40: Chapter 40 Crisis!

If I triggered the puppet's self-destruction, I could clear a path to escape back to the Military District's protection zone!

But... looking at the size of this beast tide... it's hard to say what will happen next...

Just as the front line of the beast herd lunged forward and the situation was on the verge of total collapse!

BOOM!

A sharp blade of light suddenly slashed into the herd from the side and rear.

The three ferocious beasts in the front didn't even have time to react before their bodies were sliced in two, blood spraying everywhere.

Immediately after, a violent force of energy punched in from the other side, blasting several Gray-Backed Fanged Wolves away like cannonballs; the sound of cracking bones was terrifyingly clear.

Four figures charged out of the darkness almost simultaneously.

Lu Cheng's pupils constricted.

Military personnel!

The aura of three of them was extremely heavy, and as they struck, their Source Power exploded—they were clearly at the peak of the Source Gathering Realm.

But Instructor Qin Feng, who was at the front, was even more exaggerated.

With a single step, the ground shook, and the wind generated by his swinging combat blade formed an almost visible arc.

A Giant-Toothed Fanged Beast that had charged most fiercely had its head sent flying the moment it leaped.

Meridian Opening Realm!

Once a true Meridian Opening Realm combatant took control of the field, the scene changed instantly.

The herd of beasts that had forced Lu Cheng and the others into a life-or-death situation just a second ago now looked like paper toys being smashed to pieces before these few people.

Blade light, fist force, leg shadows, and explosions of Source Power.

Flesh and blood flew everywhere.

The ferocious beasts that had rushed to the front fell in droves.

Ma Dachun was stunned, his mouth open wide enough to fit an egg.

"Holy crap... that's too intense..."

Xia Xi panted, her eyes brightening.

Su Wan, however, did not relax.

Instead, she stared at the movements of Instructor Qin Feng and the others, her gaze darkening slightly.

The fact that the military powerhouses secretly protecting the students were forced to reveal themselves meant that the situation had become too serious to contain.

Instructor Qin Feng slashed through the front, turned his head to look at Lu Cheng and the other three, his face livid.

"Everyone, get to the back! Don't run around!"

Lu Cheng immediately led the three of them back.

He knew very well that in a battle of this level, their involvement would only cause trouble.

Soon, the batch of ferocious beasts that had lunged to the front was forcefully cleared away.

The remaining herd on the periphery seemed shaken by this overwhelming aura; after a brief commotion, they finally began to scatter further away.

The area around the camp quieted down momentarily, the ground covered in corpses and blood, and the air thick with the bitter stench of gore.

Instructor Qin Feng walked back, blade in hand, blood dripping down from the edge.

His expression was terrifyingly grim.

"Are you all injured?"

"Just some scratches, nothing serious," Lu Cheng replied.

Instructor Qin Feng nodded.

His gaze swept over the bloodstains and the residual powder on the ground, his eyes darkening bit by bit.

A soldier behind him crouched down to inspect the area and said in a low voice:

"This wasn't a natural gathering; it was guided by someone."

"Someone dropped bait on the perimeter and sprinkled stimulant powder."

Instructor Qin Feng's face tightened, and he cursed.

"They really have guts."

Just then, the communicator at his waist rang urgently.

After a soldier answered it, his expression changed drastically.

"What?!"

"A large-scale beast tide erupted at the student elimination survival point?!"

As soon as those words were spoken, everyone's expression changed.

The voice from the communicator continued to come through.

Other schools were also conducting training in the Wasteland Zone today, and the military was uniformly managing the eliminated students.

If the situation had erupted over there as well, it meant the problem tonight... was perhaps specifically targeting the military!

After hearing this, Instructor Qin Feng's expression sank completely.

He looked at Lu Cheng and the group of four, then at the three soldiers beside him, almost without hesitation.

"I will stay behind."

"You three, immediately return to reinforce the outer defense line and other training areas."

"Yes!"

The three did not waste words; they turned and left.

Lu Cheng watched them disappear into the night, the bit of unease in his heart not only failing to dissipate but growing heavier.

With all four soldiers present, their side had only just stabilized.

Now that three were suddenly pulled away, it meant that the outside was already chaotic enough that they had to rob Peter to pay Paul.

Instructor Qin Feng put away his communicator and turned to look in the direction of the students, his voice low but harder than the night wind.

"From now on, everyone is to suspend the original training."

