Chapter 317

Chapter 317: Chapter 316 After fending off the giant python, Luo Weike had unwittingly stirred up major trouble. The Blood Python known for its strong vengeful nature and ferociousness had been hit so hard on the head by Luo Weike that it was almost crushed, and stabbed in its vital seven inches. It was definitely not going to survive. Now, they might have to face the revenge of the mother Blood Python. They had to be cautious as the mere thought of battling such a massive, bucket-thick python was terrifying, let alone the actual fight, and the one Luo Weike had driven away wasn’t even one of the larger ones.

"Brother, are you alright? How are you?" Cang Lang supported the man who had almost been swallowed by the giant snake. Noticing the Chinese Special Soldier insignia on his uniform, he asked anxiously. It was certain that this brother was beyond saving, with his intestines ruptured and a large bite on his throat that kept bleeding out.

"Quick, go and save... save Captain Li Wang..."

After uttering these words, the special soldier brother died, collapsing where he stood. He must have held on until this moment, just to deliver this message to Cang Lang and the others.

Cang Lang frowned and placed the brother’s body to the side. He had intended to bury him, but was stopped by a remark from Ye Tianchen.

"Don’t bother burying him. The wild beasts will just dig him up and eat him later!"

During his time on Apocalypse Star, as a Peak Expert with a Divine-level superpower, Ye Tianchen had seen many mutants and demon beasts, and even Great Demons that evolved from wild animals. He had come across primitive wild beasts like the Blood Python before, but of course, the Blood Pythons they were encountering now could not possibly be as powerful as those on Apocalypse Star; they were merely driven by their primal animal instincts and not nearly as formidable. Otherwise, just the giant python from earlier would have been enough for a challenging fight against Cang Lang, Ye Tianchen, and Luo Weike.

In the battle within the Original Forest, especially under such dangerous circumstances, it wasn’t that people were heartless, but that you simply couldn’t afford to care for a dead person, let alone the bodies of your loved ones. Because the moment you get distracted, you might be the next one to die, and then everything would be over.

"Let’s go. We need to find them as quickly as possible!" Cang Lang said, leaving the special soldier’s body behind and moving forward.

As they proceeded, Cang Lang gave Ye Tianchen a brief overview of the situation. Li Wang was the leader of this group of special soldiers at the border. He was once part of the Heavenly Gang, though only at the Basic-level Heavenly Gang War General. The ranks of Heavenly Gang War Generals also included Basic, Intermediate, and the king-level Heavenly Gang War Generals. Even so, just being a Basic-level Heavenly Gang War General like Li Wang was enough to command a group of special soldiers. The weight of the title Heavenly Gang alone indicated its significance.

If one were to speak of Hei Mian, he would be considered an Intermediate-level Heavenly Gang War General, not yet having reached the realm of a king. This was precisely why Ye Tianchen was interested in Heavenly Gang War Generals—he would definitely seize the opportunity to challenge the levels of Heavenly Gang if he could.

"What I find strange is, why would Li Wang lead people deep into the Black Mist Forest? Didn’t the higher-ups already order him not to act rashly?" Cang Lang couldn’t help frowning as he spoke.

In Cang Lang’s view, as the team leader of this group of special soldiers stationed at the border, Li Wang knew to follow orders and hardly ever disobeyed his superiors. Yet, this was an unusual case where he had entered the Black Mist Forest with his soldiers without authorization, indicating something was amiss.

"It looks like trouble has occurred, or perhaps the enemy deliberately lured him, forcing Li Wang to act without reporting to his superiors," Luo Weike frowned and said.

The situation was growing increasingly serious and complex, unexpected by all. This time, the enemy appeared to be strong and well-prepared. With over twenty elite special soldiers including Han Jie disappearing, they knew that China would inevitably send a rescue team. In the meantime, the enemies were continuously eliminating those who came to the rescue. This was more than just stirring trouble; it was a deliberate attempt to weaken the power of China’s border forces, with a very clear motive.

The matters concerning borders have always been complicated, with war a constant presence because it is where one country meets another, where many illegal and invasive activities unfold. This time, it was evident that someone was deliberately targeting China, aiming to strike at the power at its borders. Regardless, once word got out, it would greatly diminish China’s international influence and prestige, resulting in damaging repercussions.

"It shouldn’t be too far. To the left, I can sense the faint presence of human energy!" Ye Tianchen had already extended his Superpower Perception and was no longer concerned about conserving strength. The battle could likely break out at any moment.

"Let’s head over there!" Cang Lang said gravely.

