Under One Person: The Sea Emperor Who Shattered Heaven and Earth

Everyone was immediately terrified, screaming at the top of their lungs, their voices filled with disbelief and horror.

The moment Gong Qing saw the troops appear, his mind went completely blank. He had been infiltrating Longhu Mountain for so many years, knowing everything about its ins and outs; he simply couldn't understand why these regular troops would be here!

"Retreat! Retreat into the woods!" Gong Qing shouted through gritted teeth, leading the remaining men in a swift retreat. A branch struck his face, leaving a bloody welt, which he didn't even bother to wipe away.

The Quanxing members were all chilled to the bone. As they desperately fled through the forest, they couldn't help but hurl insults at Gong Qing, their leader.

"Gong Qing! I'll fucking kill you! You've brought your brothers here to their deaths!"

"If I manage to get down this mountain alive, you'll be the first one I kill! You're even more ruthless than those so-called righteous sects!"

Curses rose and fell between the gunshots, mingling with the groans of the wounded and the flapping of wings of startled birds in the woods.

Meanwhile, in the outer courtyard of the Celestial Master's Mansion, military off-road vehicles were parked all around, and a large number of soldiers with guns surrounded the entire courtyard.

Jiang Zhen sat steadily in a chair next to the stone table in the center of the courtyard.

The commander-in-chief of the troops was personally leading his men, standing solemnly beside Jiang Zhen, carrying out the highest-level protection mission without leaving his side.

Zhang Zhiwei, the Celestial Master, was panting heavily. Fortunately, he acted quickly, otherwise Longhu Mountain would have lost not only its foundation but also its mountain peak.

Jiang Zhenduan looked at the gradually dying fire on the distant mountain, and at the groups of Quanxing demons who were tied together by ropes, squatting obediently in the open space with their hands behind their heads under the searchlight of the helicopter.

He scratched his head helplessly, looking resentful, and said:

"Sigh, I was thinking that I haven't lifted a finger in almost fifty or sixty years, and I was finally going to take this opportunity to stretch my muscles and warm up... but first Zhiwei came over, and then you guys were quick too, and now I don't even have a chance to do anything."

Upon hearing Jiang Zhen's somewhat regretful sigh, the special forces commander standing to the side paled slightly, and a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.

As a high-ranking military officer, he has the authority to access top-secret files.

The records in the archives describing the actions of this "Sea Emperor" are all shocking—with terrifying terms like "catastrophic destruction" and "permanent alteration of the terrain."

If this guy were to actually "warm up" on Longhu Mountain, a famous scenic spot in mainland China, it wouldn't just be the Quanxing gang of demons that would be razed to the ground tonight. The entire Longhu Mountain would have to have its contour lines re-measured tomorrow, and he, as the commander-in-chief in charge of security, would probably have to risk his life to write a statement.

Thinking of this, the commander-in-chief hurriedly and sincerely said:

"Jiang Haihuang, I am truly sorry! The sudden riot by these terrorists was entirely due to our negligence in the investigation, which disturbed your schedule. This is our dereliction of duty."

The Commander-in-Chief took a deep breath, his eyes sharpened, and he made a firm and resolute promise:

"Please rest assured, the higher-ups are taking this matter very seriously and will launch a special operation immediately! Within half a month, we will definitely give you and New World a satisfactory explanation!"

Jiang Zhen glanced at the tense-looking commander-in-chief, then laughed heartily and waved his hand dismissively:

"Haha, it's nothing, Commander-in-Chief, you flatter me. I was just saying it casually. You guys are very disciplined and efficient, you handled it very well. In a society governed by the rule of law, that's how it should be. Those who should be arrested should be arrested, and those who should be sentenced should be sentenced, all according to the rules."

At this point, Jiang Zhen seemed to suddenly remember something and looked at the Commander-in-Chief, asking:

"By the way, I remember there was a guy named Gong Qing who was the acting leader of Quanxing... Have you caught him? I'd like to see him; I have some questions to ask him."

Chapter 154 A Dead End

The forests of Longhu Mountain are lush in the darkness, but under the relentless sweep of modern technology, they offer absolutely no effective shelter.

High in the sky, two reconnaissance drones hovered silently, their thermal imaging lenses projecting the temperature signals of every movement in the dense forest clearly onto the command post's large screen. On the ground, the pursuit forces, based on real-time coordinates, were steadily closing the trap in a standard encirclement formation.

"Faster! Faster! Don't stop!"

Gong Qing frantically darted through the dark bushes and piles of rocks. His Taoist robe was torn to shreds by tree branches, and his once meticulously styled hair was now disheveled, mixed with sweat and dirt, sticking to his terrified face.

