165: Chapter 165 A Common Man's Wrath

At a distance of nearly ten kilometers, Director Li Guoan and the others could only see the distant explosions and the fleeting golden streak of light.

But by the side door of the Institute of Physical Material Research, the air was so silent one could hear a heartbeat.

Academician Qian Zhonghua stared blankly at the hand close at hand, and the metallic patch, grasped firmly by that hand, shimmering with a cold, dark light.

The sharp edge of the patch was less than an inch from his scalp.

The hand gripping the patch had bulging veins on the back of its hand, and blood seeped from the palm, dripping down through the gaps between the fingers.

The owner of that hand was a young man with a resolute face.

He was wearing an unremarkable black tracksuit, but at this moment, he stood like a guardian deity, firmly shielding Academician Qian.

"Academician Qian, are you alright?" The young man's voice was steady and powerful.

Only then did the guard responsible for protection react.

His outstretched hand froze mid-air, his face a mask of lingering fear and relief.

Whoosh!

The golden yuhuang sword arrived late with a piercing sonic boom, hovering in mid-air.

The sword hummed, emitting a biting killing intent, as if angry at its tardiness.

With a turn, the yuhuang sword returned the way it came.

The young man glanced at the flying sword and reported in a low voice into the communicator on his wrist.

"Reporting to Command Center, 'Dragon Scale' member Mu Xi is here. Academician Qian is safe, the threat has been neutralized."

He casually flicked his wrist, tossing the metallic patch, which was already deeply embedded in his palm, onto the ground, leaving a trail of blood.

The patch landed with a crisp 'ding' sound.

Upon closer inspection, the edge of the patch was as sharp as a knife, but it had been slightly deformed from being squeezed.

Given the physical strength of Mu Xi, who had been preliminarily modified by spiritual energy, this shard shouldn't have hurt him.

It was just that in the urgency, he had gripped it too forcefully, essentially embedding the deadly object into his own flesh.

Outside the Command Center, hearing the confirmation through the earpiece, the heart of Director Li Guoan, which had been lodged in his throat, finally settled back down.

The experts beside him all let out a breath of relief, feeling as if their backs were already drenched in cold sweat.

Although they couldn't see, based on Chen You's reaction, they could guess there had been a dangerous situation.

The tension on Chen You's face did not ease in the slightest.

That sense of unease instantly transformed into a bone-chilling fury after Academician Qian was confirmed safe.

Just a little bit.

Just that tiny bit!

If Director Li Guoan hadn't arranged for a 'Dragon Scale' member near the research institute in advance, if Mu Xi hadn't reacted so swiftly...

This national treasure level academician, who had dedicated his entire life to the country, was almost taken down by a piece of scrap metal right under his nose...

Chen You dared not think further.

The killing intent in his chest was almost bursting forth.

"Damn it!" Director Li Guoan also rarely swore.

His calm expression was replaced by an ashen color, and he issued orders into the communicator:

"Maintain Level One combat readiness! Seal off the Qinling Mountains, with a radius of one hundred kilometers. All entrances and exits are to be closed immediately!"

"Notify local units to coordinate a dragnet investigation. Any suspicious personnel are to be apprehended on the spot!"

"The drone was remote-controlled; the operator must still be within the jamming zone!"

"Zhang Yunhai!"

tactical team leader Zhang Yunhai immediately stepped forward: "Yes!"

"Take your men and find him. I want him alive!" Director Li Guoan's voice carried no emotion.

"Yes!"

Orders were issued one after another, and the entire Qinling Base began to operate at high speed once more, centered on the core objective of 'apprehension'.

"Director Li," Chen You suddenly spoke, his voice as cold as ice, "Leave it to me."

Director Li Guoan started, looking at him.

Chen You offered no further explanation; a faint golden light flashed in his eyes.

Gazing at Qi to See the Heart!

In an instant, the world in his eyes completely changed.

The Qinling Mountains, originally pitch black and shrouded in night, instantly became colorful and vibrant with life.

The rocks and vegetation emitted natural energies of varying shades of green and earthy yellow, converging into a peaceful aura.

And amidst these vast natural energies, human life auras were clearly visible, like lamps in the dark night.

