Desperate Measures

Scarface Qiang's Ground Splitting Claw, whistling as it tore through the air, descended upon Lin Xiao!

Lin Xiao's eyes were bloodshot, the soul-tearing pain almost consuming him.

The glowing blue number [-1.7 Source Energy Points] flashed wildly in his mind like a death knell.

Scarface Qiang's face, contorted by the terrifying scar, twisted under the light of his True Qi, a cruel smile of a cat playing with a mouse.

"Shatter for me!"

Lin Xiao's will, like a dying beast, slammed into the verge-of-collapse blue screen deep within his mind!

"Scan! Maximum power! Target: Scarface Qiang! Environment! Find me a way out!"

The screen flickered and distorted violently, its edges even beginning to emit faint, ominous black garbled threads!

[Warning! Core severely overloaded! Scan accuracy decreased!]

[Target locked: Scarface Qiang (peak two-star martial artist). Martial Skill: Ground Splitting Claw (Yellow-tier High-grade), Execution Path: Earth-attribute True Qi condensed in both claws, sharp, heavy, tearing!]

[Environment Scan: 0.8 meters to the target's front right, the underlying soil layer beneath Stone Slab A (ID: G-7) has reached its structural integrity limit (82.3%) due to long-term corrosion and recent shockwave vibrations!]

[1.5 meters to the target's rear left, discarded Oil Drum B (ID: Y-3) contains residual volatile organic solvent vapor (Concentration: Dangerous)!]

[Modifiable Options: ...Force instantaneous amplification of the loosened soil effect beneath Stone Slab A (Estimated Effect: Localized collapse)! Required Source Energy Points: 0.1!]

[Modifiable Options: ...Temporarily strengthen the host's own bone and muscle fiber density at the point of force application (right shoulder and back), duration: 0.3 seconds! Required Source Energy Points: 0.1!]

[Warning! Any modification will further worsen Source Energy Point overdraft! Core stability will continue to decrease! Collapse Risk: Extremely High!]

0.2 points!

Deduct another 0.2 points, and it would be [-1.9]!

The risk of core collapse hung over him like the Sword of Damocles!

But Scarface Qiang's claws, imbued with earth-yellow death energy, were already upon him! The fierce wind stung Lin Xiao's cheeks!

No choice! Only a gamble!

"Modify! Slab collapse! Target: Scarface Qiang's right foot landing point! Strengthen myself! Right shoulder and back!"

Lin Xiao's will roared through the soul-tearing agony, filled with desperate madness!

[Command received! Source Energy Points deducted: 0.1 (Environment Modification)! 0.1 (Self-Enhancement)!]

[Source Energy Points: -1.7 - 0.1 - 0.1 = -1.9!]

Buzz——!

The moment the points were deducted, the screen suddenly caved inward. The blue light dimmed abruptly, and its surface, like shattered porcelain, was instantly covered in dense, visible, tiny black cracks!

A sense of desolation, far deeper and colder than before, instantly flooded Lin Xiao's entire consciousness like ice water!

His vision even flickered with brief, snow-like garbled images!

In the real world, time stretched infinitely at the brink of life and death!

Just as Scarface Qiang's confident right foot, imbued with terrifying power, was about to land—

Beneath the seemingly solid, oil-stained, and dusty stone slab, the already loosened soil structure had its last supporting "straw" gently pulled away by a cold, precise force originating from the rules themselves!

Crack!

An extremely faint crisp sound, but to Lin Xiao, it was like the sound of heavenly music!

The sneer on Scarface Qiang's face froze instantly!

He felt the spot where his right foot was about to land suddenly become empty!

A completely unexpected sense of falling, of the ground giving way, transmitted itself!

"Huh?" Scarface Qiang's pupils contracted, and his ferocious forward momentum faltered!

The rampant True Qi condensed in his claws also experienced an unavoidable disturbance and shift due to the sudden loss of balance!

The fatal claw, originally aimed at Lin Xiao's head, had its trajectory inevitably deflected downwards and outwards by a sliver!