"Prioritize self-preservation above all else!"

...

Zhou Lize crouched behind a low bush, half his face buried in shadow.

The soil was damp, carrying a stench of blood and the bitter smell of crushed grass roots.

He braced one hand on the ground, his knuckles white from the strain, while his other hand gripped a broken military dagger.

The blade of the dagger was stained dark red; the blood was half-dried, sticking to the metal surface.

As the wind blew, it gave off a dull, dark sheen.

Around him, several students in school uniforms lay scattered.

There were boys and girls, their faces deathly pale, lips blue, chests still rising and falling weakly, but all of them had passed out.

Further away, the three soldiers responsible for escorting them had completely ceased to breathe.

One lay by the tree roots, their neck twisted at a grotesque angle, eyes still wide open, the pupils retaining the final instant of shock and anger.

Another had their chest pierced by a sharp weapon, their combat uniform torn open, blood soaking the ground into a dark color.

A third was half-kneeling in the grass, hand still pressed against the communicator at their waist, clearly having tried to transmit a message before dying.

Zhou Lize looked at the corpses, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

The resentment he had suppressed for so long actually calmed down at this moment.

From being soundly thrashed by Lu Cheng in the school arena, to being repeatedly suppressed and humiliated, and then to the gaze of the elders at home—outwardly consoling but unable to hide the disappointment in their eyes...

These past few days, a ball of fire had been stuck in his chest, burning him so he couldn't sleep, couldn't calm down, and even his breathing felt sharp.

But now, looking at the devastation and hearing the faint rumbling from the direction of the Military District, the corners of his mouth actually curled up little by little.

Tonight, it was finally someone else's turn to panic.

Standing beside him were several figures in black.

They were wrapped entirely in tight-fitting black clothing of a strange material, with very faint dark patterns occasionally flickering across the surface, and their auras were suppressed completely.

Standing in the forest, the figures blended almost perfectly into the night; if not for being close by, they would have been difficult to spot with the naked eye.

One of them listened to the distance and spoke in a low voice:

"Young Master Zhou... the beasts sent over there have been dealt with by the military."

He spoke with obvious caution, his head even slightly bowed.

Zhou Lize didn't turn back, just gave a soft "Hmm" in his throat.

The man in black hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking:

"Since they've already made a move over there, why do we need to disturb the military's main base?"

As soon as these words were out, the breathing of the others nearby tightened.

The man who asked realized he had made a mistake; his shoulders immediately tensed, and a layer of sweat broke out on his back.

He was only responsible for tasks and couldn't wrap his head around such a big plan; he just asked out of confusion.

But as soon as he finished asking, he felt a bit of regret.

Zhou Lize slowly turned his head.

His eyes were exceptionally gloomy in the dim forest, bloodshot in the whites, and he stared fiercely at the man in black, making the other's scalp tingle and his breathing erratic.

"Things you shouldn't ask, don't ask."

His voice was low, every word dripping with cold ruthlessness.

The man in black gulped, and quickly lowered his head:

"Yes, Young Master Zhou."

Zhou Lize looked at his trembling appearance and suddenly smiled again.

The smile was faint, but it made people feel even more uncomfortable on his face, carrying a neurotic lightness.

"However, I'm in a good mood today."

"I can answer you."

He stood up slowly and brushed the dirt off his knees, his movements unhurried, but his posture carried an indescribable sense of superiority.

"Do you really think the Xia Family are pushovers?"

"At a time like this, would they not send people to guard Xia Xi?"

When he said the words "Xia Xi," a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Xia Yunchi's daughter.

The apple of the Rong City mayor's eye.

That young miss who had been protected so tightly since childhood was now walking so closely with Lu Cheng.

Thinking of the undisguised gaze Xia Xi had directed at Lu Cheng during the day, the evil fire in Zhou Lize's chest flared up again, and he gritted his teeth.

Why?

Why did he have to constantly lower his head and scheme, being suppressed at every turn, while that scoundrel Lu Cheng could step on him to climb higher, and even make someone like the Xia Family take the initiative to get close to him?

The more he thought about it, the colder his eyes became.

"If you weren't wearing the shielding clothing customized by the Zhou Family, you would have died countless times already."

"This place is too close to where the military is stationed."

"Plus, with the students out, many people from the Military District have been pulled out."

"We have to give them something to do."

"Otherwise..."

Zhou Lize raised his eyes, looking into the deep darkness in the distance, the corners of his mouth curling up bit by bit.