Before Gong Qing, Liao Tietou and several other Quanxing members were also in a sorry state. Although their bodies were still barely covered by a thin layer of Qi, under the constant running and intense psychological pressure, this layer of Qi had become as weak as a candle in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment. With each step they took, the layer of Qi would flicker, like a lamp that was about to run out of oil.

"Damn it, I can't shake them off at all!"

As Liao Tietou ran, he clutched his bleeding shoulder and cursed angrily. During the breakout from the rear, a stray bullet had grazed his shoulder in the hail of bullets, and his prized Golden Bell Shield had been torn off like paper, ripping off a large chunk of flesh.

It didn't matter whether they used the treetops to leap or zigzag through the rocks.

High-altitude observers are continuously transmitting their real-time location, speed of movement, and expected escape routes to ground troops via tactical radios.

"Report: The target still has seven survivors and is moving at full speed towards the cliff behind the mountain. Over."

"...Commandos received, driving it towards the cliff, over."

The constant rustling of footsteps and the crisp sound of gun bolts being pulled back echoed from all around the woods, like the ever-approaching footsteps of death. The sounds came from different directions, sometimes from the left, sometimes from the right, making it impossible for the fleeing people to determine which direction was safe.

"Gong Qing! The soldiers behind are closing in! I'll kill you with my own hands even if it kills me!" A Quanxing demon suddenly turned around, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes as he faced imminent collapse. He abruptly stopped, drew a short knife from his waist, the tip gleaming coldly in the moonlight, and looked like a maddened beast.

"Kill your mother my ass!!!"

Gong Qing roared hysterically:

"Keep running! The cliff at the back of Longhu Mountain is just ahead!"

Upon hearing the words "cliff," Liao Tietou's expression changed slightly: "Go to the cliff? That's a dead end!"

Gong Qing gritted his teeth and said:

"Even a dead end is better than staying here to get shot! We're still superhumans, after all! When we get to the edge of the cliff, everyone jump down. Use your Qi to cushion the fall. As long as you don't die instantly, I have a way to save you!"

Hearing Gong Qing's words, the remaining Quanxing members exchanged glances. Their expressions were obscured in the darkness, but each knew they had no other choice.

"Okay! We'll trust you one more time! Let's take a gamble!"

The remnants of the Quanxing army unleashed their last burst of energy, their pace quickening as they sprinted desperately through the dense forest. Two minutes later, their vision suddenly opened up, and a biting night wind howled through them.

They finally broke out of the dense forest and arrived at the edge of the most precipitous cliff on the back of Longhu Mountain.

However, before Gong Qing could even show a look of joy, despair washed over them when they saw the scene before them.

An unprecedented, overwhelming despair instantly engulfed everyone.

On the edge of the cliff, where there should have been a desolate place, two completely black armed helicopters were now parked. They were surrounded by heavily armed personnel. The two huge searchlights on the helicopters suddenly lit up the moment they appeared, and two thick, almost tangible, snow-white beams of light pinned Gong Qing and the other six people to the edge of the cliff.

The bright light was so intense that no one could open their eyes.

At the same time, countless red infrared laser sights pierced the darkness, landing densely on their foreheads, chests, and limbs.

In the dense forest behind them, assault team members, spread out in tactical formations and carrying rifles, were advancing from the woods. The sound of their boots crunching on the gravel and fallen leaves was crisp and cold, each sound like a beat against a heart.

Their escape route was completely cut off; ahead lay a steel behemoth.

"Fuck you! I'll take you all down with me!"

At this moment, the psychological defenses of the Quanxing superhuman completely collapsed. Knowing that he was doomed, he roared and channeled all the Qi in his body, brandishing his steel knife and fearlessly charging towards the assault team members who rushed out of the forest.

"boom--!!"

On a high point deep in the forest, a deep, long gunshot suddenly ripped through the night sky—the sound of a large-caliber heavy sniper rifle.

The next second, the Quanxing alien who had rushed halfway didn't even have time to scream before his entire body exploded in mid-air, turning into a pile of minced meat.

A man named Quanxing was standing nearby; the bullet had grazed his thigh. He didn't even feel pain, only that his right leg suddenly went numb, and he slumped forward. When he looked down, his trousers below the knee were shredded into pieces, and a large chunk of skin on the outside of his thigh had been shaved away as if by an invisible planer, revealing the still-pulsating blood vessels and the stark white bone beneath.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh! My legs! My legs!"

