Liu Hui dispatched three more American soldiers, and just as he was about to spring back up into the canopy of the large tree, he sensed a subtle disturbance in the airflow ahead. His heart gave a jolt, and his body flashed sideways with lightning speed. A dagger materialized exactly where he had been standing moments before. Had Liu Hui not moved so swiftly, that blade would have found his throat.

“Not bad, you certainly have some skill, but you will still die by my hand.” Liu Hui’s vision blurred for an instant, and a short, stocky soldier dressed as an American appeared directly in front of him.

Liu Hui was profoundly shocked. The speed of this American soldier was incredibly fast; compared to him, Liu Hui felt slightly inferior. Furthermore, this soldier was familiar to him—it was the one who had leaped from the exploding helicopter earlier.

“Heh, we’ll see who dies,” Liu Hui scoffed, though shaken, he showed no fear. He lunged rapidly toward the American. His vision blurred again, and the soldier vanished from sight. Suddenly, Liu Hui felt the airflow around his throat become erratic. He immediately executed a forward roll, successfully evading this assassination attempt as well.

The American moved with such incredible velocity that Liu Hui’s retina couldn't lock onto his figure. However, his body's instincts allowed him to sense the direction of the American's attacks, enabling him to prepare preemptively. In the subsequent few assaults, even though Liu Hui couldn't clearly perceive the movements, his instincts guided him to make the correct evasive choices, dodging every strike.

Thus, Liu Hui could not land a blow, and the American could not land one either. A stalemate ensued.

“Boss!” Zhou Tengyun suddenly came running from a distance.

“Third brother, be careful, this American is incredibly fast,” Liu Hui warned, but it was slightly too late. Seeing he couldn't touch Liu Hui, the American immediately abandoned the fight with him and charged toward Zhou Tengyun.

Zhou Tengyun only perceived a flicker, and the American disappeared, only for a dagger to appear against his left chest, poised to stab downward. However, the American's expression faltered almost instantly because he couldn't drive the blade in. Zhou Tengyun’s bulletproof vest had done its job, stopping the dagger. Although the blade failed to pierce the vest, the intense impact still caused Zhou Tengyun excruciating pain.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” Seeing the danger, Liu Hui drew his pistol and fired three rounds at the American. But this soldier clearly held the advantage in speed; he had already detected Liu Hui’s handgun and vanished with a mere sidestep. All three of Liu Hui’s bullets missed their mark.

Liu Hui hurried to Zhou Tengyun’s side and asked, “Third brother, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I was caught completely off guard by his sneak attack. If it happened again now, he wouldn’t be able to touch me,” Zhou Tengyun admitted, deeply frustrated that he had been hit by the American so easily. If not for the vest, he might have been finished.

“He’s still close. Let’s get out of here first,” Liu Hui conceded, realizing his speed couldn't match the American’s, opting to retreat for now.

The two covered each other as they carefully backed down the slope. Most of Hague’s First Cavalry Division soldiers had already been neutralized by Zhou Tengyun and Liu Hui, so no one else emerged to block their path.

“Slinking around back there,” Zhou Tengyun’s sharp eyes caught a flicker of movement behind them, and he fired a shot backward. The American easily dodged the bullet, and his dagger sliced toward Zhou Tengyun’s neck. Liu Hui, observing from the side with perfect clarity, unleashed a punch that connected squarely with the American’s shoulder. The soldier staggered, and the dagger grazed past Zhou Tengyun’s throat by a mere centimeter, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

The American reacted incredibly fast. Before Liu Hui could launch a second attack, he leaped back into the woods, leaving Liu Hui helpless.

“Damn it all to hell, where did such a speed expert come from? Even I’m not faster than him,” Liu Hui cursed loudly.

“Boss, what do we do now?” Zhou Tengyun asked. This master of speed was also giving him a serious headache. In all his years in this life, he had never encountered anyone so fast, someone who didn't even give him time to react.

“I’ll cover you. We’ll pull out together. I have my gear; this guy can’t break through my defenses,” Liu Hui stated.

