Moon Shadow Rebel Army

Thirty minutes earlier.

"Mm, I'm doing fine. Don't worry, Mom. How have you been lately?"

Silver Sparrow District, 0121 County.

In an apartment building just five hundred meters from Silver Sparrow Warehouse.

Zhao Xinfeng stood by the window, looking at the warehouse in the distance. He held a satellite phone in his hand, head lowered, his face full of longing.

"That's good. As long as you're well, I can rest easy." Hearing his mother's affirmative reply, Zhao Xinfeng let out a sigh of relief.

"Xinfeng, Mom misses you. When will you be willing to come back?" his mother asked cautiously from the other end of the line.

Zhao Xinfeng seemed to recall some painful memory he did not wish to revisit. His expression darkened as he shook his head. "I've said it before. I won't go back until I become strong."

Seeing his refusal, his mother carefully said, "Y-you father said that as long as you're willing to come back...

"He's willing to give you a complete set of manuals and send you to the Moon Army Martial Artist Training Camp for training."

The moment he heard that, Zhao Xinfeng's expression changed.

His tone immediately became agitated. "How many times have I said it?! Don't mention him in front of me!"

He gripped the windowsill furiously. "And besides, he doesn't deserve to be my father, and I don't need his resources!

"The day he used my sister's heart to save me, I died!

"Do you think I'm afraid of dying again?!

"Tell him!

"I won't spend a single cent of his money!

"Even on my own, I can become a supreme powerhouse!"

Hearing Zhao Xinfeng's fierce tone, his mother could no longer hold back her tears. "Xinfeng, your father only did it for your sake. Besides, Xiao Ru agreed to it willingly back then!"

Zhao Xinfeng fell silent. "Mom, can we change the subject?"

In the living room.

Two members of the Moon Shadow Rebel Army exchanged glances and shook their heads as they listened to Zhao Xinfeng.

"Captain, why should we believe him?"

One of them asked in confusion.

"He has great potential. He's independent, needs someone to back him, and he's ruthless and driven. The Moon Shadow needs people like that right now."

"Besides, he has connections on the Moon. We may not be able to use them now, but who can say what the future holds?"

Squad leader Chu Lun said, glancing at the figure on the balcony.

"Two months ago, 0119 Base City launched a crackdown, and our comrades over there suffered heavy losses.

"Then Team 2's captain, Xu Fei, was ambushed and killed while purchasing supplies at the Zero-Sale Market. Not only did they lose the goods, they lost his life too."

"Our situation is dire. We need to make use of every force available to us."

Only then did the other man say, "I understand. I'll go check the sniper position. Notify me at any time."

"Mm." Chu Lun nodded and rose to walk toward the balcony.

Just then, Zhao Xinfeng hung up the phone. "Captain, I didn't affect the mission, did I?"

Chu Lun shook his head. "No. This place is a full five hundred meters from the warehouse. No matter how cautious that man is, he won't notice us here."

"Missing home?" he asked, looking at Zhao Xinfeng.

"Mm." Zhao Xinfeng did not hide it. "I've been on Blue Star for five years and accomplished nothing. I thought this world was too simple."

"Don't worry," Chu Lun said with a smile. "Helping us recover the Secret Key this time is already a major contribution. With your potential, the organization definitely won't treat you poorly."

Zhao Xinfeng smiled and nodded. Then he asked curiously, "Captain, what exactly is this so-called Secret Key?"

Chu Lun did not hide it from him, since most of the team already knew about it.

There was no point in hiding it anyway.

Chu Lun said blandly, "It's used as a code phrase between the rebel army and our contact inside City Hall. Without it, we have no way to reach that comrade inside City Hall.

"Originally, this item was supposed to be handed over to the bandits from the 'Flowing Fire Gang' to meet with someone.

"But something happened to the contact, which delayed things.

"I didn't expect those people to die."

Chu Lun looked toward the warehouse where Xu Qing was. "This person should be the one who killed those bandits. We estimate he's at the fifth rank.

"With a sneak attack, the Soul Extinguishing Sniper Rifle has a forty percent chance of killing a sixth-rank martial artist.

"And a forty-nine percent chance of killing a fifth-rank martial artist.

"His strength may be impressive, but if he's completely unprepared, it'll still be very difficult for him to dodge a bullet."

He smiled and patted the worried Zhao Xinfeng on the shoulder. "Don't worry. Once we get back, I'll apply to headquarters for a complete set of manuals for you to cultivate. Rest assured.

"Besides the Soul Extinguishing Sniper Rifle, we've also deployed two fifth-rank experts and one sixth-rank expert!"

Surrounded by the three of them, this man was as good as dead."

Time returned to the present.

After the gunshot rang out.

Xu Qing hid in a corner of the warehouse, quietly waiting for the enemy to arrive.

For martial artists above the fourth rank, firearms no longer posed much of a threat.

Their aiming speed and firing speed simply could not keep up with a martial artist's movements.

Though if caught completely off guard, a martial artist still had a chance of being hit.

But that chance was not high.

The stronger one became, the faster a martial artist's neural reactions grew.

Their senses of the surroundings also became sharper.

Just like earlier—even though Xu Qing had been completely unprepared.

The instant the attack came.

He had still reacted in time and dodged the bullet.

So, the sniper rifle had likely been the other side's opening probe.

It had also been meant to test his strength.

The real follow-up should have been these martial artists coming in afterward.

"The enemy is hidden while I'm exposed. This place is too cramped for a fight. I need to take it outside."

Xu Qing quickly calmed himself. After a brief consideration, he made his decision.

He was no longer the immature young man he had once been.

After several life-and-death battles, he had gained some combat experience.

After scanning the warehouse and confirming there was nothing he needed that he had overlooked.

Xu Qing put on his mask, chose the direction of the warehouse's weakest gate.

And charged out without looking back.

Clearly, the enemy sniper had been waiting for Xu Qing here all along.

Xu Qing was betting that the bullet was slower than him!

Sure enough.

The bullet was still a beat too slow.

In that instant, Xu Qing unleashed his full speed.

He almost turned into a blur as he flashed past.

Bang!

The specially made armor-piercing bullet crossed paths with his silhouette, accomplishing nothing.

But the moment he rushed out of the warehouse.

Xu Qing heard three whistling sounds cutting through the air.

Two martial artists in black Combat Suits sprang out from two separate corners.

One wielded a longsword, while the other held a battle blade.

Both struck almost directly at Xu Qing's vital points.

Where was the third person?

Xu Qing had no time to think.

The enemy had come extremely fast.

The instant he rushed out, they had surrounded him.

Xu Qing did not dare let his guard down.

These people were clearly professionals.

So, without hesitation, he swung the spear in his hand in a full circle.

Instantly clearing out everything within a radius of two meters.

The two martial artists did not seem surprised by this. They easily dodged the spear's sweep.

They intended to counterattack during the gap after Xu Qing's attack.

But how could Xu Qing not know what they were planning? Like a roaming dragon, he gave the sweeping spear a light twist.

The spear, rigid as an iron rod, immediately turned supple, transforming into a long whip as it lashed toward the sword-wielding martial artist!

From the moment he stepped out, Xu Qing had not used his Combat Secret Technique.

He wanted to disguise himself as an ordinary Rank Five martial artist.

Yet with that strike, he instantly unleashed three times his strength.

He had intended to severely wound one of the two careless martial artists in a single blow.

But he had not expected—

At that moment, the long-unseen third person suddenly sprang down from the warehouse roof, gripping a pair of Twin Blades.