The man fell heavily to the muddy ground with a thud, clutching his bare right thigh, his fingers instantly soaked in blood. He writhed wildly on the ground in agony, his body curling into a ball and then suddenly stretching out, repeating this over and over. His piercing screams echoed along the empty cliff edge, sending chills down the spines of the remaining Quanxing demons, who quickly averted their gazes from the indistinct mass of flesh and blood.

The assault team remained completely unmoved, their cold gun barrels held level as they marched in unison, gradually closing the encirclement.

"Put down your weapons, put your hands behind your head, and lie down on the spot! Repeat, lie down on the spot!"

The remaining Quanxing demons looked at the still-smoking mass of flesh and blood on the ground, then at their companion who was clutching his broken leg and howling incessantly, his voice growing weaker and weaker. Finally, they glanced at the dark gun barrels on the cliff edge, then collapsed to their knees with a thud, clutching their heads tightly with both hands, completely giving up any resistance.

Gong Qing gave a bitter laugh, his knees buckled, and he collapsed completely to the ground.

"Don't shoot... I surrender."

A dozen minutes later, in the outer courtyard of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

The lights here are bright, as bright as day.

The various extraordinary individuals who were originally attending the grand banquet in the back mountain have now been relieved of their "heads in hands and crouching in defense" state. They are now gathered in groups around the outer courtyard, whispering among themselves with great curiosity and awe.

Some people tiptoed to peek into the courtyard, some rode on their companions' shoulders, and some even climbed up the trees outside the courtyard wall.

Jiang Zhen remained seated at the stone table in the center of the courtyard. Not far from him, a large number of Quanxing demons, bound handcuffed and gagged, were squatting in rows on the ground. Some were groaning with bruises on their faces, while others kept their heads down and remained silent. All around them were soldiers standing guard meticulously, their gun muzzles slightly down and their index fingers on the triggers.

"Ta Tata..."

A series of rapid footsteps echoed as several tall members of the First Assault Team escorted a figure whose head was tightly covered by a black hood, whose body was bound with ropes, and whose hands were handcuffed with special riot control gloves, into the courtyard.

Because Jiang Zhen had previously requested to see the leader of Quanxing, the military brought over this most important prisoner almost the instant they captured him.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief! Reporting to Jiang Haihuang! This person is the main organizer of this riot. After verification, he is indeed Gong Qing, the current acting leader of Quanxing! Please give instructions!" The assault team leader stood at attention and saluted, his voice booming.

Jiang Zhen: "Okay, take off his hood."

"Yes!"

One of the commandos reached out and ripped off the black cloth hood.

"Huh...huh..."

Gong Qing fell heavily to the ground. Without the hood to restrain him, he began to gasp for breath. He was covered in mud, his face a mixture of grime and sweat, looking extremely disheveled.

He fought off the dizziness, struggled to lift his head from the ground, and began to look around at his surroundings.

When he looked up, the first thing he saw was Jiang Zhen, who was sitting at the stone table, looking at him with a curious gaze. Even just sitting quietly, Jiang Zhen's tall and burly figure exuded an invisible pressure that made Gong Qing feel suffocated.

Then, Gong Qing turned his neck and saw the various strange people watching from all around him, who were now looking at him with the same strange eyes they would give a rare animal.

Finally, he saw the commander-in-chief standing next to Jiang Zhen, his face as black as the bottom of a pot, his eyes burning with rage that seemed ready to devour him alive.

However, before Jiang Zhen could even begin to ask questions, a sigh filled with endless complex emotions suddenly came from the direction of the inner hall of the courtyard.

"Ugh……"

The moment Gong Qing, who was slumped on the muddy ground, heard that voice, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His body stiffened abruptly, his pupils contracted violently, and he began to tremble uncontrollably and wildly. The iron chains on his handcuffs made a series of fine clanging sounds as he trembled, which were particularly clear in the quiet courtyard.

He knew that voice all too well.

Since he infiltrated Longhu Mountain, he has heard this voice countless days and nights—the words "Little Yu, the weather is nice today" that he heard when he served tea and water in the morning, the turning over that he heard when he was guarding outside the door late at night, and the guidance "Your footwork is wrong, try again" that he heard when he was practicing.

Gong Qing stiffly and slowly turned his head, focusing his gaze on one spot.

Tian Jinzhong looked at him quietly, and in the end, all his unspoken words were condensed into a single, desolate title:

"Xiao Yuzi..."

Chapter 155 The Black Hole of Memory

Upon hearing that mournful cry of "Little Yu Zi," Gong Qing, who had collapsed to the ground, felt as if he had been struck by lightning.