Zhou Tengyun nodded, and Liu Hui began covering his retreat. Seeing the pair so well-defended, the American couldn't achieve anything for the moment. He snatched two grenades and a handgun from the fallen American soldiers on the ground, then hurled a grenade toward Liu Hui’s position.

Liu Hui instantly detected the grenade. At this point, he decided to stop holding back. His first move was to use the steel shot rounds he hadn't deployed in a long time. The steel shot struck the grenade perfectly in mid-air, causing a deafening explosion overhead as shrapnel sprayed outwards. The fragments heading toward Liu Hui were entirely blocked by the Hongguang Armor he wore, causing no harm to either him or Zhou Tengyun. However, the shrapnel flying toward the American forced him into a frantic scramble; he exerted every ounce of effort just to avoid the scattering debris, looking utterly disheveled.

A thought struck Liu Hui. He retrieved several grenades from his storage space, handed a few to Zhou Tengyun, pulled the safety pins, and hurled them at the American. Liu Hui timed his throw so the grenades detonated just as they neared the soldier. A few scattered fragments struck the American, leaving a bloody gash across his face.

Seeing this, Zhou Tengyun also tossed several grenades toward the American. This time, the soldier was prepared and utilized his speed advantage, rendering the grenades harmless. Nevertheless, the American dared not expose himself further and retreated into the dense woods to lie in wait.

Outside the forest, Captain Hague was growing frantic. He had lost contact with over sixty of his men. The only soldiers he could currently command were the fifteen Americans protecting him at his side. Milton, on the other hand, was left utterly alone, while Miller watched the situation with helplessness.

Suddenly, Hague’s communications runner received a message and rushed over. “Captain, the bomber aircraft will arrive in our area in one minute. They are requesting clearance for ground attack.”

Milton immediately looked at Hague, and Miller followed suit. Hague directed his runner, “Contact our personnel again.”

Hague’s runner called out to his soldiers once more, but only a few responded; the others remained silent. The runner persisted, continuing the calls.

Just then, a voice crackled in Milton’s earpiece: “Captain, those two Afghans are about to exit the dense cover.”

Milton was startled. “Can’t even you stop them?”

The American named Elbert responded with shame, “Those two Afghans are too formidable. Although my speed is great, I cannot harm them; I can only harass them for a moment.”

“Those sons of bitches. Captain Milton, have your men hold those two Afghans, don’t let them escape! I’m immediately ordering the bomber to conduct saturation bombing on this patch of woods,” Hague finally made up his mind. It seemed his soldiers were likely dead, and he and his remaining command faced the immediate danger of attack from the two Afghans. He decided to bomb the forest.

Hague took his communicator and hailed, “This is Captain Hague, calling Fox One.”

A voice immediately responded from the receiver: “This is Fox One, Captain Hague. We await your orders.”

“Fox One, what weapon do you carry that has the highest destructive power?” Hague inquired.

“Sir, the most powerful weapon on my aircraft is the MOAB, sir,” Fox One replied.

“Mother of All Bombs!” Hague, Milton, and Miller exclaimed in unison, astonished.

“That’s correct, Sir, the MOAB,” the Fox One pilot confirmed.

“Milton, this MOAB can annihilate all life within a five-hundred-meter radius, and its shockwave will be felt for kilometers. Get your personnel to evacuate immediately; I’m about to initiate an attack on those two Afghans,” Hague ordered.

“I’ll contact him right away and tell him to pull out,” Milton said, immediately trying to reach Elbert.

“Fox One, prepare to engage ground targets with the MOAB. Await my command to strike,” Hague directed.

“Roger that, Sir.”

Inside the forest, Liu Hui suddenly spotted an aircraft flying overhead, circling above them. His face instantly drained of color. He urgently said, “Third brother, this is bad. Those Americans called in an aircraft; it looks like they’re about to attack us.”

“Then let’s get out of here immediately,” Zhou Tengyun recognized the seriousness of the situation and prepared to evacuate.

