Shackles of Humanity

Gunshots still echoed throughout the city, where large numbers of men in black were locked in a desperate struggle. They were from the Military Punishment Department and the Nanzhao Kingdom’s Secret Service Bureau. While the days belonged to the regular armies, the nights were the domain of special operatives like them.

This was the scene that greeted Luo Kai and the others when they climbed to the top of the wall.

"Boss, what do we do? Ironwood Castle is finished. Shouldn’t we be finding a way to get out of here?"

Gao Gang pondered for a moment before saying, "The city hasn’t fallen yet, so we can’t leave. Old Gu, go protect Sister Hong. The rest of us will help the Military Punishment Department clean up these Nanzhao Kingdom secret agents."

"Okay." Old Gu stretched his body lightly. His presence suddenly became faint, almost nonexistent, as he dropped to all fours and disappeared into the Darkness like a panther stalking its prey.

The sniper, Gu Ming, looked around, found a watchtower that hadn’t completely collapsed, and climbed up.

Black Bear flashed a cruel smile, drew the two short knives from his waist, and charged toward the sounds of fighting.

"You damn bear, wait for me!" Ah Shan cursed, then followed him.

Only Gao Gang and Luo Kai remained. Gao Gang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Xiaoluo, you stay with Gu Ming. He’s a sniper, so he’ll easily draw the enemy’s attention."

Luo Kai understood what Gao Gang was implying: ’Don’t leave Gu Ming’s firing range.’ He didn’t say anything, just nodded. "Okay."

"Be careful, then." Gao Gang raised the assault rifle at his chest, stomped his foot, and shot forward like an arrow released from its bow, vanishing in an instant.

’Holy cow, the captain is the one who’s truly hiding his strength,’ Luo Kai thought, secretly amazed. He glanced around and quieted his mind to listen for any activity. Of course, he didn’t need anyone’s protection. He headed directly for the most intense part of the battle.

Facing battle once again, Luo Kai’s heart began to race uncontrollably. In the past, Qi and Blood Surge had been his ace in the hole, something he dared not use lightly because of the period of weakness that followed. Now, however, Qi and Blood Surge had become instinctual, always in a state of slight activation. Although intense combat still left him weak, he could recover quickly. It showed that his body had adapted to the bursts of the Qi and Blood Surge. Injury, it seemed, was the best way to temper the body.

Ahead, seven men in black were fighting. Although they were all dressed in black with their faces covered, subtle details distinguished friend from foe. The men from the Military Punishment Department had a winged horse insignia embroidered on their chests, while those from the Nanzhao Kingdom’s Secret Service Bureau had a small flower. There were three from the Military Punishment Department and four from the Secret Service Bureau.

Many soldiers were hiding behind cover, not daring to emerge. Although Ironwood Castle hadn’t fallen, the agents of the Secret Service Bureau were moving through it as if it were an uncontested land.

Judging by their combat skills and reaction speeds, all seven were Martial Artists. Some wielded guns, others cold weapons. They darted swiftly through the buildings, coordinating and providing cover for one another while using deadly moves to try and eliminate their opponents.

This was the first time Luo Kai had witnessed a small-scale clash between Martial Artists. The marksmanship of those with guns was simply divine. The bullets they fired seemed to be guided by their consciousness, capable of flying in incredible arcs and even spinning around corners.

Those with cold weapons were like masters from a martial arts film. Not only were their movements as fast as lightning, but some could even leap seven or eight meters into the air. While airborne, they would flip and twist, dodging bullets while drawing their own guns to return fire. The moment they landed, they would switch back to their cold weapons and attack from all sorts of unbelievable angles.

The battle before him was astounding, like a crossover between a wuxia and a sci-fi movie. It was an absolute spectacle. Luo Kai was dumbfounded. ’Holy shit, they’re on another level!’

From the looks of it, the men from the Military Punishment Department, despite all being wounded, were still fighting with incredible ferocity. They had forced the four opponents onto the defensive and were actually holding the advantage. But such aggression couldn’t be sustained. The moment their offensive weakened would be when their enemies struck back.

Luo Kai hid behind a collapsed wall, watching with fascination. He kept putting himself in the shoes of one of the combatants, simulating how he would handle each situation.

Soon, the tables turned. One of the men from the Military Punishment Department stumbled, his movements and reaction speed slowing noticeably. Their sharp offensive instantly crumbled. It was now the Secret Service Bureau’s turn to attack. This was no longer a stalemate, but a hunt. Their counterattack was merciless. The most heavily injured man from the Military Punishment Department failed to dodge in time and took a bullet to the head. The force was so immense it blew half his head off.

Luo Kai finally snapped back to reality. He hastily dropped the assault rifle from his chest. ’My marksmanship is a joke compared to theirs,’ he thought. ’Better not embarrass myself.’

He took a deep breath, letting the heartbeat he had been suppressing run free. His body swelled slightly, his chest heaving violently as the blood inside him roiled like a dragon. A massive amount of Energy, once bound within his organs, spread throughout his body. The slightest change in his surroundings was fed into his mind at high speed. Time itself seemed to slow down, and he could clearly track the trajectory of every bullet and every flash of a blade.

