The speed of light is a thousand times faster than a bullet, so 0.1 seconds after Xiaobote pulled the trigger—before anyone else could react—a beam of pink laser shot out from the muzzle of the sniper rifle. In less time than it takes to blink, the first rebel airborne trooper was struck.

At that moment, the luxury armored vehicle slowly drove into a pitch-black tunnel...

Jack took the V7 launcher from Lieutenant Colonel Norman; it was already fitted with a warhead. Just one pull of the trigger, and the missile would launch from the tube, automatically lock onto the enemy, and destroy it.

The other four companions in the vehicle were elated, clapping non-stop for Xiaobote. But there was no smile on Xiaobote's face; beads of sweat continued to trace paths down his forehead as he adjusted his aim for the second airborne trooper. He didn't want to hear the applause affect his concentration, which would only make the sniping more difficult.

Lieutenant Colonel Norman finally stood up too, walking over to where the five companions were situated. He pointed at the blue protective shield and said, "In my assessment, this blue barrier is a kinetic energy screen."

They only heard a scream cut short in the air. The thrusters suddenly burst into flames—it seemed the sniper rifle had hit the engine of the propulsion unit, causing a catastrophic failure. The force of the explosion broke several of the rebel’s ribs; the pain was unbearable, and the thrusters were completely out of control. Finally, he plummeted, crashing onto a patch of Gobi terrain, exploding in a blast that once again shattered the silence of the Martian colony's Gobi Desert. No one saw the rebel soldier survive, confirming that Xiaobote had hit his target precisely with the sniper rifle.

The missile locked onto the luxury armored vehicle and rapidly flew toward it. Lieutenant Colonel Norman acted as if he'd encountered the first missile already, sitting impassively in his command chair, his eyes fixed on the rapidly approaching projectile, waiting for the ship's crew to detonate it.

About ten seconds later, a figure engulfed in great flames was seen falling from high altitude, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. He was already charred black all over, having long since lost consciousness. The entire convoy erupted in cheers, including the five companions, who embraced each other, celebrating this small victory.

To any conversation from his companions, Xiaobote remained deaf, his eyes never leaving the scope, his mind focused solely on the concept of aiming and firing. Lieutenant Colonel Norman, sitting beside Xiaobote, greatly admired this focus, recognizing that he possessed the three fundamental qualities of an ace sniper: steadiness, stillness, and accuracy.

However, bad news followed closely. The sniper suddenly made contact with Lieutenant Colonel Norman: "Lieutenant Colonel Norman, it's bad! It's bad! The dust kicked up by the vehicle driving through this loess region is enormous; I can't get a proper sight on that missile!"

The four companions finally returned to their composure, sitting back in their seats to calm their overly tense nerves. Bacon took out his personal handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow.

Boom! Xiaobote fired the first laser beam without hesitation. The sound of the super-long sniper rifle was tremendous, deafening. Xiaobote and his five companions all felt ringing in their ears; they must remember to wear earplugs next time they fired.

Author: K Dragon

Xiaobote first lowered the extra-long sniper rifle, tidied his sweat-soaked uniform, and looked at Lieutenant Colonel Norman, saying, "Then how do we shoot it down?"

Jack was not as calm and composed as his older brother. Before properly aiming at the enemy, he fired a missile into the sky. The missile traced a magically beautiful arc in mid-air and sped toward the third airborne trooper. These new-generation missiles were not like cheap goods; their flight speed was five times that of the older models, reaching the airborne trooper’s kinetic shield within seconds.

Before anyone in the vehicle could react, Xiaobote fired a second shot. Boom! The laser beam shot out. Xiaobote thought, surely, he wouldn't miss the target five minutes from now? Indeed, that was the case; the laser beam struck the airborne trooper exactly on the head. From a distance, it looked as if the trooper's head had been violently smashed like a tomato—flesh and blood splattering—and within seconds, he tumbled to the ground, never to rise again.

It turned out this was the nemesis of aerial targets. The warhead was equipped with a high-tracking system; nothing could shake its lock unless an obstacle blocked its path.

Crack-crack-crack. Bacon fired three consecutive rounds, but the missile showed no signs of exploding. Jack panicked, quickly covering his eyes with both hands, unwilling to witness his own death, and managed to choke out a plea for help. Weber froze, sitting silently, unsure what to say, so tense he almost pulled the armrest clean off his seat, screws and all.

