Liu Haofeng's voice was filled with terror and urgency, as if some monster was chasing him from behind.

A monster! Chasing him!

Chen Pingchuan's heart jolted. He whipped his head around to look behind them. As he watched, the Black Demon tide, seemingly devouring the very earth, appeared just a few hundred meters behind the tactical squad.

"Shit, run!" Chen Pingchuan growled. He dropped all pretense of stealth, rushing behind the giant shield to join Gelieza. Together, they pushed forward through the rain of bullets.

In fact, the resistance was not as heavy as they had expected. The Black Skull gang members couldn't act in unison; the ones who fled first had already thrown the rearguard's formation into disarray. As a result, Chen Pingchuan's three-man squad faced no suppressing fire during their surprise assault.

He abandoned the cover of the giant shield entirely, dashing forward several strides to the enemy's position. The few lackeys left behind on the battlefield had ashen faces, their hearts filled with terror as they wondered what fate awaited them.

However, Chen Pingchuan didn't stop. His figure flashed past, followed by a fierce gust of wind that sent several Black Skull Soldiers hiding behind vehicle cover tumbling.

Gelieza, holding a battle shield in his left hand and carrying Liu Haofeng in his right, followed close behind Chen Pingchuan like a shadow. His massive physique and terrifying presence struck fear into the hearts of the surrounding Black Skull Soldiers.

Despair once again enveloped these unlucky few. Gelieza, just like Chen Pingchuan, didn't spare them a single glance as he sprinted forward relentlessly.

Just as the abandoned men breathed a sigh of relief, they realized something was terribly wrong. The tactical squad members who had been fighting them suddenly stopped shooting and scrambled back into their vehicles. Disregarding the treacherous conditions of the ditches lining the highway, they drove straight off the road, plunging into the rugged, uneven terrain.

The abandoned Black Skull Soldiers looked down the highway, their pupils constricting in terror so profound it felt as if their souls were about to leave their bodies.

"The... the... the Black Demon tide! It's here!"

Of the three factions on the battlefield, two had already sensed that something was amiss. As the leader of the squad closest to the Black Demon tide, Li Huainan was naturally the first to realize the danger.

When he saw Chen Pingchuan's trio fleeing madly through the rain of bullets, he knew the situation had turned dire. He whipped his head around, and the ink-black Black Demon tide filled his vision.

He reacted with extreme speed, immediately ordering his subordinates to retreat.

However, the main road had been blocked by the Black Skull gang's abandoned vehicles, making escape along the highway impossible.

Time was tight. Left with no other choice, Li Huainan gave the order for every man for himself. This led to the chaotic scene of vehicles driving off the highway and scattering in all directions.

Unfortunately, the dirt roads on the sides were bumpy and overgrown with weeds. Some of the vehicles' fuel tanks were even punctured by stones kicked up by their wheels.

Li Huainan had no time to worry about the unlucky ones. After giving the order, he sprinted toward the missile truck where Shi Wuhua and the stubborn old man were. Before he even reached them, he heard Shi Wuhua's familiar shout.

"Second Uncle, hurry up! If we don't go now, it will be too late!"

"Go? How can we? Don't you know this missile truck can't handle bumps?" he retorted. "It'll explode! When that happens, it won't just be you and me—everyone will die!"

The little old man known as Second Uncle took out a crumpled, hand-rolled cigarette from somewhere. He flicked his finger, and a small flame sparked to life on his fingertip, lighting the end. A wisp of white smoke curled upward.

The old man took a deep drag, then exhaled a small, perfect smoke ring.

"Little Shi Dan, you need to go. Now!" the old man said. He waved a dismissive hand. "I'm old. I've got nothing left to live for, so if I die, I die. Go on, get out of here." He didn't care whether Shi Wuhua would listen; he had made his intentions clear.

Shi Wuhua stomped his foot in frustration. He had already spent ages trying to persuade the stubborn old man, but nothing he said could change his mind. It was as if Second Uncle had long been prepared for death.

In the few minutes of their standoff, the Black Demon tide had closed to within a few hundred meters.

In the stark sunlight, Shi Wuhua could clearly see the abandoned vehicles in the distance being crushed under the feet of several giant Black Demons.

Though he had hunted Black Demons before, he had never experienced a visual impact as shocking as this.

The horde of Black Demons was terrifyingly fierce. They had gigantic bodies covered in shiny black exoskeletons. Their six legs were as sharp as alloy blades, and venomous, scorpion-like tails rose up behind them. Higher up, pairs of blood-red eyes glinted with cruelty. Beyond their probing mandibles, their gaping maws were filled with rows of menacing teeth.

We're doomed! The thought surfaced in Shi Wuhua's mind.

At this critical moment, Li Huainan arrived just in time.

He glanced at the calm old man, Lai Hongbo. Beneath that placid exterior, Li Huainan sharply sensed a resolute will to die.

When Shi Wuhua saw Li Huainan appear, a look of joy flashed across his tense face. He shouted anxiously, "Uncle Huainan, you're here! This is great! Please, talk to Second Uncle! He refuses to leave with me!"

Li Huainan raised a hand, gesturing for silence. After Shi Wuhua quieted down, he calmly gazed at Lai Hongbo and asked softly, "Have you made your decision?"

Lai Hongbo seemed not to have heard, not responding to the question directly. Instead, he said, "Remember to come back for it. You still need it to complete your mission.

"You know my situation. I don't need to explain."

Li Huainan paused for a moment before saying softly, "Alright, I understand. I'll take good care of Wuhua."

"That's good. Little Shi Dan is still young and has a long road ahead of him. You have to guide him well. Don't let him repeat our mistakes." Lai Hongbo's gaze held a mix of affection and reluctance.

"Uncle, you..." Shi Wuhua stared at Li Huainan in shock, unable to believe his ears. Does Uncle Huainan mean he's giving up on Second Uncle?

"No time for explanations. Let's go," Li Huainan's voice was low and decisive.

"No! If Second Uncle isn't going, then I'm not going either!" Shi Wuhua jutted his chin out, the very picture of a stubborn youth.

Unfortunately for him, he was facing the decisive, black-cloaked Li Huainan.

The moment Shi Wuhua voiced his refusal, Li Huainan flashed into motion. A swift, precise hand-chop landed on Shi Wuhua's neck. Before he could even react, his vision went black and he fainted.

The next second, Li Huainan gave Lai Hongbo a slight nod. He then hoisted the unconscious Shi Wuhua onto his shoulder and shot down the highway like an arrow loosed from a bow.

By now, the Black Demons were closing in on the missile truck. Lai Hongbo took another deep drag from his cigarette, slowly exhaling a smoke ring as he mumbled to himself.

"Old friends, I'm coming to join you.

"Little Shi Dan, this might be the last thing your Second Uncle can do for you."

Then, his gaze turned resolute. He firmly pressed the launch buttons for the three small missile launchers.

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