Now!

Simultaneously, Lin Xiao felt a cold and hard force surge into the bones and muscles of his right shoulder and back!

It was as if, for that 0.3-second duration, the tissue there had been forcibly "calcified" into the hardest alloy!

The price was a tearing pain that instantly spread throughout his body, and the chaotic energy in his meridians churned like boiling oil!

He didn't try to dodge completely—that was impossible!

In the lightning-fast moment of Scarface Qiang's imbalance and attack deviation, he simply used all his remaining strength, twisted his waist, and dodged sideways!

Riiip——!

Scarface Qiang's claw, carrying terrifying tearing power, scraped fiercely against Lin Xiao's right shoulder blade as he desperately dodged!

The sound of tearing fabric was piercing!

Lin Xiao's loose school uniform, along with the T-shirt underneath, was easily ripped apart like scrap paper!

Five deep, bone-revealing gashes, with flesh peeling back, instantly appeared on his right shoulder and back! Blood gushed out like a spring, instantly dyeing his back red!

Boom!

Scarface Qiang's residual force slammed into the ground beside Lin Xiao, turning the hard concrete into something like tofu as five deep gouges were ripped into it, sending gravel flying!

"Argh—!"

Lin Xiao let out a suppressed roar of pain, his body feeling like it had been hit by a speeding truck. The immense impact sent him flying!

The searing pain in his right shoulder and back almost made him pass out instantly! Stars exploded before his eyes!

But he didn't faint!

That 0.3-second reinforcement of bone and muscle acted like the sturdiest shield, absorbing the majority of the impact that would have shattered his bones and ruptured his organs at the most critical moment!

Although still heavily injured, this surge of power became the last push he needed to escape the vortex of death!

Thump!

Lin Xiao's body landed like a sack of rags several meters away, tumbling several times before coming to a stop right next to the abandoned oil drum (Y-3) that still contained highly volatile organic solvent vapor!

The strong, acrid chemical smell instantly assaulted his nostrils!

Dust and smoke mixed with the smell of blood, filling the deathly still air.

Scarface Qiang planted a foot in the collapsed stone slab pit, steadying himself.

He looked at his empty claws, then at the skin and flesh clinging to their tips, along with the scorching fresh blood. The scar on his face twitched violently with extreme shock and rage!

What happened?

Why did the stone slab suddenly collapse?

How could that brat, in that situation, still manage such a precise dodge and withstand a claw strike from him without dying?

This was utterly illogical!

He abruptly looked up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Lin Xiao, who lay by the oil drum, covered in blood and struggling to get up!

"Bastard! Let's see what other tricks you've got!"

Scarface Qiang was completely enraged. The humiliation of being toyed with by an ant burned through his reason like poison fire!

He completely ignored the strange collapse of the stone slab beneath his feet, and also the fleeting, almost insane glint of calculation in Lin Xiao's eyes, who was clearly heavily injured!

Scarface Qiang roared, his earth-yellow True Qi erupting once more, even more ferocious than before!

He took a step out of the collapsed pit, the ground cracking under his foot. His burly frame, carrying an aura of crushing everything, lunged towards Lin Xiao, who lay by the oil drum like a dying prey!

This time, he would tear the brat to shreds!

Lin Xiao lay on the cold ground, his mouth full of blood. Every breath sent a tearing pain through his right shoulder and back.

The soul exhaustion brought on by the loss of 1.9 Source Energy Points washed over his precarious consciousness like a cold tide.

The black cracks on the pale blue screen in his mind were as glaring as a spiderweb, each flicker bringing a needle-like pain.

Scarface Qiang's monstrous silhouette rapidly enlarged in the dust and smoke. The shadow of death descended once more, heavier and more suffocating than before!

Run? In his current state, he couldn't outrun an enraged peak two-star martial artist!

Fight back? That would be suicide!

His only chance of survival… lay with the abandoned oil drum beside him, emitting that pungent odor!

