You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

The dual-wielder screamed in agony as half of his body went numb instantly.

Just as Chen Yang was about to finish him off with a sword strike, the scarred leader pounced wildly, his spear aimed at Chen Yang's back with a suicidal intent! Chen Yang had no choice but to parry with his sword, and at the same time kicked the heavily wounded double-swordsman into the oncoming group of black-clad soldiers.

"Cover me! Stop him!"

The double-swordsman roared, and was caught by several of his men, tumbling and crawling as he fled backward.

The scarred leader and Chen Yang clashed again, but he was outnumbered and his soldiers were too terrified by Chen Yang's sudden killing spree to get too close, causing his offensive to falter.

Chen Yang fought with increasing ferocity. Although he was still suffering from internal injuries, his momentum was unstoppable, and he quickly added several more wounds to the scarred leader.

The scarred leader knew that the situation was hopeless and that he would surely die if the fight continued.

He feinted with his spear, forcing Chen Yang back, and shouted sternly at his men.

"Hold him off!"

Then, without hesitation, he turned around and fled for his life into the depths of the mountains!

Seeing that their leader had fled, the remaining soldiers in black lost all will to fight. They let out a shout, threw down their weapons, and scattered in all directions.

Chen Yang did not pursue the scarred leader, knowing that he was also in poor condition and that one should not pursue a desperate enemy.

He quickly dealt with a few slow-moving guys who were trying to snipe him, then immediately sat cross-legged on a large rock by the river, swallowed some pills, and circulated his internal energy to recover some of his strength as soon as possible.

He knew that the fighting on the other side of the highway was probably even fiercer.

About half an hour later, Chen Yang felt that he had recovered 20-30% of his strength. He dared not delay any longer, so he immediately got up and sped off towards the highway.

As he approached the highway, he could hear the sounds of intense gunfire and explosions from afar, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood.

The highway was a scene of devastation, with several trucks burning fiercely. Special Administration soldiers, relying on the wrecked vehicles and terrain, were fighting desperately against the overwhelming number of men in black. However, the defensive line was already on the verge of collapse, and soldiers were falling one after another.

Huang Zhenren and Liu Yu were each surrounded and attacked by several black-clad "Awakened Ones" and a large number of ordinary soldiers. Their Taoist robes and skirts were stained with blood, indicating that they had been fighting hard for a long time and were in great danger.

The Luanhuang and Luanfeng stood back to back, separated and surrounded by the enemy, while Qiuniu, like a furious lion, charged left and right among the enemy, but was also covered in wounds and roared repeatedly.

Jiang He was in the most critical situation. He was surrounded by five powerful and well-coordinated "Awakeners". His armor was torn in many places and blood was coming from the corner of his mouth. He could barely hold on.

Chen Yang's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he immediately charged into the battle.

He first saw that Huang Zhenren was in the most critical situation. The old Taoist was surrounded by three people, and a sinister energy spike was silently piercing towards his back.

Without hesitation, Chen Yang raised his hand and unleashed a palm strike that he had been preparing for a long time!
"boom!"

A burst of lightning erupted, and the attacker screamed in agony as he collapsed, his body charred black.

Chen Yang, like a tiger among sheep, wielded his Xuan Sword and instantly relieved Huang Zhenren's siege.

"Head!"

Master Huang was overjoyed.

"Go quickly and help Elder Liu!"

Chen Yang let out a low shout and, without stopping, pounced towards the Luanhuang sisters again.

His swordsmanship was fierce and his speed was incredibly fast. He specifically targeted the weaknesses of the attackers and quickly helped the two sisters fight their way out so that they could reunite.

"Sect Leader Chen!"

Luanfeng exclaimed with delight.

"Go and support Qiuniu and Minister Jiang!"

Chen Yang spoke very quickly, while he headed straight for the river, which was under the most intense siege.

Jiang He was now at his limit, and facing the siege of five formidable "Awakeners," he was only holding on with his rich experience and ruthless determination.

Chen Yang's arrival was like sending charcoal in snowy weather!

With a single sword strike, he forced back the two men in front of him and blocked a slash from the side for Jiang He. With their backs to each other, the pressure on them was greatly reduced.

"Commander Chen! Thank you!"

Jiang He was panting heavily, his face a mixture of blood and sweat.

"Take care of them first!"

Chen Yang's eyes were icy, and his Xuan Sword was pointed at the enemy.

With Chen Yang sharing the burden, Jiang He's spirits lifted. Although their teamwork was still a bit rusty, their strength and combat experience were formidable.

Meanwhile, Huang Zhenren and Liu Yu reunited, and the Luanhuang sisters reunited with Qiuniu. They gradually stabilized their position and began to launch a counterattack.

