some mutated creature was guarding this new energy source?

"Wooo... wooo..."

Lü Dongbin felt the "being" inside the large iron crate beside him suddenly become agitated. Low, growling sounds, akin to a beast, kept emanating, and the entire crate shook slightly, as if something inside was restlessly pacing.

"Danger..."

Lü Dongbin grew even more tense, watching the surroundings. Although the helper in the iron crate lacked its usual intelligence, its near-instinctual animal sense had become increasingly accurate. This agitation meant something was happening.

"I found it too,"

Dark red new metal was held aloft by a middle-aged man standing near He Xiangu.

Almost simultaneously, everyone began converging on Lü Dongbin. This was a pre-arranged protocol: upon locating the materials, they were to immediately gather together to prevent an ambush by unknown mutated creatures and quickly hand the items over to Lü Dongbin, allowing the foremost expert among the Eight Immortals of the Upper Realm to safely transport the materials back to Tianmen in the shortest time possible.

"Your Excellency has arrived; why hide?" Lü Dongbin's eyes shone like bright lamps, a trace of dark red energy flushing his face. His demeanor was calm, yet subtly displeased as he stared in the direction of Du Peng and Qin Fen.

This is Tianmen business. We do not wish for anyone to interfere—

Tianmen was a shining beacon in Tu Yan. Lü Dongbin watched as he revealed his organization's banner, yet the other party emerged from the jungle instead of quietly retreating. Caution immediately clouded his brow. These two Jungle Rangers clearly did not fear Tianmen! But why two? He had only sensed the presence of one Martial Arts Master moments ago! The pilot of the second Jungle Ranger possessed superior concealment abilities!

Lü Dongbin's caution deepened as he scrutinized the two mobile armors, which were as somber as a deep prison. A sharp glint appeared in the corner of his eye. When had the military become so bold? Since they were discovered today, the only solution was to eliminate them. Allowing them to leave alive would certainly leak the fact that Tianmen had obtained new energy. If that happened, not only would the Underworld make a move, but he feared even the Divine Beasts on other planets might take an interest in these discoveries!

Elimination! Lü Dongbin signaled Han Zhongli and the others, who were slowly closing ranks, with a mere flicker of his peripheral vision. After years of cooperation, the Eight Immortals of the Upper Realm had reached a point where they could understand each other's intentions with just a glance, requiring no spoken words.

Du Peng shot a look of apology toward Qin Fen. If he hadn't felt a surge of longing upon seeing the new metal, Lü Dongbin wouldn't have detected them, and the ambushing mantis would have been even more successful.

Qin Fen rotated his icy metal mask, surveying the surroundings. He paused slightly in two different directions, calculating mentally. There was a group in the jungle who should be piloting Jungle Rangers, but they didn't feel like Du Yu. It seemed Tianmen hadn't discovered them yet.

Qin Fen looked slightly upward toward the second direction, his curiosity piqued. Why had this team set their distance so far away? They were clearly monitoring the situation here, yet they acted as if they weren't participating in the contention?

"Eh? They're looking over here, toward us? No way. We retreated so far, and he can still notice us? Captain Zhan Peng, do you think that's possible?"

"He is Qin Fen. Nothing is impossible for him."

It was also a small-scale mobile armor, a Jungle Ranger, but the voice wasn't as deep. The magnetic tone carried a sense of entitlement.

"This is interesting. Captain Zhan Peng, perhaps I should go engage him later?"

"Have you purchased life insurance yet?" the voice from the Jungle Ranger sounded again. "According to records, the fatality rate from engaging Qin Fen is greater than the serious injury rate, which is greater than the light injury rate, which is greater than the rate of leaving unharmed."

"Brother Zhan's younger brother is that dangerous?"

"You can try. If you die, I’m not planning on retrieving your body."

"Captain Zhan Peng, that's really disheartening. I'll just settle for being a spectator then."

"Don't just be a spectator. Be ready to deploy the Jungle Rangers at any moment," the Jungle Ranger's voice carried a hint of killing intent. "This time, we are here to hunt. Don't forget the main objective."

"Yes,"

The uniformly-equipped Jungle Rangers responded in unison.

Qin Fen observed the distant direction for a moment, feeling no actual hostility. He then brought his gaze back to the immediate scene, looking at Lü Dongbin, whose face was dark and unyielding. Qin Fen spoke calmly, "Put down the new energy and the new metal. You can leave this time."

A wave of low, surprised clamor rose within the Tianmen ranks. No one expected the two pilots of the military Jungle Rangers who had just emerged to be so arrogant, demanding that Tianmen abandon all gains and depart upon first sight. Who did they think they were? Divine Beast martial artists? Or the mass murderer Qin Fen?

Lü Dongbin raised an eyebrow, meticulously observing Qin Fen. This man, since his appearance, had consistently given off an unreadable aura, which was never good news for a powerful martial artist.

Lü Dongbin gave Han Zhongli and the others a signal to temporarily stand down. Before eliminating them, it was best to confirm the opponent's identity; this way, they could at least maximize their knowledge of the enemy when the fighting started.

"You want the Tianmen to back down? Who do you think you are?"

Qin Fen looked at the young man who had suddenly spoken up beside Lü Dongbin. Arrogance flickered across his features. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, possessing a Star Rank of fourteen stars. After he spoke, no one chastised him for speaking out of turn.

Lü Dongbin's disciple? Qin Fen's initial doubt quickly solidified into certainty. Their true qi signatures were very similar, suggesting they came from the same lineage. If the Tathagata had the Dragon-Subduing and Tiger-Taming Arhats, it wouldn't be strange for Lü Dongbin to have the Golden Boy and Jade Maiden.

"Hey! We're asking you a question!"

At the age of twenty-five or twenty-six, possessing strength at the fourteen-star level was more than enough reason for arrogance among the vast numbers of martial artists in the Federation.

Qin Fen's icy metal mask swept over the Tianmen members before settling back on Lü Dongbin. His tone remained as calm as it was initially: "Qin Fen."

I just woke up not long ago. I plan to go wild today; as I said, my condition is incredibly good. Everyone remembers to refresh the Jìmìe Tiānjiāo page every hour or two. You might be surprised to find out—damn! I updated again.