Crouching low, he suddenly charged into the fray. The WHOOSH of his fists cutting through the air followed, his body moving in perfect sync with them as he attacked one of the men in black.

The sudden appearance of an extra person startled both sides. One agent from the Secret Service Bureau immediately moved to intercept Luo Kai, while the others continued their pursuit.

This was a powerfully built man, wielding a Curved Saber about three feet long. He immediately swung it at Luo Kai.

Luo Kai’s momentum didn’t decrease in the slightest. He spun around the man like a top, his jab still aimed at his original target. He was going to take on two at once.

The targeted man heard the wind from the punch behind him. A look of annoyance flashed in his eyes as he turned and thrust with his sword.

At the same time, a saber chopped down from behind. A look of excitement appeared on Luo Kai’s face, the thrill of battle surging even more fiercely through his veins. He accelerated again. He didn’t have the ability to block blades with his bare flesh, but the ferocious Fist Power of his Mighty Dragon Fist was unstoppable.

With a thunderous roar, his arm suddenly shot out, doubling in length. Caught completely off guard, the targeted man could only retract his thrusting sword and turn it into a horizontal slash as he rapidly retreated.

Just then, Luo Kai’s elongated arm suddenly bent in mid-air, dodging the horizontal slash and striking the man in the chest. At full Power, this punch carried immense force, directly shattering the man’s sternum. The remaining impact pulverized his heart.

Luo Kai’s one-hit kill stunned everyone. The man with the saber behind him scrambled back a few steps in terror. Others might not know, but he knew his teammate’s strength. ’Could this guy who just rushed in be a High-level Martial Artist?’

The few fighters locked in combat up ahead noticed the situation behind them and hastily stopped, each warily taking a defensive stance.

"Mercenary?" Seeing Luo Kai’s attire, one of the men in black from the Secret Service Bureau asked in a raspy, aged voice.

Luo Kai didn’t answer. The battle had already stirred his killing intent. He turned to attack the saber-wielding man, but the moment he moved, the ZING of bullets cutting through the air forced him to dodge to the side.

The agents who had been attacking the men from the Military Punishment Department all turned back and began to surround Luo Kai instead.

A look of excitement appeared in the eyes of the two remaining men from the Military Punishment Department. They knew powerful reinforcements had arrived and naturally wouldn’t let the enemy surround their ally. They also turned back and rejoined the fray.

The battle flared up again. Luo Kai was the enemy’s primary target. Two men closed in on him, while the remaining marksmanship expert also focused on him. The men from the Military Punishment Department were all seriously injured and severely weakened from the prolonged battle, unable to take any pressure off him. In effect, Luo Kai had to face the combined assault of three masters of Body Techniques alone. Once again, he had the feeling of walking on the edge of life and death.

’He had only been able to kill that one person instantly because he’d caught them completely off guard. In a real fight, he wouldn’t be able to finish them so quickly. He wasn’t afraid of a one-on-one fight, or even a one-on-two. But one-on-three, he was completely outmatched. This was especially true for the one with the Dog-Leg Saber; his reaction speed and Power were in no way inferior to Luo Kai’s own when he went all out.’

’Besides, he could only exert sixty to seventy percent of his peak Power right now, relying entirely on the explosive Qi and Blood Circulation to maintain his combat effectiveness.’

’He didn’t even have a proper weapon. A body of flesh and blood could hardly contend with blades.’

The situation grew more and more dangerous. Luo Kai could only respond by endlessly increasing the speed of his Qi and Blood Circulation. His heart beat faster and faster. Soon, his Qi and Blood Circulation reached a critical point. His blood suddenly became scorching hot. A boundless, searing heat filled his body, and even his soul. It was as if he had returned to that one night... His qi and blood began to burn once again.

Above Ironwood Castle, a gray mist that had previously dissipated began to rise again. The Evil Qi, saturated with the resentment of the dead, seemed to have been awakened by some force. Wisps of gray mist emerged from within the collapsed buildings, from beneath the ground, from the sky... from any place where Living Creatures had once perished.

Countless Living Creatures had died in this War Fortress over the years. Now, finally, a certain frequency had resonated with them. They vied to convey their unwillingness and resentment, and more than that, they wanted to drag the living back to Heaven and Earth with them.

The gray mist in the sky thickened like clouds. An aura representing Destruction and death completely enveloped Ironwood Castle. Everyone’s skin began to tingle, their muscles and bones felt weak, and their Heart Spirits were filled with boundless Fear.

Hongyun stood in a corner, enveloped in a clear current of water that surrounded her like an eggshell. Beside her, Ah Hu had already collapsed limply to the ground. Gu Shun, his head covered in cold sweat, looked around in a daze.

"Sister Hong, what’s happening?"

"An Evil Demon. Someone has achieved resonance with the Evil Qi!" Hongyun’s face was flushed. Her gaze toward the sky was a mixture of fear and excitement. Although she couldn’t see the gray mist in the sky, she could feel the boundless resentment gathering madly.

Gu Shun said in alarm, "Evil Qi? People can use that stuff?"

"Yes. Evil Qi is a formidable Power that exists outside of the Five Elements. A person who achieves resonance with it can be called an Evil Demon!"