Chapter 31: The Chaos Begins, Part 3

Not good!

At that moment, Wu Niantian truly felt a bone-chilling terror that pierced his very soul—a sense that his life was hanging by a thread, ready to vanish at any instant. It was the first time in his life he had ever felt such a thing.

Crash!

But that icy dread did not invade the depths of his heart to destroy his will. Instead, a tremendous force suddenly struck his back, as if a mountain had slammed into him. With a scream, Wu Niantian collapsed to the ground without warning, knocked senseless by the blow.

Damn it!

Wu Niantian struggled to rise, but suddenly felt a cold chill against his back, and a calm voice said, “Wu Niantian, if you so much as move, I can’t promise your head won’t prove as fragile as a wolf’s.”

“How... how did you do this?” Wu Niantian nearly fainted from humiliation and rage. He had fired only a few poisoned needles and was immediately beaten to the ground, reduced to a shameful captive—when he was, after all, a master who had reached the ‘Spirit-Cleansing and Marrow-Refining’ stage! What kind of monster was this boy?

Though he maintained a fierce front, only Le Kai knew the truth of his own condition. With his current physical state, he could not unleash his full strength. Even though he had not used the ‘Berserk’ technique, forcing himself to act had brought him close to the limit; the strain he placed on his body would bring severe consequences later.

But he had no choice. From the moment he entered the hall, Le Kai knew Wu Niantian was no ordinary opponent. With senses sharper than a beast’s, he was acutely aware of his surroundings—especially of an expert like Wu Niantian, who had never once taken his eyes off him. Only when the bodyguard protecting Lambo fell did Le Kai discern the man’s true intention.

The professor’s technological devices were clearly far superior to the bodyguards’ shoddy equipment. On the map, only Wu Niantian’s energy reading stood out, and he was the one issuing orders and constantly transmitting signals. Le Kai therefore deduced that this man was the leader of the operation. Capturing him—the head of the bandits—was the only way they would have a chance to escape.

Now, with the dust settled and Wu Niantian in his grasp, Le Kai’s body was already on the verge of collapse. Had Wu Niantian possessed just a bit more endurance, it would have been Le Kai lying on the ground instead. Fortunately, his surprise attack—executed with the supreme art of the “Return Step”—left Wu Niantian stunned and unable to exert the true power of a ‘Spirit-Cleansing and Marrow-Refining’ master. Otherwise, the outcome would have been impossible to predict.

Le Kai did not answer Wu Niantian’s question. He took a deep breath, forcing the blood rising in his throat back down, his expression indifferent as if he had done something utterly trivial. With his curved blade pressed to Wu Niantian’s throat, he gazed coldly at the formidable ranks of special forces surrounding him.

These men were undoubtedly second-class citizens of Azure Star. Le Kai sensed a familiar aura about them, but he knew that did not make them kin. On the wastelands, wolves, lions, and wildfolk all shared the same world, but their relationship was that of predator and prey.

All around, the soldiers glared at Le Kai with complicated, unreadable expressions—shocked, confused, furious, and even tinged with fear.

“Le Kai! Hurry, save me!” Lambo, now fully aware of his predicament, screamed in terror as he was seized by several soldiers dressed for battle.

He had already learned from countless reports just how terrifying these so-called terrorists were, but this was his first time facing them directly.

Li Yan shot him a contemptuous look, a trace of disdain in her eyes. “Lambo, do you even count as a man?”

Lambo protested pitifully, “I’m not a man yet! I haven’t grown up!”

“Shut up. If you make another sound, you’ll never be a man at all,” the soldier holding Lambo threatened, eyes fierce and the barrel of his gun casually—and unmistakably—pointing at Lambo’s crotch. At once, Lambo fell silent, like a duck with its throat clamped shut.

“Tell them to point their guns elsewhere,” Le Kai said coldly, his tone brooking no argument. “I’d hate for some soldier with poor nerves to fire by accident and cause me to misunderstand.”

Wu Niantian burst into laughter. “Le Kai, you’re just a child. You have no idea what you’re doing. You’re from Azure Star—why not stand with your own people, instead of helping alien invaders who set foot on our soil? If your parents knew what you’d done, they would die of shame, unable to face their ancestors. There’s still time to come back. The brothers of the Resistance Alliance are magnanimous; they won’t hold your mistakes against you. Join us, and fight for our great national cause!”

“Spare me your nonsense. I have no interest in your cause, nor will I waste my life with a bunch of brainless, hot-blooded idiots,” Le Kai retorted, his words venomous and biting for one so young. The soldiers around them, veins bulging in rage, howled furiously, ready to charge forward.

Le Kai sneered, tightening his grip ever so slightly. A thin line of blood welled from Wu Niantian’s neck.

“Let the instructor go and we’ll spare you.”

“You little brat—you’ve got some nerve. Surrender now or you won’t escape alive.”

“Drop the knife, or we’ll open fire.”

Clearly, Wu Niantian held a high rank within the resistance. The tense behavior of the surrounding special forces was immensely satisfying to Le Kai, who remained utterly unperturbed. His eyes, bright as the stars, met their gaze with icy calm, as if they could contain all the world and dissolve every threat.

“Enough! Stand down, all of you. So many against one child—what does that say about our Revolutionary Alliance?”

Just as the standoff reached its breaking point, a clear and resonant voice rang out from above—like a soprano in full flight, brimming with an indescribable allure that stirred the heart. As the words faded, a figure dropped from the fifth floor, falling like a meteor. She landed without a sound, displaying perfect mastery of strength and technique.

As her billowing skirt settled, her graceful, enchanting figure and exquisite face were revealed.

Even someone as young as Le Kai couldn’t help but exclaim inwardly, Beautiful!

There seemed to be no words to describe her but “beautiful”—those three syllables alone sufficed. From the very first glance, the thought blotted out all else.

Yet, curiously, none of the surrounding soldiers showed the slightest sign of lust or distraction. Instead, their discipline only grew stricter; not one of them so much as glanced at her. Even Li Yan was stunned, the girl momentarily captivated. As for Lambo, he forgot all fear, drooling in awe despite his age.

Le Kai shook his head slightly, frowning, but did not look away. After a moment, he smiled faintly and said, “In fact, you’re not so very beautiful... are you? Who are you?”