Liu Hui nodded, ready to leave with Zhou Tengyun, when the hidden Elbert suddenly burst out again, slashing a dagger toward Zhou Tengyun’s throat. This time, Zhou Tengyun was ready, taking a quick step back, avoiding the blade’s trajectory. Seeing his attack fail, Elbert quickly retreated back into the woods. Although Elbert hadn't managed to wound Zhou Tengyun, the momentary delay caused by Elbert’s harassment slowed down Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun’s pace.

Watching the bomber circle incessantly overhead, Liu Hui grew incredibly anxious. Although only one American remained near him, he had no idea if the bomber would disregard caution and attack them, nor did he know if his Hongguang Armor could withstand an aerial bombing run.

The two resumed running, only for Elbert to reappear suddenly, once again aiming his dagger at Zhou Tengyun’s neck. This time, Zhou Tengyun seemed oblivious to Elbert’s approach, continuing to run without any defensive posture.

Elbert paused, hardly daring to believe such an opportunity had presented itself. Yet, his suspicion did not slow his actions even a fraction. The sharp dagger sliced across Zhou Tengyun’s throat, drawing forth a gush of bright blood. Simultaneously, Zhou Tengyun quickly lowered his neck, managing to clamp down and trap the blade between his throat muscles.

“No!” Liu Hui roared. Seeing Zhou Tengyun previously able to evade Elbert’s attacks, he had let his guard down slightly regarding Elbert’s strikes, never expecting Zhou Tengyun to suddenly drop his defenses and use his own neck to trap the dagger.

Elbert, exultant after his successful strike, felt the dagger being gripped. He hadn't anticipated this, and he was reluctant to abandon the knife he had used for years. His motion to pull back faltered slightly, causing a momentary hesitation in his stance.

In that brief instant, Liu Hui understood Zhou Tengyun’s sacrifice. Zhou Tengyun intended to hold Elbert pinned for just a second to buy him time. Liu Hui’s figure blurred, flashing behind Elbert, and he brought down a heavy palm strike on Elbert’s back. Hesitating for that split second, Elbert failed to evade the blow, letting out a scream as he was hurled forward, slamming into a large tree. Bones shattered throughout his body; he was clearly beyond saving.

“Third brother!” Liu Hui rushed over and scooped up Zhou Tengyun. Zhou Tengyun had lost consciousness but still possessed a faint breath. Elbert’s dagger had carved a deep line across Zhou Tengyun’s neck, and blood was flowing continuously. Fortunately, Zhou Tengyun had calculated the angle of the dagger’s descent and managed to turn his body slightly, meeting the blade with the side of his neck, thus avoiding a fatal strike to the vital area. This slight deflection was the only reason he still clung to life.

Seeing Zhou Tengyun had not died instantly, Liu Hui felt immense relief. He possessed the Biological Healing Tank; as long as the man was still breathing, complete recovery was possible.

Milton held his communicator, his face ghastly pale. He had heard Elbert’s scream through the comms, followed by silence, instantly knowing Elbert was finished.

“Captain Hague, initiate the attack now,” Milton said weakly. Without Elbert, his 171 squad was now effectively wiped out.

“Fox One, initiate attack now, target: the forest ahead,” Captain Hague ordered the bomber overhead.

The bomber swept down in a dive, its bomb bay opened, and a dark object fell out, beginning a rapid descent. Suddenly, three massive parachutes deployed from the dark object, causing the bomb to slow its descent and drift gently toward the forested area where Liu Hui was located.

Liu Hui, holding Zhou Tengyun, prepared to sprint when he noticed the massive object descending from the sky. He was shocked. “This is bad!” Although he didn't know what the dark object was, Liu Hui understood it posed a fatal threat. Hesitation vanished. He pulled out a specially made cloak from his storage space, donned it, lashed Zhou Tengyun securely to his front, and leaped off the edge of the towering cliff.

Liu Hui descended briefly before controlling the black cloak to glide along the air currents. At that very moment, the GBU-28 bomb in the sky detonated twenty meters above the ground. The blinding flash forced Hague and the others watching from the periphery to avert their eyes. The immense energy released by the blast annihilated the entire battlefield in the forest. The resulting shockwave propagated outward at ten times the speed of sound, quickly catching up to Liu Hui in the air and flinging him far into the distance. A wave of red light erupted around Liu Hui, resisting the shockwave, but the force shattered his balance, making it impossible to control the cloak. He began to plummet rapidly toward the ground.