The results of his environmental scan flashed through his chaotic mind like lightning—[Abandoned Oil Drum B (ID: Y-3) internal residue: highly volatile organic solvent vapor (concentration: dangerous)!]

Gamble! Bet his life one last time!

Just as Scarface Qiang's claw, carrying a gale force capable of shattering stone, was about to descend upon him again, at the critical moment!

A fierce light exploded in Lin Xiao's eyes!

It was the madness of a cornered beast with nowhere left to retreat!

He pushed off the ground with his left hand!

Ignoring the tearing pain in his right shoulder, he unleashed the last bit of his remaining strength, not dodging backward like an arrow from a bow, but charging towards the side and front—towards that massive, rusty, abandoned oil drum!

At the same time, his left hand, covered in blood and dirt, spread open and slammed hard onto the cold, rough surface of the oil drum!

Buzz!

The modifier screen, on the verge of collapse, was forcefully activated again!

A pale blue light flickered with difficulty between the black cracks!

[Target Locked: Abandoned Oil Drum B (Y-3) outer shell (corroded weak point: weld seam in the middle of the barrel)]

[Modifiable Items: ...Instantly amplify localized metal fatigue effect of corrosion points, causing localized rupture (estimated effect: small breach)... Required Source Energy Points: 0.05! Warning! Core is on the verge of collapse! This operation's risk is uncontrollable!]

0.05 points! A drop in the bucket! But enough to create an environment where sparks could fly!

"Break!" Lin Xiao roared silently from the depths of his soul!

[Command received! Source Energy Points deducted: 0.05!]

[Source Energy Points: -1.9 - 0.05 = -1.95!]

The moment the points were deducted, the screen violently contracted inward, as if about to collapse entirely into a black hole! The dense network of black cracks suddenly spread and deepened!

An icy, desolate feeling originating from the very core of his soul, as if it would erase all existence, pierced through every inch of Lin Xiao's consciousness like billions of ice needles!

His vision suddenly went black, and blood foam uncontrollably spilled from his nose and mouth!

Real world.

Lin Xiao's body slammed hard against a cold oil drum, emitting a dull, heavy thud. At the same time, the spot his left hand struck – a rusted-out weld seam in the middle of the drum – was as if an invisible finger had lightly tapped its most vulnerable point!

Crackle—!

An extremely faint, almost imperceptible tearing sound of metal echoed!

A crack, only as thick as a finger and incredibly fine, instantly appeared on the rusted weld!

Boom!

The moment the crack formed!

The highly volatile organic solvent vapor, accumulated inside the oil drum and already reaching a dangerous critical concentration, finally found an outlet!

Like a powder keg ignited!

A blindingly bright, orange-red flame, mixed with a heatwave so intense it distorted the air and a deafening explosion, erupted violently from that tiny crack!

Like a furious, fiery dragon!

The shockwave from the explosion was more than ten times fiercer than the falling beam from before!

Lin Xiao, closest to the oil drum, bore the brunt of it!

He felt an irresistible, destructive force of extreme heat slam into his back!

"Pfft—!" A large mouthful of scalding blood sprayed out!

His body, like a leaf in a gale, was violently flung away by this ferocious power!

The wound on his back seared with heat, emitting a smell of charring and a pain that penetrated deep into his bones!

Mid-air, his consciousness was already blurred by the explosion's roar and his body's agony, leaving only the instinct for survival to curl him up.

Meanwhile, Scarface Qiang, who had been lunging forward, had his enraged expression instantly replaced by extreme horror!

He had never anticipated such a turn of events!

The erupting flame and the violent shockwave had exploded almost right before his eyes!

"Damn it!" Scarface Qiang only had time to roar, channeling all his True Qi madly to the front of his body, forming a thick, earthy-yellow protective shield!

Boom—!

The flames and shockwave slammed hard into the shield!

Sizzle sizzle sizzle!

The shield vibrated violently, distorted, and groaned under the immense strain!

It lasted less than half a second before shattering with a roar!

The remaining impact force slammed into Scarface Qiang's burly body!

