The Young Man Was Gone When He Looked Up

Hearing the client say there was only one person, everyone was taken aback. After all, the predicaments they had encountered before were mostly caused by overwhelming numbers of enemies.

But when they saw the lightning flashing down at them, they more or less understood what was happening.

Palm Thunder—and an extremely powerful one at that. No wonder those underlings could not hold out.

To unleash that kind of power, he was probably a Qi Practitioner already capable of Core Formation. Shen Bitao made a hand signal, and everyone lightened their steps, leading the client as they hurried toward the rooftop.

Realizing someone was there to receive them, the Qi Practitioner downstairs likewise did not linger and charged upward.

Hearing the commotion, D and E immediately activated thermal imaging and fired backward, but they only caught a glimpse of a burly figure flashing past.

Before they could lock onto a target, two bolts of azure lightning shot from the smoke. An underling standing farther back was unfortunately hit, his body instantly sent flying into the wall.

Even after he hit the ground and stopped moving, crackling sounds still came from his body.

Either it was a high-level Palm Thunder that could turn corners, or he had used some Daoist art to conceal himself.

Shen Bitao ordered them to stop firing blindly to avoid revealing their exact position, signaling for them to use other restraining weapons instead. The terrain here was narrow, easy to defend and hard to attack.

Seeing this, Shen Bixin activated a Nerve-Blocking Grenade and tossed it into the smoke.

That thing could disrupt installed Nerve Interfaces within a certain area. For ordinary Qi Practitioners, getting too close could even cause their Nerve Interfaces to temporarily paralyze them.

She had not expected it to directly take out the powerful figure in the smoke, but it could buy them some time, at least.

Sure enough, the azure lightning shooting from the smoke ceased. Seizing the chance, everyone led the client upstairs.

But as soon as they reached the final floor, a long Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve whipped out from the smoke behind them, dragging another underling it touched into the haze.

Like a frog snapping its tongue out to curl up a fly, it was blindingly fast. Only drifting smoke remained, and before they could hear much struggle, all sound from that side vanished.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

D and E swiftly fired backward. Those underlings had not purchased platinum-tier packages.

The corridor above was narrow, and suppressing fire from this angle still had some effect. The smoke fell silent again, and under the cover of gunfire, everyone rushed onto the rooftop.

Shen Bitao threw a Laser-Cutting Grenade behind him as he shut the rooftop door. The ear-piercing sound of the wall being cut was blocked behind the door as well.

Yet the team had only run a short distance toward the helicopter with the client after temporarily shaking off their pursuer.

Boom—

With a tremendous crash, the closed iron door was blasted open.

Without hesitation, the team immediately turned and poured bullets toward the doorway, suppressing whatever danger might emerge.

But the thing behind the door did not show itself. Instead, it gripped the iron door and charged forward with it.

Even as the door was riddled with bullet holes, the thing behind it never stopped advancing.

Just as it was about to reach them, D spread both arms, and crimson Ghost Blades snapped out. The blades slashed downward, splitting the battered iron door cleanly down the middle in one stroke.

The thing behind the door finally revealed its true form:

It was a brawny monk wearing nothing but denim shorts. Strange golden light covered his entire body, making the hungry-wolf tattoo on his chest look even more sinister. His two Prosthetic Arms were thick and powerful, while six Nerve Interfaces sat atop his head, looking just like ordination scars. There was also a fresh scar across his nose.

The monk's face was ferocious, veins bulging beneath his skin. Combined with the golden light enveloping him, he looked like a Fierce-Eyed Vajra stepped straight out of myth.

Seeing that the man had actually pursued them all the way here, the client cursed and limped toward the helicopter.

D's expression hardened, but the Ghost Blades in his hands did not stop.

The Defense Mobile Team put the client above all else. They would not actively harm people, but in this situation, there was no need to hold back.

The twin blades shot for the monk's throat. He reacted with astonishing speed, tossing aside the broken iron door and clamping down on both Ghost Blades with hands like iron pincers.

But that gave the others a chance to attack. B and E opened fire on the monk from both sides.

To everyone's surprise, the bullets struck the monk as if he were a statue, bouncing off one after another.

External Training - Copper Skin Iron Bones? Or some technological Golden Light Mantra? Judging by the monk's build, the former seemed more likely.

There were no Qi Practitioners in the mobile team, but they had heard of this kind of martial art that tempered the body's surface to the utmost limit.

In principle, it was nothing more than replacing human tissue with specially made skin, muscles, and bones. But it required a long process of adaptation and training, and this was the first time anyone present had seen it.

They had encountered bulletproof techniques before, but never anything this outrageous.

While everyone was stunned, the monk seized D and rammed forward savagely, sending B and E flying as well.

The Shen siblings exchanged a glance and quickly split to either side. Thinking they were afraid, the monk paid them no mind and charged straight at the client, who had been scared limp.

But just as the monk ran between them, the siblings struck simultaneously from both sides, flinging white ropes around his body.

These Rope Nerve Blockers were the strongest portable models available, capable of directly disrupting any intelligent machinery they touched.

Even someone as formidable as the monk, already at the lower level of the Core Formation Realm, froze when his body was touched. His steps gradually slowed, and he finally dropped to his knees.

"Move!"

Shen Bitao did not dare hesitate. He turned and pulled his teammates away, while Shen Bixin helped the terrified client onto the helicopter.

The monk tried to break free, but he could not do so in a short time. The duration of his Copper Skin Iron Bones was also nearing its limit.

The golden light began flickering erratically, like a light bulb with a loose connection.

Having recovered his wits, the client saw that the monk was done for and reached up to seize Shen Bixin's gun.

"Don't!"

Shen Bitao tried to stop him, but it was too late. Bullets poured into the monk. Noticing that the bastard in the suit had opened fire, he gritted his teeth and forced his Copper Skin Iron Bones to hold for a little longer.

The fired bullets and those ricocheting off his Copper Skin Iron Bones snapped several Rope Nerve Blockers. Seizing the opportunity, the monk shook both arms.

Thrum, thrum—

The Rope Nerve Blockers were ripped apart.

The useless client, who had failed to kill the man and instead helped his opponent, cried out in a trembling voice, "Take off! Take off!"

Fortunately, everyone was already aboard. Shen Bitao threw two concussion grenades in an attempt to force the monk back, and the helicopter rapidly lifted off.

Yet the monk still refused to give up. He accelerated to the edge of the rooftop and launched himself outward with all his strength, whipping his right arm forward.

The golden arm sprang out a long sleeve from the side as though fitted with a spring. Perhaps because of the angle, it flew directly toward Shen Bixin.

Shen Bitao reacted instantly and kicked his sister aside, but the flying sleeve wrapped directly around his leg. The tremendous force made him lose his grip, and he slid out of the helicopter's open cabin.

Fortunately, he caught the helicopter's skid landing gear in the instant he fell. The sudden turn of events startled everyone aboard.

They wanted to lower their weapons and gun the monk down, but using the Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve, the monk had already climbed up and grabbed Shen Bitao, placing him in front of himself as a shield.

"You bastards, even if you hand that guy over to me now, it's too late! No one on this helicopter is getting out alive today!"

Seeing that the monk was about to use him to climb onto the helicopter, with a Ghost Blade also snapping from the inside of his arm, Shen Bitao glanced at his sister, Shen Bixin, and let go without the slightest hesitation.