Xiaobote ignored the incoming missile, remaining completely focused on aiming at the second rebel airborne trooper. The swirling sand and dust did not obstruct Xiaobote’s vision.

Boom! Xiaobote fired his third shot. This shot was also perfectly accurate, hitting the rebel airborne trooper. The only difference was that this time, the target seemed completely unharmed. The five companions only saw a layer of blue protective shielding enveloping the trooper.

Whether by the grace of fortune or because Death did not wish for five middle-schoolers to perish just yet, one of Bacon’s three shots happened to strike the missile's tail fin, causing the projectile to lose control and crash harmlessly to the side of the road. The resulting shockwave from the crash made the vehicle rock a few times.

Hearing this news, Lieutenant Colonel Norman's expression instantly froze, and he slammed his fist hard on the table. Norman now had less than twenty seconds to think. Twenty seconds later, the missile would hit their vehicle, and worse, it could cause a chain reaction by hitting the military vehicles behind them.

Without another word, Bacon grabbed the sidearm holstered at his waist. Although Bacon intended to stop the missile, his only tools were a few pistol rounds. Bacon wanted his companions to know that he was not a coward who only waited to be rescued, but someone who would step up in a crisis.

Xiaobote took a deep breath, then worked his joints, as he had been holding that position for nearly half an hour, burdened by such a heavy sniper rifle. He returned his gaze to the scope, preparing to shoot down the third rebel from the air.

The remaining two airborne troopers were even more frantic. Seeing one of their comrades shot down by Xiaobote, they immediately fired another missile at the luxury armored vehicle—a form of revenge for their fallen comrade, perhaps. Regardless of the motive, their ultimate goal was to destroy the convoy.

Bacon loaded the heavy-caliber rounds with the utmost speed, attaching the tracking scope that made it easier to track high-velocity targets. His hands were trembling; many lives now depended on the few bullets he was about to fire.

Bacon, who had been quiet in the vehicle until now, suddenly stood up in this moment of acute tension: "I'll handle it." He pointed a finger at the missile that was still rapidly approaching.

Crack... A loud bang sounded across the sky, immediately followed by a cloud of black smoke surrounding the impact point. No one knew if the airborne trooper had been hit.

"It’s simple: heavy firepower combined with a bit of finesse," Lieutenant Colonel Norman said, snapping his fingers as if it were an easy task. "The main reason I came to see you is to deliver the first weapon. Everyone, look—this is the V7 Infantry Missile Launcher." He held up a gleaming, small, green weapon. Though small in appearance, everyone understood its danger after Norman’s introduction.

Everyone except Xiaobote looked as if they had just returned from a tour of hell, speechless. It seemed everyone was severely shaken, including Lieutenant Colonel Norman, who stood staring blankly at Bacon.

At this critical juncture, everyone showed their most vulnerable side. Facing death, only Xiaobote, still aiming at the airborne trooper, had blocked everything else out of his mind. Bacon stared at the missile, cowering almost into a ball with fear, sitting on the ground hugging his head, mumbling incessantly, "I don't want to die, I don't want to die..." Ignoring everything else, before even aiming at the missile, Bacon rapidly fired three shots in the projectile's general direction.

The missile was less than five seconds away from hitting the luxury armored vehicle. At that moment, the five companions and Lieutenant Colonel Norman would all be killed on the Martian colony. No one wanted this outcome, but they were powerless to stop the missile.

Bai Yijun felt deeply wronged, on the verge of tears, gritting her teeth silently: "Bastard, damn it, beast, damn bastard, damn beast, bastardly beast..." These were the only words that came to mind, repeated curses, her heart filled with bitter sorrow.

"Father always said the world outside is treacherous, I never imagined this person would be so hateful. I repaid kindness with enmity, going so far as to expend a Primal God Bead to save him, and now I end up like this!"

Thinking of her sullied purity, she let two lines of clear tears stream down her face. Her hatred for Ye Chen in her heart surged skyward, and she secretly thought, "Once I kill him, I will commit suicide!"

Just then...

Footsteps sounded in the distance. Bai Yijun startled, quickly composed herself, closed her eyes, and pretended to be unconscious, secretly mobilizing the divine power within her body, preparing to strike Ye Chen a fatal blow when the opportunity arose.