"Urk!" Scarface Qiang grunted, struck like by a battering ram, and was blown backward by the explosion, flying even further than Lin Xiao!

The clothes on his body instantly turned black and disintegrated, his skin was scorched, and the scar on his face was even seared a bright red, stinging fiercely!

Although he didn't suffer a fatal injury thanks to his profound cultivation, his Blood Essence was still in turmoil, leaving him in a sorry state!

The entire ambush point was once again swallowed by an even more violent explosion and towering flames.

Thick smoke billowed, and heatwaves pressed in!

Shattered oil drum fragments flew everywhere like shrapnel, riddling the surrounding discarded machinery and walls!

A few Blood Wolf Gang thugs who had miraculously survived, having just struggled to climb out of the previous beam wreckage, were immediately knocked down again by this terrifying blast wave, screaming as they were consumed by flames and debris!

Hell! A true hell on earth!

Lin Xiao's body crashed heavily onto a pile of relatively soft industrial waste about ten meters away, rolling several times before stopping.

Pfft!

Another mouthful of blood spurted out, his vision swam, and his ears were filled with a sharp ringing.

The wound on his back burned fiercely, and his right shoulder felt as if it had been completely dislocated, completely numb.

The desolation brought by the [-1.95] Source Energy Points surged through him like a cold tide, attempting to drag him into eternal darkness.

The light screen in his mind dimmed to the point of almost extinguishing, black cracks like abyssal rifts, each flicker bringing a soul-tearing pain.

But he was still alive!

Using the last of his strength, he struggled to lift his head, and through the swirling smoke and dancing flames, he saw Scarface Qiang's burly figure shakily rising from further ruins. Though battered, the rage and killing intent in his eyes, like tangible flames, pierced through the smoke, locking onto him!

Can't stop! Stopping means death!

The instinct for survival overwhelmed the physical pain and soul depletion!

Lin Xiao let out a low growl like a dying beast from his throat, his left hand digging fiercely into the garbage pile beneath him. Ignoring the groans of his bones feeling like they were falling apart, he dragged his nearly ruined right side and, with his last ounce of strength, scrambled and crawled into the depths of the industrial zone, towards the more complex, darker maze of abandoned factory buildings!

Every step left a conspicuous bloody footprint behind him!

"Lin Xiao—! I'll tear you to shreds!"

From behind, Scarface Qiang's roar, like that of a wounded beast, reached its peak of ferocity!

Following it were heavy, rapid footsteps, carrying a killing intent that could crush everything, chasing madly!

Chase and escape!

In this abandoned industrial zone, illuminated by the blood-red sunset and towering flames, making it look like a hellscape, it was happening again!

Except this time, the prey was covered in wounds, barely clinging to life; while the hunter, thoroughly enraged, was determined to kill or be killed!

Lin Xiao's consciousness, under the torment of severe pain, blood loss, and critically overdrawn Source Energy Points, was like a candle in the wind, threatening to extinguish at any moment.

He was moving forward mechanically, solely supported by a tenacious will to survive, etched into his very bones.

He rushed into the abandoned factory area, which stood like a steel forest. The light instantly dimmed.

Giant shadows crisscrossed, and broken windows resembled the hollow eye sockets of monsters. Cold wind whistled through twisted pipes and steel frames, emitting mournful sounds.

The footsteps behind him grew closer!

Scarface Qiang's roar was like a maggot clinging to bone!

"Bastard! Where do you think you're running?!"

Lin Xiao abruptly turned into a narrow passage filled with huge rusty gears and discarded conveyor belts. His foot caught on a protruding steel bar!

Thump!

He could no longer hold on, tumbling heavily to the ground! Dust billowed!

His right shoulder slammed hard against a piece of cold, scrap metal. The intense pain made his vision black out, nearly causing him to pass out.

Blood gushed from the wounds on his back and shoulder, quickly forming a glaring pool of dark red beneath him.

Is this it…

A cold sense of despair, accompanied by the boundless desolation brought by the [-1.95] deep within his soul, coiled around him like a venomous snake.

