230: Luo Chen VS Yao Ke

"Yu!" Li Xueli cried out, her eyes nearly splitting as she saw her best friend injured, grief and anger intertwining in her heart! Sensing its master's extreme emotions, the Polar Ice Bear also let out a violent roar, cold air radiating in all directions!

"Fight him to the death!" Seeing this, Zhu Lingyun, Wang Kai, and Wang Sheng knew there was no more room for negotiation and roared as they joined the fray! Zhu Lingyun's Demonic Flame Greatsword blazed with black flames, Wang Kai's Stone Axe was heavy and powerful, and Wang Sheng's Knight's Lance shone with holy light. The three combined their strength to battle Yao Ke's four elusive and extraordinarily agile flying swords!

However, the gap in strength was like a chasm. Yao Ke didn't even move his feet, controlling the flying swords with his mind alone. The four swords were like four top-tier swordmasters, their offensive relentless and their swordplay exquisite. They split and combined at times, forcing Zhu Lingyun and the others into a desperate situation. Within just a few breaths, the three were struck by the flats of the swords or swept by sword qi one after another, flying backward with muffled groans and crashing heavily to the ground. They were covered in wounds, their Superpower radiance dimmed, and even maintaining their transformed states became extremely difficult.

The other members of the Demon Hunting Squad tried to help, but they were swarmed and quickly subdued by the soldiers of the West Suburb Base.

Yao Ke controlled a flying sword, its cold tip resting gently against Li Xueli's fair, slender neck. Just an inch further and it would take her life. His gaze was sharp as an eagle's as he glared at her. "Now, can you speak? Who exactly are you people?"

Li Xueli tilted her head up stubbornly. Though her face was pale from exhaustion and anger, her eyes remained defiant. She met Yao Ke's gaze without flinching, her lips tightly pursed, saying nothing.

In this tense standoff, Yao Ke's gaze fell upon Li Xueli's eyes, which were exceptionally bright with anger, and her tightly pursed lips. For some reason, his heart skipped a beat. This face, filled with stubbornness and a sense of justice, vaguely overlapped for a moment with the memory of the kind Veterinarian who had taken him and Huangfu Yao in at the beginning of the apocalypse, only to die tragically... In that instant, an inexplicable trace of reluctance and daze rose in his heart.

He abruptly turned his head, avoiding Li Xueli's burning gaze, and shifted his thoughts.

"Clang!"

The flying sword at Li Xueli's neck let out a clear hum and suddenly retracted, turning into a stream of light along with the other three swords and accurately returning to the Sword Box on his back.

"Take them all back!" Yao Ke stopped looking at Li Xueli and waved his hand to his subordinates. His voice returned to its previous coldness, but if one listened closely, it seemed to have slightly less killing intent than before. He turned and walked toward his Cloud-Treading Steed, his crimson cloak cutting an elegant arc in the fading twilight.

Yao Ke led two Cavalry Squadrons and three hundred riflemen, escorting the members of the two Demon Hunting Squads along a dirt road back to the West Suburb Base. The atmosphere in the group was oppressive, with only the sounds of horse hooves and rustling footsteps.

Suddenly, a low and powerful roar rapidly approached from the distant sky, breaking the silence.

"Vroom—" Everyone instinctively looked up to see four camouflaged, fierce-looking hind attack helicopters diving from beneath the clouds like giant eagles spotting prey. Their massive rotors churned the air, creating a heart-palpitating whistling sound!

"Armed personnel below, listen up!" The lead hind lowered its altitude, and a loudspeaker under its fuselage issued a majestic and loud broadcast, its voice clearly drowning out the engine's roar and echoing in everyone's ears. "We are the Red Alert Legion's 2nd Mixed Brigade! You have been locked on! Release the hostages immediately! Otherwise, we will take necessary military action! Repeat, release the hostages unconditionally at once!" The other three attack helicopters cooperated by sounding short, piercing alarms. The 30mm Autocannon Turrets beneath their noses slowly rotated, their cold muzzles aimed at the group below, bringing a heavy sense of pressure.

Under everyone's uncertain gazes, the hatch of the lead hind slid open, and a figure actually leaped down from over ten meters in the air! The figure landed lightly, kicking up a bit of dust. Standing in the center was a handsome young officer in a crisp Lieutenant Colonel's uniform—it was Luo Chen. He stood firm, his gaze like lightning as he scanned the area, finally locking onto Yao Ke at the front.

"Com... Commander! They're attack helicopters! Government people!" Wang Tian's voice trembled, and the color drained from his face. Attack helicopters represented the absolute violent machinery of the state. Their West Suburb Base could contend with Hongdu Base largely because the other side was hesitant to act and they themselves were helping the people. If they were labeled as bandits, they would be wiped out in an instant in the face of elite regular troops.

"What's the panic?" Yao Ke smiled faintly, showing no fear. Instead, he looked somewhat amused. He dismounted gracefully and walked toward Luo Chen at a leisurely pace. As he walked, he keenly perceived that the young Lieutenant Colonel before him was actually a Third-Tier Master of the same rank as himself.

The two stood a few meters apart, their gazes meeting in the air as if invisible sparks were flying.

"Your name?" Yao Ke spoke first, his corners of the mouth slightly raised, his tone carrying a faint, imperceptible scrutiny.

Luo Chen looked at the exceptionally young and uniquely tempered "Bandit Leader" before him, feeling somewhat surprised, but he remained outwardly calm. "I am Luo Chen, Brigade Commander of the Red Alert Legion's 2nd Mixed Brigade!"

"So it's an officer. Brigade Commander Luo, your presence is an honor. My apologies for the lack of a proper welcome," Yao Ke said with a half-smile, his tone carrying a bit of playful flattery. "I am the leader of the West Suburb Base—Yao Ke." Yao Ke calmly introduced himself, his attitude neither humble nor overbearing.

"Leader Yao... I've heard much about you." Luo Chen frowned slightly, unsure of what Yao Ke was up to. "Enough talk. Please release the members of the Demon Hunting Squad under my command immediately!" He stopped beating around the bush. With a grasp of his right hand into empty air, the bone-chilling Five-Hook Divine Flying Spear appeared out of nowhere. He shook the spear tip, pointing it directly at Yao Ke with a tough stance.

"Brigade Commander Luo, what a grand display of authority!" The smile on Yao Ke's face faded slightly, and his eyes grew sharp. "Your people committed violence and injured my subordinates on my territory, and now you want me to just let them go? What, do Yao Ke and the West Suburb Base not care about our reputation at all?" Before he could finish, the ancient Sword Box on his back vibrated slightly. Two flying swords inside let out a clear hum, seemingly ready to unsheathe at any moment. A sharp aura rose abruptly, clashing with Luo Chen's Spear Intent.

"You're lying! It was clearly your people who were trying to kidnap a girl, and we only stepped in to teach them a lesson! Officer Luo, they didn't just try to take her; they also beat the girl's father. We were acting for the people!" The bound Li Xueli shouted anxiously, her voice filled with grievance and anger.

"Did you hear that?" Luo Chen's spear tip remained steady as he said coldly, "Even if there was a conflict, it should be decided by law. You are a civilian organization and have no law enforcement power! Release them immediately!" Following his words, over ten fully armed Evolvers quickly descended from the helicopters. Four of them had powerful auras—they were clearly Second-Tier Masters! The autocannons of the four hinds were locked firmly onto Yao Ke and his subordinates.