The moment she tried to summon her divine power, she discovered that the semi-divine energy within her was nearly depleted. Only residual traces remained clinging to the inner walls of her major meridians. To gather them into a cohesive attack was impossible in a brief moment, causing her heart to race with anxiety as she accelerated her mental efforts.

As the footsteps drew nearer, a masculine aura washed over her. Immediately after, a large, cold hand reached toward her, pressing against her left waist. After a slight, lingering caress, the hand withdrew.

Bai Yijun's heart churned with indignation and anger, yet outwardly, she kept her eyes shut, motionless, appearing utterly unconscious.

After a moment, the hand reached out again. This time, the palm was not cold but surprisingly warm, like warm water against her skin, slowly stroking her side.

Bai Yijun gritted her teeth, focusing on drawing the divine power within her. She felt approximately one tian of semi-divine power coalesce. Normally, she could unleash it with a mere thought, but now it required every ounce of her strength.

"Die!" Bai Yijun suddenly opened her eyes, staring at the owner of the hand, her accumulated strike about to launch, when it abruptly paused.

Her eyes widened, her face filled with shock.

The owner of the hand was Ye Chen. However, his eyes were currently obscured by a black shroud, rendering him blind to everything.

Ye Chen seemed not to notice Bai Yijun was awake. After stroking for a moment, he slowly frowned and muttered to himself, "This technique should be right; why hasn't she woken up yet? Could the virus infection be too severe?"

He pondered for a moment, then channeled the ghost energy within him into both hands, beginning a massage along Bai Yijun’s left waist. Tiny wisps of black energy drifted up from her pores, dissipating into the air.

Bai Yijun looked around and saw that her entire body was covered in a thin black cloth, soft like silk. Due to her previous tension, she hadn't noticed it earlier.

She inwardly sighed with relief and remained still. From the feel of the silken fabric, she could tell it was ordinary silk; given her physique, a slight struggle would tear it apart.

Ye Chen massaged her through the gossamer-thin black cloth for a while, then released his hands, sweat beading on his forehead. He shook his head, sighed, and stood up, walking toward the distance.

Seeing him about to leave, Bai Yijun quickly called out, "Hey!"

Ye Chen stiffened, turning back with an expression of utter astonishment. An indescribable joy welled up in his heart, and though he tried hard to suppress it, a slight tremor was audible in his voice. "You're awake?"

Bai Yijun's cheeks flushed, then, recalling something, she rolled her eyes. "What? You didn't want me to wake up?"

Ye Chen paused, then rubbed his nose. "No." Bai Yijun shot him a sidelong glance and huffed. "You get out first!" Ye Chen looked confused. "What?"

Bai Yijun snapped, "I told you to get out!"

Ye Chen couldn't understand why she suddenly became angry, looking perplexed, but he turned and left. Because he had memorized the route when he first arrived, he navigated his way out easily despite his eyes being covered.

After Ye Chen left, Bai Yijun regained some strength and slowly sat up. Just as she was about to lift the silk woven from the hair of some unknown demon beast to change her clothes, Ye Chen, who had supposedly left, walked back in. She startled and quickly covered the gauze around her body. Ye Chen scratched his head and said, "I forgot to tell you, it's best if you rest quietly right now; excessive activity isn't advisable."

Bai Yijun gave him an irritated look. "I know!"

Ye Chen nodded, then turned to leave.

Bai Yijun watched his figure until it disappeared around the corner, letting out a breath. She prepared to lift the black silk cloth to change when Ye Chen, having passed the corner, turned back again.

Startled, Bai Yijun quickly covered herself with the cloth and snapped, "What are you doing now?" Ye Chen waved his hand. "Nothing, just wanted to say, if you need any help, you can call me. I’ll be right outside."

Bai Yijun's face was bright red, and she angrily shouted, "Who needs your help? Go away!"

Ye Chen looked somewhat speechless, shaking his head helplessly, and turned to leave. Suddenly, his footsteps halted; recalling something, he turned back. "Oh, right, one more thing..."

"Get out!!!"

When Bai Yijun finished dressing and walked to the corner, she saw Ye Chen standing there, looking up, the black cloth removed from his face. His expression was lost in thought, a faint, indefinable light flickering in his deep eyes...

Hearing the sound, Ye Chen startled, withdrawing his gaze. He turned to look and saw Bai Yijun standing there in a white shirt, her dark, beautiful hair falling on either side, highlighting her exquisite, snowy-white skin—like fine porcelain.