The heavy footsteps stopped at the entrance of the passage.

Through the dust, Scarface Qiang's figure, like an iron tower, slowly emerged, blocking the only exit.

His clothes were scorched and torn in many places, his skin bore burn marks, and the scar on his face looked even more ferocious in the dim light.

He panted heavily, his chest heaving, but the violent killing intent in his eyes burned to its absolute peak.

"Running? Why aren't you running anymore?"

Scarface Qiang approached step by step, his footsteps echoing in the silent passage like the tolling of the death knell. "Little bastard, you've got quite a few tricks up your sleeve, huh? First the beams, then the exploding oil drums? I want to see what else you can pull out today!"

He stopped a few steps away from Lin Xiao, looking down at the boy curled up on the ground like a dead dog. A smile, twisted to the extreme, spread across his lips.

"Don't worry, I won't let you die too quickly…"

He slowly raised his right hand, still bearing traces of Lin Xiao's flesh and blood. Yellowish True Qi began to condense again, his fingers forming into claws, their tips glinting with a heart-stopping cold light. "I'm going to crush your bones, one by one! I'll make you wish you were never born!"

The shadow of death had never felt so real and cold!

Lin Xiao lay on the ground, his cheek pressed against the cold, rough, oil-stained floor. The pungent smell of rust and blood mixed and filled his nostrils. He could clearly feel Scarface Qiang's killing intent, condensed with terrifying power, piercing his skin like icy needles.

Source Energy Points: [-1.95].

The faint blue light screen in his mind had dimmed to its absolute limit, like a candle in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

Dense black cracks spread across the surface of the light screen like a spiderweb. Each faint flicker brought a pain like his soul being torn apart inch by inch.

The core overload alarm had long since turned into a continuous, sharp siren, symbolizing the brink of collapse, like a death knell frantically ringing in the depths of his consciousness.

Exhausted! Utterly depleted!

Not just the severe, life-threatening injuries to his body, but also the critical depletion of his soul's origin!

Let alone activating the modifier again, even maintaining consciousness had become incredibly difficult.

Every breath sent waves of intense pain through his body. His vision began to blur and double. The buzzing sound in his ears grew louder, almost drowning out Scarface Qiang's murderous footsteps.

Is it over?

Just as this boundless despair, like a cold tide, was about to engulf him completely—

Wooo—Wooo—Wooo—!

A set of extremely penetrating police sirens, approaching from afar, suddenly tore through the silent and oppressive air of the abandoned industrial zone, like the dawn breaking through hell!

Sharp! Urgent! Carrying an undeniable official authority!

And there wasn't just one! The sounds were rapidly approaching their location!

The cruel smile on Scarface Qiang's face froze instantly!

The claws, condensed with True Qi, also halted abruptly!

He suddenly turned his head, his fierce gaze seeming to pierce through the layers of abandoned factory buildings, looking in the direction of the sirens!

"Damn it! Special Operations Ninth Division?"

A trace of extreme apprehension and anger flashed in Scarface Qiang's eyes!

He clearly understood the meaning behind the siren!

Lin Xiao, lying on the ground, felt the flickering flame of his consciousness surge the moment he heard the siren!

Qin Bing!

Had she tracked him down?

Or had the explosion been so massive that it attracted official forces?

Regardless, this was his only, and final, chance at survival!

The will to live, like a final burst of energy before death, instantly overwhelmed the searing pain in his body and the exhaustion of his soul!

He used the last ounce of his remaining strength, his blood-stained left hand pushing off the ground with a sudden force!

Dragging the right side of his body, which had nearly lost all sensation, he lunged like an arrow loosed from a bow, towards the deeper part of the passage, towards a darker corner filled with massive discarded machinery, charging forward without regard for anything!

He completely concealed himself within the deep shadows cast by the giant, rusted steel behemoths!

"Trying to run?" Scarface Qiang was startled by Lin Xiao's sudden movement. He immediately turned back, killing intent flashing in his eyes, and instinctively moved to crush this dying bastard completely!