Chen You's gaze swept slowly over the vast forest, like the highest precision radar.

Soon, his sight fixed on a dense forest about fifteen kilometers to the east.

There, a complex aura representing a living person, yet emanating coldness, panic, and violence, was stealthily moving through the woods.

It was as conspicuous as a drop of ink entering clear water, exceptionally jarring.

Found him!

"Hmph!" Chen You let out a cold snort, not even reporting to Director Li Guoan behind him.

With a thought, the yuhuang sword let out a clear, sharp chime and instantly transformed into a streak of golden light, returning beneath his feet.

Chen You took a step out, standing firmly on the sword's body.

The next second.

Boom—!

A terrifying sonic boom exploded beneath his feet, and the entire person, along with the flying sword, instantly transformed into a golden rainbow piercing the night sky.

It shot fiercely towards the direction where the complex aura was located!

Leaving behind only a stunned Director Li Guoan and the dumbfounded Sun Feng, Pan Yu, and others.

They stood with their mouths open, watching the golden trajectory vanish into the horizon, momentarily unsure how to react.

...

Dense forest on the eastern side of the Qinling Mountains.

A middle-aged man dressed in an outdoor assault jacket, disguised as a tourist, was moving rapidly along the rugged mountain path, using the cover of night.

His name was Kuroda Ryuji, an ace agent from the Yamato Intelligence Department, who had been permanently stationed within China for many years.

His mission this time was to infiltrate the depths of the Qinling Mountains to investigate exactly what the magnificent ancient city that had sprung up overnight was.

However, the mission had failed from the very beginning.

He hadn't expected such terrifying military power to be hidden here.

The anti-air firepower surrounding the ancient city was densely packed to an appalling degree, completely unlike the level required for ordinary threats.

"Baka!" Kuroda Ryuji cursed under his breath, not daring to slow down in the slightest.

The mission had failed; he had to immediately withdraw from this damned mountain range before the Chinese forces could react.

He knew clearly that once that inescapable net was cast, he would have no chance of escape.

However, he hadn't run far yet.

Whoosh!

An extremely sharp sound of air being torn apart approached from afar, slicing through the night sky.

Kuroda Ryuji's body hairs stood on end, and years of agent instinct made him abruptly dive to the side.

Boom!

A golden sword light grazed past his scalp and fiercely embedded itself into the ground in front of him.

The hard rocky ground was pierced as easily as tofu; the entire long sword sank in halfway, leaving only a jade-like hilt, which shimmered with a chilling cold light under the moonlight.

An indescribable, terrifying pressure emanated from that sword, causing Kuroda Ryuji's heart to race uncontrollably.

He stiffly raised his head and looked up along the sword body.

Then, he saw a scene that would be unforgettable for the rest of his life, one capable of shattering his entire worldview.

A young man in casual clothing was quietly suspended several meters above the ground.

Beneath his feet, he was stepping on an identical golden flying sword.

The night wind was exceptionally boisterous, making the young man's robes flutter, but his entire body was as if nailed in space, completely motionless.

The moonlight cast a silver edge around him, and his handsome face held no expression.

Only a pair of eyes, as cold as ice, were staring intently at him.

The look in those eyes contained the purest form of... killing intent.

Immortal? Monster? Deity?

Kuroda Ryuji's brain instantly crashed; the materialistic worldview he had built over decades was shattered at this moment.

"You... Who are you?!" Kuroda Ryuji instinctively retorted.

He quietly reached toward the small of his back, where a specially made silenced pistol was holstered.

No matter what kind of monster or demon the opponent was, as long as they had flesh and blood, they feared bullets!

Chen You let out a disdainful snort.

Whoosh!

The yuhuang sword embedded in front of Kuroda Ryuji instantly turned into a streak of golden light.

Kuroda Ryuji tried to see clearly but couldn't capture it at all.

His hand had just touched the grip of the gun, and he hadn't even managed to draw it out.

Thwack!

A dull sound of a blade piercing flesh.

"Ah—!!!"

A piercing scream tore through the quiet night sky.

Kuroda Ryuji's right hand, which was reaching for his waist, was pinned firmly to a tree trunk by that streak of golden light.

Blood flowed profusely down the length of the sword.