Noticing Ye Chen's strange look, Bai Yijun's cheeks flushed slightly, but then she remembered something, and her expression immediately turned angry. "What did you do after I passed out?!" Ye Chen blinked, his brow furrowing slightly as he calculated internally, "Did she find out I extracted the light substance from those monsters? Unlikely; she was unconscious at the time."

During the time Bai Yijun was unconscious, he had refined the special light substance from the corpses of the demon beasts slain in the passage, especially that Pseudo-God level beast!

Having devoured so much of the demon beasts' essence, the energy reserves of the Sacred Flame Armor had reached their maximum capacity, ready to evolve into the second set: the Divine Flame Set!

The Divine Flame Set was a top-tier Semi-God equipment, capable of barely resisting attacks from a low-level Pseudo-God expert, and granting complete immunity to attacks below the High-level Semi-God tier!

Under Bai Yijun's intense gaze, Ye Chen’s face remained unblushing, his heart steady. "I didn't do anything."

Bai Yijun stared into his eyes, then suddenly raised her hand, pulling the white longsword from her spatial folding pouch and pressing the cold steel against Ye Chen's neck with lightning speed. "Then why were my clothes taken off?"

Ye Chen was stunned, his expression instantly dimming. He remained silent.

Bai Yijun frowned slightly and said coldly, "Speak!"

Ye Chen glanced at her. "If you want to kill me, do it. I don't have long to live anyway."

Bai Yijun paused, then frowned deeply. "What do you mean, you don't have long to live?"

Ye Chen looked calm. "I saw the beast's claw strike you. The virus on the tip of its claw entered your body. If too much time passes, you will be infected and turn into a Soulless."

"I used a technique I once learned, the 'Wandering Dragon Hand,' to massage you and squeeze the toxins out of your body!"

"Toxins can be squeezed out?" Bai Yijun was clearly skeptical.

Ye Chen stated calmly, "This 'Wandering Dragon Hand' originates from ancient martial civilization and is very unique. You condense your own energy onto your palms and use the massage techniques to purify and press the toxins out of your body. During this process, your body's pores cannot close, or the toxins will remain trapped inside you."

Hearing Ye Chen explain it so methodically, Bai Yijun was half-convinced. "Really?"

Ye Chen shot her an annoyed look. "Do you think I'm lying? If you don't believe me, kill me. Either way, I won't live long. But after I die, I hope you will help look after the spiritual civilization at Thunder Roar Plaza."

Bai Yijun frowned. "Why won't you live long?"

Ye Chen paused slightly, then shifted his gaze, his expression placid, treating it as inconsequential. "I was infected by the virus too, though mildly. But in a few days, I'll become a Soulless. Then you can just kill me with one sword stroke!" He said this with such flatness, as if discussing a trivial matter.

Bai Yijun started. "But you weren't injured; how did you get poisoned?" Ye Chen shrugged. "While I was massaging you, some viral cells spilled onto my fingers from your skin. This virus is extremely tenacious; it drilled into my body through the pores on my fingers and now here we are."

Bai Yijun shuddered, shocked. "What?"

Ye Chen lazily turned and walked toward the other end of the passage. "If you still have Divine Stones to spare, hurry and use them to see if we have enough time. If we do, I need to make a trip outside." Bai Yijun stared at Ye Chen’s retreating back, frozen in place. Seeing him almost gone, she shouted loudly, "Why did you do that?" Her voice echoed through the passage...

Ye Chen did not turn back. His voice was low but authoritative, carrying a sense of casual ease. "I don't like owing people favors. You saved my life; I repaid the debt." If it hadn't been for the massage from the Wandering Dragon Hand, Bai Yijun very likely would have remained in a coma until the viruses consumed her brainwave thought cells in endless slumber, turning her into a Soulless!

To prevent such a fate, Ye Chen had no choice but to use the Wandering Dragon Hand to perform the massage.

Even if...

it required sacrificing his own life.

Ye Chen didn't know why his usually calm self would do such a foolish thing. The only thing that made him sigh slightly was the realization that he felt no regret deep down...

Did this mean he was beyond saving?

Bai Yijun stood stunned for a long time, her eyes like autumn water, reflecting the dark figure, a light flickering within her gaze. After a long while, a gentle expression gradually softened her eyes.

"Repaying a life debt..."