Woooo—Woooo—!

The siren was already incredibly close!

He could even faintly hear the sharp screech of tires on the ground!

Scarface Qiang's steps halted abruptly!

The scar on his face twitched madly with extreme unwillingness and rage!

He stared intently at the dark corner where Lin Xiao had disappeared, his gaze venomous, like a knife dipped in poison!

The Special Operations Ninth Division! He couldn't afford to mess with them!

At least not here, not now. He couldn't confront them head-on!

"You little bastard... You're lucky this time..."

Scarface Qiang gritted out the words through his teeth, filled with bone-chilling hatred. "Next time we meet, I'll skin you alive!"

He hesitated no longer, turning abruptly. His muscular figure moved like an agile leopard, disappearing into the complex shadows of the factory in just a few leaps, leaving behind only the mess and the heavy scent of blood.

The sound of footsteps quickly faded into the distance.

Deep within the passage, in that dark corner formed by the massive, discarded machinery.

Lin Xiao's body was curled up in the cold, hard gap between the steel, his back pressed tightly against the rough, rusted metal surface.

Every shallow breath was accompanied by violent tremors throughout his body and suppressed, blood-flecked coughs from his throat.

Blood soaked through his tattered clothes, slowly spreading across the cold ground beneath him, forming a small, sticky patch of dark red.

The soul exhaustion brought on by the [-1.95] Source Energy Points felt like billions of ice-cold ants frantically gnawing at the foundation of his consciousness.

The faint blue screen in his mind had completely dimmed, leaving only a dead, silent darkness, and those ominous black patterns that resembled cracks in an abyss.

The warning of core collapse was long gone, replaced by a complete, despair-inducing sense of nothingness.

He felt as if his soul had been emptied, leaving behind only a broken, cold, and heavy shell.

His eyelids felt as if they were filled with lead, too heavy to lift.

The sound of sirens and braking cars clearly echoed from the open space outside.

The sound of hurried footsteps approached, accompanied by stern shouts.

"Seal off the area!"

"Search for survivors! Be careful!"

"Report! We've found a large amount of bloodstains and signs of combat! Traces of an explosion!"

It was the Special Operations Ninth Division... Qin Bing... she should be here too, right?

I'm saved...

This thought flickered weakly like the last candle flame in his consciousness as it was about to sink completely into darkness.

The nerves that had been stretched to their limit suddenly relaxed.

It was as if the last supporting string had been snapped.

All the searing pain, exhaustion, and depletion washed over him like a bursting dam, instantly drowning him.

Lin Xiao's head lolled to the side, the last vestiges of his consciousness extinguishing like a candle in the wind.

His body went completely limp amidst the cold, dirty steel wreckage, utterly still.

Only the dark red bloodstain beneath him, still slowly expanding, testified to the fierce struggle for life that had taken place here.

Outside the passage, blinding headlights cut through the lingering dust and smoke.

Several black SUVs, emblazoned with the Special Operations Ninth Division logo, stopped roughly in the open area.

The car doors opened, and the first to leap out was Qin Bing.

She was still in her crisp black combat uniform, which outlined her slender yet powerful physique.

Her beautiful, cold face was etched with a frown, her sharp gaze sweeping over the battlefield like a searchlight, a scene that looked as if it had been ravaged by artillery fire—

Broken massive beams, the wreckage of burning oil drums, craters formed by explosions, scattered rubble and twisted metal fragments to the west, and… several corpses, some dead, some maimed, their flesh mangled.

A heavy scent of blood mingled with the acrid smell of gunpowder, burnt material, and chemical solvents, assaulting the senses.

The scene before her was several times more brutal than she had anticipated!

"Report, Captain Qin! Preliminary survey! Three dead on site, six seriously injured! All bearing the Blood Wolf Gang insignia! The epicenter of the explosion is a discarded industrial solvent drum! Clear signs of combat, at least one extremely powerful martial artist involved!"

