"Damn it, what is this?" The pilot, in the middle of firing rockets at Liu Hui, suddenly saw a massive object hurtling toward him. He instantly tried to pull the helicopter upward, but this shield had been propelled with every ounce of Zhou Tengyun's strength; its speed was astonishing. There was no time to evade. The spinning shield struck the attack helicopter's cockpit dead center, slicing the pilot in half instantly. The shield then continued its trajectory toward the captain, bisecting him as well.

Without an operator and heavily damaged by the shield, the attack helicopter lost control, crashed to the ground, and erupted in a violent explosion.

Zhou Tengyun, having expended all his energy, finally downed the aerial threat, but he himself collapsed, utterly spent, sitting on the ground unable to move a finger. Liu Hui first recalled his own shield, then walked forward. Unconcerned by the intense heat radiating from the burning wreckage of the helicopter, he pulled the shield free from where it was lodged in the wreckage and returned it to his storage space. Protected by the Hongguang Kaijia (Radiant Light Armor), the high temperatures posed no threat to him.

Liu Hui said nothing more. He hoisted Zhou Tengyun onto his back and began to run wildly again; Xiao Hei was still waiting for them half a kilometer away. This location was far too dangerous to linger in; there was no time for talk.

"Shit, Cobra Team One is wiped out." The leader saw the ferocious explosion on the monitoring screen, followed by the complete loss of contact with Cobra Team One. He instantly knew they were annihilated.

"Notify Cobra Team Three, proceed immediately to the location where Cobra Team One was hit, search for any possible survivors. A.J, what is the status of the cruise missiles launched by the Enterprise?" the leader demanded.

A.J glanced at the data on the screen and reported, "Sir, the Enterprise launched three 'Tomahawk' cruise missiles. These three missiles have reached the target area and will strike in twenty seconds."

"Good, very good. I’m going to blow these sons of bitches to feed the fish," the leader snarled through gritted teeth.

For the final five hundred meters, Liu Hui dared not show the slightest hesitation, sprinting at his top speed until he quickly reached the coastline. Xiao Hei had long been lurking beneath the seabed. Seeing Liu Hui arrive, Xiao Hei burst from the water with a great splash, surfacing.

Liu Hui quickly jumped onto Xiao Hei’s back with Zhou Tengyun. Zhou Tengyun was completely limp and immobile. Liu Hui produced a respirator and fitted it onto him. Just as he was about to don one himself, a whistling sound echoed from the sky.

"Bad news." Liu Hui didn't bother to see what was whistling overhead; he immediately commanded Xiao Hei to dive swiftly, ordering it to flee the area at maximum speed first.

A "Tomahawk" cruise missile streaked down, having locked onto Liu Hui’s position. However, Liu Hui reacted with extreme speed, diving into the water just ahead of it. With Xiao Hei's assistance, they rapidly vacated the area. The moment the "Tomahawk" missile contacted the water surface, it detonated violently, the blast enveloping a hundred-meter radius. The resulting shockwave propagated rapidly underwater.

Clinging to Xiao Hei, who had just begun to swim rapidly, Liu Hui witnessed a massive explosion erupting on the surface. The firelight from the blast illuminated the entire seabed. Then, the shockwave from the explosion chased them through the water. But Xiao Hei was already accelerating, and they finally put enough distance between themselves and the blast before the shockwave caught up.

Liu Hui let out a long breath and, without slacking, directed Xiao Hei to continue swimming toward the deep sea, fitting a respirator over his own head as he did so.

As soon as the first "Tomahawk" missile exploded, two more identical missiles flew in. This time, however, they burrowed into the seabed before detonating. The continuous, violent explosions churned the entire sea into chaos, an untold number of fish and shrimp suffering the unintended consequences.

"Sir, those terrorists must be dead, right?" A.J asked, looking at the computer display.

"They should be dead. No one can survive explosions this severe, and the infrared heat signatures have vanished," the leader replied, though he immediately sighed again. "This operation has been utterly baffling. Not only did we fail to capture those two individuals and use them to locate and wipe out their lair, but we lost an entire Cobra squad. Now, the most terrifying part is that we have no idea where that massive cache of military hardware went. If it truly falls into terrorist hands, the consequences will be unimaginable. I don't even know how I’ll explain this to Command."

"Sir, Cobra Team Two sent a message. They report that the targets they were tracking entered a small village, but when they searched the village, they found no suspicious individuals," A.J murmured softly.

"Shit," the leader cursed, throwing his headset to the floor. His last shred of hope had been extinguished.

"Cobra Team Three calling Weasel. Cobra Team Three calling Weasel, we have arrived at the scene of Cobra Team One’s incident. No survivors were found at the site."

The leader heard the report from Cobra Team Three and staggered, collapsing weakly onto the ground. He knew the operation had failed completely.

In the freezing seawater, Xiao Hei swam rapidly, now over a hundred kilometers from the coast where the explosions had occurred. Liu Hui suddenly signaled Xiao Hei to stop, and the creature hovered ten meters beneath the ocean surface.