Seeing that the situation was not good and that their companions in other directions were beginning to collapse, one of the five "Awakened Ones" who were besieging Jiang He gave a whistle. The five of them stopped fighting and made a few feints to force Chen Yang and Jiang He away. They then turned around and retreated quickly into the mountains and forests without any intention of fighting!
With their leader gone, the remaining black-clad soldiers collapsed like a house of cards, abandoning their armor and fleeing in disarray. The Special Administration Bureau's soldiers, their morale soaring, pressed their advantage, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy.

The fighting gradually subsided.

The highway was littered with burning vehicle wreckage, corpses and wounded from both sides—a truly horrific scene.

Jiang He plopped down on the ground, panting heavily, but his face showed little joy. Qiu Niu, Luan Huang, and the others also gathered around, all of them injured and looking exhausted.

Chen Yang sheathed his Xuan Sword, walked up to Jiang He, and frowned as he looked at the burning trucks.

"Minister Jiang, this time... the losses are considerable."

Those supplies…

Jiang He wiped the blood and sweat from his face and gave a bitter smile.

"Chen Shuai, to be honest, most of what's loaded on these trucks... is counterfeit goods to cover up the truth, or less important scraps."

"what?"

Chen Yang was taken aback, and Huang Zhenren and Liu Yu beside him also cast surprised glances.

Jiang He caught his breath and explained.

"After yesterday's operation, we anticipated that the men in black might retaliate and ambush us on the way."

Therefore, the real core research data, valuable samples, and key equipment were secretly transported away in advance by an elite team through another, more covert channel shortly after we returned to camp.

These vehicles and the main force were, on one hand, transporting some minor items, and on the other hand... they were also deliberately set up as bait to see if the men in black would take the bait. If they could turn on them or find out the movements of their remaining forces, that would be even better.

Qiuniu added in a muffled voice, his face showing lingering fear.

"I just didn't expect... that the forces they sent were so strong and so well-prepared, even using special weapons to suppress our spiritual energy on a large scale. If it weren't for Sect Master Chen and you being here, our bait this time... would probably have truly become 'dead bait,' and the losses would have been much greater than they are now!"

Luanhuang nodded, her tone complex.

"Sect Leader Chen, we really owe you a lot this time. Our original plan was indeed a bit... overconfident."

Jiang He looked at Chen Yang and said sincerely.

"Commander Chen, we were careless this time, and... we did indeed conceal something from you, I apologize. But please understand, the transfer of these core technologies is top secret, the fewer people who know about it, the better, including allies."

However, your Qingwei faction has made outstanding contributions in this operation, and our Special Administration Bureau will never renege on your share of the benefits and future cooperation.

Chen Yang listened quietly, his face expressionless, and simply nodded.

"Minister Jiang, you flatter me. All's fair in war, I understand. Since we are allies, it's only right that we help each other. But... it seems the men in black are taking meticulous care of us, even developing weapons specifically designed to counter cultivators. We all need to be extra careful from now on."

Jiang He sighed.

"Yes, they are ahead of the curve in this area of ​​research."

This kind of suppressive weapon can greatly weaken the strength of our cultivators and superhumans who rely on spiritual energy in combat; it's very troublesome. We must accelerate our research."

Chen Yang glanced at the dilapidated convoy and the exhausted crowd, and said.

"The car is wrecked, and the road is not safe either. Minister Jiang, what are your plans for the aftermath?"

Rivers and waterways.

"We have contacted the nearest support point, and helicopters and vehicles will be there soon to pick up the wounded and the remaining personnel."

Commander Chen, you guys…

Chen Yang waved his hand.

"We won't wait for backup."

This place isn't too far from our Qingwei Sect's location; we can simply fly back.

Farewell, Minister Jiang, everyone, take care.

Upon hearing this, Jiang He and the others did not try to persuade him to stay any longer, and they all clasped their hands in a fist salute.

"Take care, Sect Leader Chen! Until we meet again!"

Chen Yang gestured to Master Huang and Liu Yu, and the three of them said no more. They each activated their magical artifacts, transformed into three streams of light, soared into the sky, and quickly disappeared into the horizon.

In the void, Master Huang glanced back at the Special Administration Bureau personnel cleaning up the mess on the highway below and couldn't help but snort.

"Sect Leader, look at what they've done! Twice now! They've kept our core intelligence from us, and this time they're using us as bait! If we weren't lucky and strong, we might have perished here!"
This is not what allies should be doing.

Liu Yu also looked displeased, her tone cold.

