Chapter 176 - 171 Conflict (3)

A leader of an elite squad within the Black Skull shouted loudly. He had a large, menacing rocket launcher perched on his right shoulder, its black barrel glistening with a cold metallic sheen under the sun, pointing like the finger of death straight at Chen Pingchuan.A twisted smile spread across the man's face, revealing a mouthful of crooked, yellow teeth. Veins bulged on his forehead, a clear testament to the effort required to hoist the heavy weapon.

Although he couldn't see what was happening outside, the sounds alone told Chen Pingchuan this was definitely not good news. He just couldn't figure it out. In the simulations, my divine self could single-handedly take on a hundred foes under these same conditions, slaughtering all in its path with its innate talents. So why am I struggling so much in reality?

What Chen Pingchuan hadn't considered was that the invincibility of his divine self in the simulations stemmed primarily from the dark-series purple talent, Parasite Seed. His divine self could use it recklessly, ignoring all side effects, but that didn't mean his real-world self could be so brazen.

Although Chen Pingchuan also possessed two purple talents and one purple skill, both "Bloody Plunder" and "I Am Heavenly Dao" were growth-type talents. They could only unleash their extraordinary power after the host had accumulated enough experience. The dark-series talent, Parasite Seed, was as good as useless to him. His only powerful, rule-based skill, "Magic Hands," was restricted to one use per person, per day.

All these factors combined made his current methods of attack seem lackluster. He was relying entirely on his incredibly well-rounded physique to sustain the fight. But his enemies had strength in numbers. When their guns laid down a powerful web of suppressive fire, it became a luxury to even return fire, let alone thin their ranks.

With a dull CLICK, the Black Skull elite squad leader finished loading the rocket. The entire launcher vibrated slightly, as if trembling in anticipation of the destructive force it was about to unleash. The squad leader savagely squeezed the trigger.

"Die!"

BOOM!

With a soft roar, flames erupted from the rear of the rocket, surging out like a ferocious dragon hell-bent on total destruction. The rocket streaked toward the armored vehicle where Chen Pingchuan was hiding, carving a deadly arc through the sky. The surrounding air churned violently, forming visible heatwaves that expanded wildly. Sand and stone were swept up by this force, spraying in all directions like shrapnel. The rocket flew so fast that it closed in on Chen Pingchuan's position in the blink of an eye.

Chen Pingchuan's sixth sense began screaming warnings at him. This was the first time he had ever faced such a perilous situation. His string of easy successes had made him forget the dangers of the real world. Here, he was not invincible or immortal. Even if he could be reborn in Liu Haofeng's body, Chen Pingchuan couldn't bear to abandon the physical form he had inhabited for decades.

In fact, what Chen Pingchuan didn't know was that his current behavior—the swings between ecstasy and depression, between bloodlust and kindness—all stemmed from his unstable soul. His body no longer housed a single soul, and it was only thanks to his brain's self-preservation mechanisms that he hadn't already gone mad.

Of all this, Chen Pingchuan knew nothing.

If Heaven gives me another chance, I'll definitely lay low.

This was his last thought as the rocket was about to detonate.

At that critical moment, a layer of azure, grid-like energy shield materialized around the armored vehicle. It expanded at an astonishing speed, stopping about a meter from the hull.

BOOM!

The rocket, packed with destructive power, slammed viciously into the azure shield. However, aside from sending ripples across the shield's surface like waves on water, it failed to harm Chen Pingchuan in the slightest.

"Hahahaha..." A hearty laugh erupted from Chen Pingchuan. His face lit up, his eyes filled with excitement. "Well done, Xiaoliu! Next time you see a girl you like, Big Bro will snatch her up for you. You'll be holding a fat baby boy in no time!"

Inside the vehicle, Liu Haofeng was left utterly speechless. He never imagined Chen Pingchuan could say something so outrageous at such a tense moment. He had only embarked on this unknown journey because Chen Pingchuan had relentlessly pressured him. Yet now, a strange feeling bloomed in Liu Haofeng's heart. Perhaps journeying with Chen Pingchuan was what it meant to truly live. This kind of thrilling, unpredictable life could probably only be found by following this maniacal leader.

On second thought, it didn't seem so bad. As he mulled it over, the corners of Liu Haofeng's lips unconsciously curled into a slight smile.

The Black Skull Soldiers outside were completely oblivious to the scene inside the vehicle. All they saw was their rocket hitting its target, followed by a thick, pungent cloud of smoke that instantly obscured their vision. The grunts breathed a collective sigh of relief, feeling fortunate. In their minds, skill is no match for a blade, and even the best genes can't stop a bullet. Whatever monstrous foe they faced, it would be annihilated by the truth of firepower. This time, the enemy was surely doomed.

But as the smoke gradually dissipated, the vehicle's silhouette came back into view. A boy with a broad smile was standing on its hood, laughing boisterously. The terrifying sight made every Black Skull Soldier gasp, a chill shooting from the soles of their feet straight to their hearts.

We're done for!

This was the last conscious thought to flash through the mind of one of the Black Skull Warriors.

"Magic Hands..."

RAT-A-TAT-TAT...

"Magic Hands..."

RAT-A-TAT-TAT...

As Chen Pingchuan muttered the skill's name, his weapon roared in response. He repeated this simple attack pattern over and over. If the miraculous "Magic Hands" could kill an enemy instantly, that was ideal. If not, he wouldn't hesitate to finish them with a burst of gunfire.

With no need to worry about defense, the battlefield instantly became a one-sided slaughter. The remaining Black Skull Soldiers saw that things had gone south and turned to run for their lives.

However, this was where the advantage of the Genetic Warriors became apparent. They didn't have to be the fastest—they just had to be faster than the others.

Mad Dog had already fallen back to the rear at the first sign of trouble. He pulled his car door open, shouting at the driver as he scrambled inside.