The ground rushed up to meet him. Liu Hui fought desperately to control his body, maneuvering the cloak until, two hundred meters above the earth, he regained control. Catching a powerful mountain gust, he began to soar again.

Liu Hui broke out in a cold sweat. That situation had been terrifyingly close. He hadn't anticipated that bomb being so devastating. Thankfully, he had made the decision early to jump off the cliff; otherwise, even with the protection of the Hongguang Armor, survival against such an explosion would have been impossible.

Liu Hui flew for a short distance in the air, then spotted a target direction, flipped over, and dropped down. Upon reaching the ground, he executed several quick forward rolls to absorb the immense impact force.

Liu Hui landed steadily and immediately checked Zhou Tengyun’s condition. He found that Zhou Tengyun’s breathing was even fainter after being tossed around in the air, but he was still breathing! Overjoyed, Liu Hui quickly retrieved the Biological Healing Tank, activated it, fitted the respirator onto Zhou Tengyun, and placed him inside.

With Zhou Tengyun secured in the tank, Liu Hui felt half his worry ease. He cautiously surveyed the surroundings, noting they were in a very deep gorge. From this vantage point, the hilltop he had jumped from appeared tiny, but a colossal mushroom cloud was clearly rising from it. The adjacent forest was burning fiercely, spewing thick plumes of smoke. The aircraft overhead continued to circle, observing the bombing effectiveness.

Fortunately, Liu Hui had chosen to jump down the opposite side of the cliff, and since Hague and Milton had also shielded their eyes during the explosion, they had no idea Liu Hui had escaped by leaping into the abyss.

Liu Hui sighed, moved the Biological Healing Tank to a deeply concealed location, covered it with branches, and sat beside it, diligently guarding his companion.

After assessing the bombing results, the aircraft determined the effect was satisfactory. They reported back to Captain Hague and then left the airspace.

Hague and Milton looked out over the now barren slope, a shared expression of agony crossing their faces. Most of their comrades had been slaughtered on that very slope. The individuals who killed them were entirely unrelated to the mission they were supposed to be executing, yet Hague’s orders had drawn them into a fight that resulted in their complete annihilation, not even leaving whole bodies behind. If they could choose again, they would rather let the two Afghans go than have ordered the attack.

Deep in the gorge, Liu Hui was also reflecting. He had just acquired two hundred tons of drugs from Mohanstede, feeling his future was bright. In that moment of self-satisfaction, he encountered Jiangnan Yi and Miss Yu. Then, Miss Yu eliminated the Vatican elite who had been tracking him and Zhou Tengyun. Liu Hui thought his luck was finally turning, but before he could celebrate, Miss Yu was pursuing him, intent on silencing him. Following that, he ran into the US First Cavalry Division soldiers tracking Jiangnan Yi and Miss Yu. After a fierce battle, just as he was about to catch his breath, a super expert from the enemy suddenly emerged, using sheer speed to pin him and Zhou Tengyun on the battlefield. If Zhou Tengyun hadn't sacrificed a moment by halting the enemy, he might have been killed by the aerial bombardment while under that constant harassment. This situation was the most perilous he had ever faced; he clearly needed to strengthen his power again.

But now, it was over. Everything had settled; he was safe, and Zhou Tengyun was saved.

Though utterly exhausted, Liu Hui dared not relax for a moment. He stood vigil beside the Biological Healing Tank. Finally, after twelve hours, the tank ceased its operation, and Zhou Tengyun opened his eyes.

Liu Hui rejoiced, quickly opening the tank and helping Zhou Tengyun out. “Third brother, how do you feel?”

Zhou Tengyun jumped to the ground, stretched his limbs, and laughed, “Feeling fantastic!”

Only then did Liu Hui truly relax. He pulled a set of clean clothes from his storage space and handed them to Zhou Tengyun. Zhou Tengyun quickly stripped off his tattered uniform and changed into the dry clothes.