"Elder Huang is right. Cooperation requires honesty. Although their actions can be understood as being for secrecy and greater benefits, they are truly disheartening. Our Qingwei Sect has given almost all its strength to help us this time, only to be treated like this in return."

Chen Yang flew on his sword, looking ahead with a calm expression, but a hint of coldness flashed deep in his eyes.

He said slowly.

"Elder Huang, Elder Liu, remember this: in this world, there are never permanent friends, only permanent interests. This applies to the Special Administration Bureau, and it will apply to our Qingwei Sect in the future as well."

They can keep their own development a secret from us, and we can naturally do the same for our own survival and development, perhaps even… going our own way.

Master Huang's eyes lit up.

"What the sect leader means is..."

"Yes."

Chen Yang's tone was firm.

"The 'Hidden Dragon Project' we discussed in the car earlier must be pushed forward immediately and with all our might! There can be no more delays! Weapons and equipment, gene serums, even that technology that suppresses spiritual energy... we must research and master them all!"

We cannot pin our hopes on whether others will keep their promises. The tide of the new era has arrived; if you can't keep up, you will only be eliminated, or forever remain a pawn in someone else's game!

Liu Yu nodded emphatically.

"What the sect leader says is absolutely right. After I return, I will immediately contact True Monarch Xuan Shui and overseas channels with all my might, and at the same time begin the secret site selection and preliminary preparations."

This time, we will let everyone know that the Qingwei Sect is no ordinary sect!

Master Huang stroked his beard excitedly.

"That's right! Let's do it ourselves! Once we have those powerful gadgets, let's see who dares to look down on our Qingwei Sect! Sect Leader, let's hurry back now, I can't wait to contact Xuan Shui and the others!"

"Okay! Speed ​​things up!"

Chen Yang gave a low shout, and the three streaks of light suddenly accelerated, streaking across the sky like comets, speeding towards the Qingwei Sect, leaving the highway below, which had just experienced a bloody battle and was still filled with the smoke of gunpowder, far behind.

The initial warmth they felt from fighting side-by-side had been replaced by pragmatic calculations and a pressing sense of crisis, leaving only one crystal-clear thought—self-reliance! Self-improvement!

……

On the highway below, Qiuniu looked in the direction where Chen Yang and the other two had disappeared, scratched his head, and whispered to Jiang He.

"Minister Jiang, this time...aren't we being a bit unfair? Judging from Sect Leader Chen's expression at the end, although he didn't say anything, he was definitely unhappy. We didn't tell them the truth from the beginning, and now..."

Upon hearing this, Luanhuang raised an eyebrow and interrupted in a cool tone.

"Warfare is based on deception. We are doing this to protect our core achievements to the greatest extent and reduce unnecessary risks. Should we reveal all our cards to our allies? If it were them, would they be so open with us?"

Luanfeng nodded in agreement.

"Sister is right. Cooperation is one thing, but each of us should keep our own fundamentals and secrets in our own hands."

This is a matter of course, and there's nothing to criticize about it.

Master Chen is a smart man; he should be able to understand.

Jiang He looked at the burning truck wreckage in the distance, then at his wounded and injured subordinates around him, and sighed.

"I understand, but I definitely still have some reservations."

However... just as Luanhuang said, if he were in our position, he would probably make the same choice.

In the end, this world is all about strength.

As long as we have sufficient strength and value, this alliance will not fall apart.

He has now offended almost half of the conservative forces in the cultivation world, and has also made a blood feud with families like the Wang family. For the time being, he has no better option than to cooperate with us.

Qiuniu opened its mouth as if it wanted to say something, but in the end it only let out a sigh.

"I hope so. I just feel... that Sect Leader Chen is actually quite compatible with me."

This time, we definitely outmaneuvered him first.

Jiang He patted Qiu Niu on the shoulder.

"Old Niu, I understand what you're thinking. But in our position, sometimes we can't just let feelings take their course. Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Quickly take stock of the casualties, treat the wounded, and the reinforcements should be arriving soon."

By the way, where is that batch of 'genuine' goods now? Are they safe?

Luanhuang immediately checked the encrypted communicator and reported.

"Minister Jiang, we just received a timely report from the 'Hidden Dragon' team. They have safely passed through the third transit station and are expected to arrive at the headquarters' secret research institute six hours ahead of schedule. Everything is going smoothly."

Jiang He nodded, a relieved, tired smile appearing on his face.

"That's good... At least the most important thing was saved."

Although the losses were considerable, it was... worth it. Let's pack up and prepare to evacuate.

He raised his head and looked again at the horizon where Chen Yang and the others had departed. It was now empty, save for a few wisps of cloud scattered by the high-altitude winds. (End of Chapter)