Without even checking, Jiang Fulong was certain the newcomers were reinforcements summoned by the enemy after the initial attack. The metal war chariot must be so valuable that they had sent a large force.

However, how could Jiang Fulong willingly let such a prize slip through his fingers? Besides, he was prepared, having brought most of the shelter's manpower with him.

By a twist of fate, Jiang Fulong led the Black Skull Legion into a bloody and violent battle with the mysterious tactical squad. As the defenders, the Black Skull Legion initially leveraged their terrain advantage and the element of surprise to gain the upper hand, achieving significant results and inflicting several casualties on the tactical squad.

The tactical squad, caught off guard by the sudden attack, was utterly baffled. They couldn't comprehend why the other side had launched an attack without warning, as the two groups were complete strangers. However, battles often unfold regardless of personal will. Once both sides had suffered a certain level of casualties, their enmity became almost irreconcilable, unless an even stronger force were to appear.

Confusion filled Liu Haofeng's eyes as he intently watched the bloody, brutal battlefield not far away. Gunsmoke filled the air, and the sky thundered with the sounds of slaughter. The Black Skull Legion, the very group that had just attacked him and his companions, was now locked in a fierce firefight with the tactical squad they had only briefly encountered.

Liu Haofeng frowned, turning his head towards Chen Pingchuan. With eyes clouded by doubt and confusion, he asked softly, "Do they have an irreconcilable feud?"

Chen Pingchuan's gaze swept across the battlefield, taking in the corpses strewn about, the shattered vehicles, and the ink-thick smoke that hung in the air. His lips quivered slightly as he murmured, "This grudge must run deep!"

"So what should we do now? The Black Demon tide is still chasing us from behind."

Just moments ago, Liu Haofeng thought he had narrowly escaped disaster. Now, his previously calm expression crumbled, his face crestfallen. He was a noble scion who had prided himself on his extraordinary intellect, but the tumultuous, merciless twists and turns of recent days had utterly shattered his confidence. Although he had grown somewhat through this ordeal, that deep-rooted confidence was gone. He wasn't even sure if the trade-off was a loss or a gain.

"What are you afraid of!" Chen Pingchuan suddenly roared, pounding Liu Haofeng on the left shoulder.

Liu Haofeng winced in pain but dared not utter a single word of complaint. Oddly enough, the pain actually calmed his frantic heart. For some reason, as long as Chen Pingchuan was by his side, he felt a peculiar sense of security. It was as if Chen Pingchuan could carve a path to survival even if the sky were to fall and the earth to crack open.

As they drew closer, the violent din of the battlefield became ever more distinct. Gorzo, who had been joyfully speeding along and savoring the thrill, also noticed the disturbance ahead. He slowly brought the car to a halt, gently set it down, and his previously relaxed expression turned grim. His gaze locked onto the slaughterhouse of a battlefield before them. By his estimation, the Black Demon's Nest would arrive here in no more than ten minutes.

"Chen... Brother Chen, what should we do now?" Gorzo had started to call him by his full name but swallowed the words. After a moment's hesitation, he opted for the more respectful address. After all, he would be relying on this man for the foreseeable future.

Hearing this, Chen Pingchuan couldn't help but freeze, his pupils dilating. He instinctively raised a hand to his cheek. I don't have any wrinkles. Do I really look that old? This old fella is calling me Brother Chen. Oh, whatever. It's not like I can beat him in a fight.

Chen Pingchuan shook his head helplessly, deciding to set the issue of the title aside. The priority was to resolve the crisis at hand.

Not far from them, an elderly man glared furiously at a young man, his eyes looking as if they could spit fire.

"Make him scram!" the old man bellowed. "Thinking he can covet my treasure is sheer delusion. Even if all his men die, this thing cannot be touched! It's reserved for the mission, don't you understand?" His voice was as loud as a great bell, making the very air around them tremble.

"Shi Wuhua, have you cast the teachings of the Holy Sect from your mind?!" the old man's voice rose again, exploding like a thunderclap.

"I haven't forgotten!" Shi Wuhua replied, his head lowered and his voice subdued.

"Then recite the thirty-first rule for me. What is the second line?" the old man pressed, his imposing presence like the weight of Mount Tai.

"All followers of our Holy Sect willingly die for the sacred words. If they disobey, the heavens..." Shi Wuhua's voice trailed off as if all his strength had been drained.

"The heavens what?" the old man's roar threatened to shatter their eardrums.

"Will smite them, and the earth will condemn them to the eternal abyss!" Shi Wuhua forced out the words, his entire spirit seemingly sucked away, leaving him limp.

He could dissuade neither the man in the black robe nor this stubborn old uncle of his. He despaired at his own powerlessness.

Just as he was burning with anxiety, not knowing what to do, he detected a faint movement behind the convoy. He whipped his head around, his gaze sharp as a razor, and saw three oddly dressed figures. Two were boys in high school uniforms, and one was...

Shi Wuhua swiftly drew a pistol from his right hip. The dark muzzle gleamed with a cold metallic light under the sun as he aimed it steadily at the trio. As his eyes swept over Gorzo's attire, he felt a jolt. The clothes were identical to those worn by the group their men were currently locked in a bloody struggle with.

"Don't move! Hands up! Who are you?" he demanded, his voice trembling slightly despite his effort to sound calm. "Why are you behind us? And are you with those people up front?"

"Young man, that's a lot of questions!" Gorzo said, spreading his hands helplessly. He looked like an innocent bystander giving up. "I don't even know which one to answer first."

The instant Shi Wuhua's attention wavered and his nerves relaxed even slightly, Gorzo's figure flickered and then vanished as if he were a ghost.

Next, Shi Wuhua felt an irresistible force clamp around his neck, like invisible iron pincers. His face instantly flushed with blood as he was effortlessly lifted off his feet. The gun was ripped from his hand with overwhelming force.

"I've always hated having a gun pointed at me," Gorzo said. Since deciding to follow Chen Pingchuan, he had mostly stopped hiding his true strength.

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