"It would be basically impossible for the Zhou Family to take Xia Yunchi's daughter."

The man in black felt a chill down his back.

He stole a glance at Zhou Lize, feeling cold in his heart.

This Young Master Zhou was at most considered sinister in school, but now, standing beside a pile of corpses, his whole person exuded an uncomfortable madness.

That kind of gaze was already on a completely different level from ordinary students.

Zhou Lize couldn't be bothered with him anymore.

He raised his hand and pulled a palm-sized black terminal from his bosom.

A pale blue screen flashed on the surface of the terminal, displaying several small images—these were the hidden cameras the Zhou Family had planted on the periphery of the Wasteland Zone in advance.

In the images, the periphery of the Military District was in complete chaos.

Searchlights swept back and forth in the darkness, beams of light cutting through the night.

Armored vehicles turned and sped past, tires kicking up clouds of sand and dust.

Further away, explosions and beast roars continued to sound.

The communication channel was filled with noise; orders, reports, and calls for help were all jumbled together, making one's head spin just listening to it.

Zhou Lize stared at the screen, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

It was chaotic.

Finally, it was chaotic.

This was the moment he had been waiting for.

As long as the Military District's attention was drawn away, the forces the Zhou Family had arranged deeper inside could follow the trail, strike hard to eliminate all obstacles, and then take the person away.

As for Lu Cheng...

Thinking of this name, Zhou Lize's five fingers tightened abruptly, the edges of the terminal creaking under his grip.

That bastard had better die tonight.

Die in the beast tide, die in the chaos, die in a way that no one could figure out.

Otherwise... he would suffer more than if he were alive!

He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging murderous intent in his chest, tapped his fingers quickly on the terminal, connected to an encrypted channel, and said in a low voice:

"Second Uncle, Third Uncle."

"The military defense zone is in chaos."

"You can make your move."

The other end of the channel was silent for half a second, then a deep male voice came through.

"Understood."

Another voice was colder, with a hint of contemptuous laughter.

"Watch your own side, and don't mess things up again."

The communication cut off.

The smile on Zhou Lize's face slowly faded, and a trace of venomous malice flashed in his eyes.

Mess things up?

As long as Lu Cheng died tonight and Xia Xi was taken away, he would be a hero for the Zhou Family!

...

On the other side.

Lu Cheng's group had just breathed a sigh of relief.

The smell of blood near the camp had not yet dissipated; the ground was littered with beast corpses, severed limbs, broken bones, and crushed bushes mixed together, making it slippery and sticky to step on.

The wind blew through the forest, carrying a thick, bitter stench of gore that turned one's stomach.

Instructor Qin Feng stood in front, holding his blade, his shoulders and back tense.

Lu Cheng stood slightly behind; the wound on his back from the hyena's claw was still stinging, and when sweat soaked it, it felt like salt had been sprinkled on it.

He had just caught his breath, his hand still resting on his waist, but the unease in his heart hadn't dissipated at all.

It was too quiet.

This quietness made him very uncomfortable.

Su Wan was also looking around.

Her fingertips were still coated in a thin layer of frost, her expression colder than usual, her eyes scanning the depths of the forest inch by inch.

Memories of her past life flipped rapidly through her mind; what was happening tonight had completely deviated from the trajectory of her memory.

Xia Xi stood next to Lu Cheng, her fingers gripping her weapon turning slightly white.

She had been full of momentum while charging and killing earlier, but now that she had stopped, she felt her arms aching and her palms were covered in sweat.

But what she cared about most was Lu Cheng's injury; her gaze couldn't help but drift to his back.

She wanted to ask but was afraid of disturbing him, so she could only purse her lips and suppress her worry in her heart.

Ma Dachun's stamina was worse; he was almost exhausted, leaning against a tree trunk and panting.

"Damn it... the intensity tonight... is more stimulating than me downing a bottle of that potion..."

His lips were white, and his voice was drifting significantly.

Lu Cheng was just about to reply, when the next second!

An extremely terrifying aura came crashing over from the distance!

That feeling was too sudden.

The air suddenly sank.

The wind in the forest seemed to be pressed down hard by an invisible giant hand; the leaves froze with a rustle, and the surrounding temperature plummeted.

Every hair on Lu Cheng's body stood on end, his heart constricted violently, and even his breathing hitched.

Danger!

Extremely dangerous!