A team member quickly stepped forward to report.

The Blood Wolf Gang? Qin Bing's gaze turned as cold as a blade.

Those persistent, scum-like pests again! But… where was the person responsible for all this?

Her sharp eyes scanned the area, finally settling on the entrance to a narrow passage leading deeper into the factory, piled high with discarded gears and conveyor belts.

On the ground, a faint, intermittent trail of fresh, glaring blood stretched into the darkness of the passage, like a crimson guide, instantly capturing her full attention!

That blood was still fresh!

Qin Bing's eyes narrowed sharply. Without a moment's hesitation, she placed her right hand on the hilt of her pistol at her waist and made a "alert, follow" gesture with her left hand. She strode forward, her long legs carrying her silently but swiftly towards the dark passage.

Her boots made a faint sound as they stepped on the oil-stained, dusty ground.

The passage was extremely dim, with only a few slivers of pale daylight filtering through the gaps in the dilapidated ceiling.

The air was thick with the smell of rust, blood, and a faint… aura emanating from someone on the verge of death.

Qin Bing's footsteps halted in the passage, in front of a massive pile of discarded machinery that resembled the skeletal remains of a monstrous beast.

Her gaze, like a precise probe, instantly locked onto the darkest corner beneath the machinery.

There, a figure was curled up, motionless, as if it had merged with the cold steel.

Tattered, blood-stained school uniform, a dirt-and-blood-smeared profile, and chest movements so faint they were almost imperceptible…

Lin Xiao!

Qin Bing's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly the moment she recognized the face.

It really was him!

She approached step by step, the sound of her boots on the cold ground echoing clearly in the deathly silent passage.

Finally, she knelt down in front of Lin Xiao.

The blinding beam of her flashlight instantly dispelled the darkness of the corner, clearly exposing Lin Xiao's current miserable state—

His face was pale and bloodless, his lips cracked and dry, with dark red scabs; the clothing from his right shoulder to his back was completely torn, revealing five bone-deep claw marks beneath, the flesh and skin peeled back, the edges even bearing traces of scorching, and although the blood seemed to be flowing slower, it was still seeping out.

His arms were covered in abrasions, bruises, and burns from the explosion; his entire right side was contorted in an unnatural posture…

These injuries were far more severe than she had anticipated!

He was barely clinging to life!

Qin Bing's brow furrowed even tighter. Her cold face showed no discernible expression, but a flicker of extremely complex emotion crossed the depths of her eyes.

She reached out with her hand, clad in a tactical glove, her movements swift and precise with professional accuracy, quickly checking Lin Xiao's carotid artery and breathing.

His pulse was as faint as a gossamer thread, his breathing intermittent, like a dying whisper.

On the verge of death!

"He's still alive! Call for medical support immediately! Highest priority! Prepare life support!"

Qin Bing's voice was cold and decisive, with an unquestionable tone of command.

"Yes!" The team member behind her responded immediately, quickly initiating contact.

After issuing the order, Qin Bing's gaze returned to Lin Xiao's lifeless face.

She slowly stood up, her sharp eyes scanning the small space like a scalpel, not missing a single detail.

The bloodstains on the ground… the traces of struggle and rolling… his final hiding place…

Qin Bing's gaze finally fixed on the ground not far from Lin Xiao's left hand.

There, a piece of oil-stained metal debris, pulled from a pile of trash, had a corner seemingly peeled back by the blast wave.

On a small patch of relatively clean ground exposed beneath the debris, a blurred but incredibly eerie dark red imprint was clearly visible!

The shape of the imprint… was like a distorted eye without pupils!

Qin Bing's breathing paused almost imperceptibly the moment she saw the imprint.

Her eyes instantly became chillingly sharp!

The Shadow Alliance!

That was the unique symbol used by Shadow Alliance members to mark important targets or crime scenes!

The Blood Wolf Gang's ambush… the bizarre explosion… the dying Lin Xiao… and this Shadow Alliance mark…

—What astonishing secret lay buried beneath this ruin?