Liu Hui sat on Xiao Hei's back, holding Zhou Tengyun. He dared not surface, fearing detection by American satellites. The Red Sea was, after all, an American sphere of influence, and they likely monitored any disturbance there. Thus, Liu Hui began channeling lingli (spiritual energy) into Zhou Tengyun while submerged in the water.

Liu Hui inputted his lingli into Zhou Tengyun’s body. With Liu Hui's energy acting as a catalyst, Zhou Tengyun's depleted spiritual reserves began to circulate slowly. As the energy flowed, Zhou Tengyun’s physical strength also started to recover gradually.

Liu Hui guided Zhou Tengyun’s internal circulation for two full cycles before Zhou Tengyun's lingli finally regained strength sufficient to circulate independently. Seeing Zhou Tengyun capable of cultivating on his own, Liu Hui produced a high-grade spirit stone, placing it in Zhou Tengyun’s hand. Zhou Tengyun then absorbed the spiritual essence contained within the stone, dramatically accelerating the recovery of his internal power. In less than thirty minutes, all traces of fatigue vanished from Zhou Tengyun; he was full of vigor once more.

Because they were in the seawater, neither man spoke; they merely exchanged glances. Liu Hui then commanded Xiao Hei to move swiftly again. Xiao Hei swam south, then passed through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, entering Djibouti’s territory. They finally came ashore on a secluded beach on the outskirts of Djibouti City. Because the location was remote and it was night, no one noticed them emerging from the sea.

Liu Hui first instructed Xiao Hei to return to the seabed. He and Zhou Tengyun changed into dry clothes, and then Liu Hui altered his appearance to resemble a local Black man. This delay meant the sky was already brightening. The two checked their bearings, then rented a car in the small town and headed toward Djibouti City.

Once in Djibouti City, Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun immediately went to the port. They discovered a cruise ship scheduled to depart for Japan in two days, with a stopover for passengers in Karachi, Pakistan. Using pre-prepared fake passports, they purchased two tickets, then found a small hotel in the city, locked the door, and rested.

The experiences of the previous night in Yemen had been incredibly perilous for Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun. Although their bodies were unharmed, the mental stress had been immense. Now that the immediate crisis was resolved and they found a safe place to recuperate, the tension released, and overwhelming exhaustion washed over them. They skipped lunch and slept deeply, only waking the next morning. After more than a day of rest, they were vibrant and energetic again.

Liu Hui retrieved some food and water from his storage space, and the two managed with provisions in the small hotel room.

"Third Brother, why would the American CIA mistake us for terrorists and set up an ambush to capture us?" Liu Hui expressed his confusion.

"Boss, I think it might be because of me," Zhou Tengyun replied.

"Because of you? How so?" Liu Hui inquired.

"When I met Colonel Bute, I was disguised as an Arab. To cover my identity, I claimed to be from Afghanistan and deliberately showed hostility toward Americans, even saying I would make the 'Yankees' pay someday," Zhou Tengyun explained.

"Third Brother, hearing you say that, if I didn't know your background, I'd almost believe you were a terrorist myself," Liu Hui said with a wry smile.

"I was trying to confuse Bute at the time, so I deliberately fabricated that lie. Who knew it would inexplicably lead to me being branded a terrorist?" Zhou Tengyun said helplessly.

"Haha. With what you just said, combined with the fact that your order was specifically for munitions targeting US military equipment, it’s no wonder the CIA pegged you as a terrorist. The American CIA must have an operative planted under Bute, so they knew about your arms deal. I guess we weren't entirely innocent in being ambushed this time," Liu Hui laughed once he understood the whole story.

"Heh heh. Since they attacked us, we might as well truly deliver these arms to Afghanistan and let the Taliban cause trouble for the US military. Otherwise, wouldn't our ambush have been for nothing?" Zhou Tengyun also realized the situation and said fiercely.

"Third Brother, that was our original plan, wasn't it?" Liu Hui reminded him.

Zhou Tengyun sheepishly scratched his head and chuckled, "I only said that to make myself feel better. You have no idea how awful that feeling of complete powerlessness was."

Liu Hui nodded, reflecting. "I always underestimated the US military before, thinking they weren't that formidable. But when they truly deploy their equipment advantages, you realize how terrifying they are. The power of those final missiles was horrifying. Even though we were far from the blast center, we felt the world-destroying energy they contained. If we had been even a fraction of a second slower yesterday, the outcome could have been disastrous. It's no wonder they can swagger around the world, unopposed."

Liu Hui summarized the lessons learned. He decided that in the future, he would not hold back out of fear of exposing his secrets. When facing forces that threatened his life, he would use every ability he possessed without hesitation. If he had used the Hanbing Liehuo Dan (Ice and Fire Bomb) to take down those three helicopters early yesterday morning, they wouldn't have faced such a close call with the "Tomahawk" missiles later.

Later, while watching the television news, the two noticed a report stating that the US military, in its counter-terrorism efforts in the Red Sea, had test-fired three "Tomahawk" cruise missiles to intimidate terrorists.

Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun couldn't help but sigh. The Middle East truly was America’s backyard; they could spin the narrative however they wished, almost rivaling the officials back home.

The next morning, Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun boarded the cruise ship bound for Pakistan, holding their tickets. Liu Hui directed Xiao Hei to follow the vessel ten kilometers behind. The two remained hidden in their cabin, not showing themselves for a moment, fearful that a single slip-up might cause another unnecessary incident and delay their main objective.

After a two-day sea voyage, the cruise ship finally docked in Karachi, Pakistan. Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun quietly disembarked and vanished into the crowds of Karachi.

Finding a secluded spot, Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun changed their disguises once more. This time, they looked like ordinary Pakistani men. They paid for and purchased an off-road jeep from a junk market, filled the tank with gasoline, and headed toward Quetta, the border city near Afghanistan.

On the road, learning from their experience in Yemen, Liu Hui employed his Miaoshou Kongkong (Miraculous Empty Hand) divine skill to steal several high-end off-road motorcycles, storing them in his storage space as contingency transport for future escapes.

Zhou Tengyun had visited Pakistan several times and was somewhat familiar with it. He drove, and they quickly reached Quetta. After a brief stop to resupply some necessities, they drove the car toward the Afghan border.

Because the Afghan government forces and Taliban insurgents were engaged in internal conflict, border checks at the Pakistan-Afghanistan line were not stringent. After slipping a large bribe to the Afghan border guards, Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun easily entered Afghan territory.

Although the Taliban forces had withdrawn from Afghanistan’s major and medium-sized cities, their influence in the vast farmlands remained strong, and they still controlled the mountainous regions of southern Afghanistan. Due to the extremely complex terrain in the south, the US military and the Afghan government forces were temporarily powerless against the Taliban presence there, maintaining a stalemate where neither side could overcome the other. However, since the US military had killed Osama bin Laden a few days prior, morale within the Taliban forces had significantly declined. Without any major development, the Taliban might begin to fracture from within.

Zhou Tengyun skillfully drove the car toward the Taliban-controlled territory in southern Afghanistan, governed by General Mohmand. Afghanistan had been at war for decades, its economy long stagnant, and its infrastructure utterly destroyed. The road leading into the mountains was riddled with potholes, requiring highly skilled driving to navigate.

As dusk settled, driving on mountain roads at night carried risks. Zhou Tengyun steered the car onto a secluded track and opened a cave entrance masked by several bundles of straw. He told Liu Hui, "Boss, General Mohmand's territory is still far. We won't make it today. Let's rest here for the night," before climbing in first.

Knowing the harsh conditions in Afghanistan, Liu Hui did not complain. He stored the car in his spatial dimension and followed Zhou Tengyun into the cave. The caverns here were not very high but were quite deep, connecting to other caves. The tunnel system in the mountains was like a maze. However, Liu Hui had no interest in mapping the connections. They chose one of the slightly larger caves, ate some food, and Liu Hui produced two blankets. Each wrapped himself in one and drifted off to sleep, conserving energy for the dangers of the following day.

Time passed until the middle of the night when Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun were abruptly awakened by the sound of footsteps. They sat up, exchanged a look, and Liu Hui quickly pulled the blankets into his storage space. The two then hid in one of the side tunnels, suppressing their breath and making no sound.

The footsteps slowly entered the mountain passage and proceeded into the larger cavern they had just occupied. Analyzing the sound of their approach, Liu Hui estimated that about twenty people had entered from outside. As soon as they were inside, Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun heard someone brushing dirt off their clothes.

"I didn't expect there to be a cave here. If someone hadn't moved the straw blocking the entrance, we wouldn't have found this place. It’s no wonder; there are too many caves in this area; I can’t even tell where we are anymore," said one voice.

"Commander, how much longer must we search? The environment in Afghanistan is simply too harsh," said another voice, clearly tinged with complaint.

"Tony, shut your mouth! The three Bishops haven't said a word, so who are you to complain? Don't forget who we are," the Commander sharply reprimanded the speaker.

"We, the Knights Templar, are the most loyal servants of the Heavenly Father. We are willing to offer everything for Him. I am sinful; please forgive what I just said, Heavenly Father, and cleanse my iniquity." The one named Tony immediately became devout upon mentioning God, praying for forgiveness of his sins.

"That's enough, Commander Jack. Don't scold Tony. It’s all due to Afghanistan’s complex terrain. We know you’ve been working hard, but we came to Afghanistan to find a representative of the Devil. He is closely connected to our missing Presider, and some high-level artifacts of our Holy Church may also be in his hands. Therefore, we must find him, recover those artifacts, and bring him back," a voice suddenly cut through the air, audible to everyone present.

Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun were startled. From the sound of their footsteps, they had estimated the number of intruders, but they hadn't expected one among them to be completely silent, fooling even them. If this person hadn't spoken, they wouldn't have known he was there. Even more astonishing to Liu Hui was how familiar this voice sounded—it was Cardinal André of the Holy See, whom he had met briefly at the previous charity gala.