Ye Tianchen, Cang Lang, and Luo Weike were all top-notch experts, and despite it being night, they had flashlights, bright moonlight, and each person’s acute Perception. Hence, there were hardly any inconveniences in their movement, and they quickly arrived at the location detected by Ye Tianchen.

When Ye Tianchen and the other two arrived at the clearing, they couldn’t help but inhale sharply and furrow their brows. They saw the bodies of seven or eight special forces soldiers, all beheaded, their heads separated from their bodies in an exceptionally cruel manner. Next to them, pinned to a large tree by a broadsword, was another special forces soldier; his chest had been ruthlessly pierced through, even the tree itself was penetrated, and blood flowed down the trunk, as he was left to bleed to death.

"He still has breath..." As Ye Tianchen spoke, he gently placed his right hand on the chest of the special forces soldier and slowly infused some superpower into him. This was not a healing system superpower skill, but merely to prevent the wound from worsening and the blood from clotting temporarily.

"It’s Ah Tai, he is Li Wang’s subordinate, the vice-captain. He almost broke through to the Heavenly Gang level but failed at the final gate. However, Li Wang highly valued him and believed that in a year or two, Ah Tai would certainly become a Heavenly Gang level expert. That’s why he took him under his wing!" Luo Weike recognized the special forces soldier and couldn’t help but speak with a sense of loss.

Ye Tianchen knew well what this meant: Ah Tai, who had once nearly become a Heavenly Gang War General and would surely have reached that level in a few years due to his strong abilities, had been brutally nailed to a tree, left to bleed out and die. Their adversary was very powerful, powerfully so to a nearly perverse degree.

"Cough cough... puh..."

Ah Tai opened his eyes, trying to speak, but suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Ye Tianchen hurriedly covered his chest wound and said, "We want to get information to go rescue people. Don’t rush, speak slowly!"

Ah Tai took a glance at Ye Tianchen and inhaled deeply; he felt that his chances of survival were gone, that he was as good as dead. But as a soldier, the most important thing was to pass on information to the next person arriving on the scene. Only by doing so could he complete his mission and achieve his goal. This was no longer an era for individual heroes.

"The captain, he went in pursuit alone... You must hurry to back him up... back him up... We were ambushed here... by experts of the Beichen Sword School... very strong... very strong..." With his entire body trembling, Ah Tai strained to say these words.

One can only imagine the immense pain of having a broadsword pierce through their chest and blood gushing out, while also mustering the strength to overcome the fear of death to speak. It was impressive. Ah Tai showcased the unwavering and steely resolve characteristic of a Chinese soldier.

"Why disobey orders and enter on your own?" Cang Lang frowned and asked. It wasn’t to assign blame, but to understand what had happened.

"The enemy... The enemy sent us the heads of ten comrades... Not one of us could bear it, so we went to pursue them... Who knew..." Ah Tai said with agonizing pain.

Cang Lang was stunned for a moment, then sighed. The bond with fellow soldiers was profound. If he had seen the heads of ten comrades sent by the enemy, he probably would have lost control and become enraged, wanting to kill every last one of them for revenge. No one could suppress such anger.

"I... puh!" Ah Tai reached his limit, unable to hold back any longer, he spat out another mouthful of blood and passed away.

Ye Tianchen supported Ah Tai’s body with his left hand while forcefully pulling out the broadsword with his right. It was covered in blood, bearing a distinct emblem that Ye Tianchen had seen before—it was the unique emblem of the broadswords used by the Beichen Sword School, which he encountered during the battle with Guitian Yilang.

Using his superpower perception, Ye Tianchen detected a very special energy on the broadsword, exceedingly powerful. Although it had almost dissipated, he could still sense some of it. The person who killed Ah Tai was extremely strong, as there were also some bodies of black-clothed men around Ah Tai, likely members of the Beichen Sword School. The individual who battled Ah Tai had to be one of the sword school’s top experts to be able to impale him on the tree with a single strike, which was astonishing.

"Brother, rest in peace. I admire your perseverance, so I will avenge you!" Ye Tianchen spoke with a smile, yet there was a hint of anger in his eyes. It was rare for him to be angry, even when killing someone he usually wore a harmless smile, but at this moment, he was truly enraged.

Boom thud!

When Ye Tianchen pulled out the broadsword, the tree behind Ah Tai also reached its limit, fully shattered by the force of the blow, and ready to collapse at the slightest touch.

"We must act quickly. I’m worried that Li Wang might also be in danger. The enemy is very strong and has clearly planned this well. Everyone, be careful!" Cang Lang also deeply furrowed his brows and said. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)