The Cultivation Holders Association's Trump Card

The vehicle drove toward the Old District, where street patrols remained as strict as ever.

However, Qin Annian noticed that the tense atmosphere in the city had eased considerably. The citizens' initial panic and worry had already vanished.

Every day, the City Government broadcast impressive victories through the news, giving the entire city a vitality completely different from before.

It was like an old tree sprouting new buds, utterly renewed. This was exactly the effect Qian Yuansen and the others wanted.

Boost morale, change the city's spirit, then ride the momentum to achieve outstanding results in the Hundred Cities Tournament, raise Taiyu City's ranking, and secure more resources.

But upon reaching the Old District, the air immediately seemed several times heavier. All kinds of Security Bureau armored vehicles were parked around the blockade lines. Whether from the Operations Division or the Peace Officers, everyone was checking their equipment.

They could enter the battlefield at any moment and completely wipe out the shadow that had occupied Taiyu City for a century.

Several helicopters circled overhead on patrol, joining the drones that formed the "Sky Net" to create an impenetrable net that missed no blind spot.

From time to time, individuals or squads that received orders swiftly entered the Old District.

After checking his equipment, Qin Annian silently headed toward his assigned location.

The scorched smell left behind by a fire lingered in the air throughout the streets and alleys.

Soot-blackened walls, stairwells piled with twisted doors and windows—ruins and wreckage were everywhere.

This saved the City Government quite a bit of effort. When the time came, they could simply bring in bulldozers, flatten everything, and rebuild.

Southwest District A3 Street. Qin Annian remembered that this place had apparently once been called East Tenth Alley. Passing through this alley and crossing another two streets would lead out of the Old District.

Another three kilometers farther out, one could leave Taiyu City directly. It was a route that the Cultivation Holders Association's fleeing remnants would very likely choose.

However, Qin Annian was not the only one guarding this direction. There were other martial artists farther out, and beyond them lay the blockade lines the Security Bureau had set up long ago.

They intended to keep even a Cultivation Holders Association fly from leaving Taiyu City.

The surroundings were quiet.

Information from the Supply Ship occasionally came through the combat earpiece.

Since this morning, the Security Bureau had continuously deployed combat personnel into the Southwest District.

Following the tracks of Chen Qintao's "Pathfinder" squad, they entered the underground section of the Old District through the tunnels near the Iron Rod Gang, closing in on the Cultivation Holders Association's underground base.

Once the encirclement was completed tonight, the final assault would begin.

Time passed slowly.

When the setting sun had completely disappeared below the horizon and the blood-red clouds at the edge of the sky were about to fade—

Boom!

A deafening explosion suddenly erupted from beneath the Old District!

The ground seemed to shake violently. Some buildings, already burned beyond recognition, could no longer hold together and came crashing down.

Then came four more deafening explosions in rapid succession.

Under the carefully arranged demolition plan, high-energy explosives blasted through the outer perimeter of the Cultivation Holders Association's underground base. The escape routes marked on the blueprints were also all collapsed by the Assault Team.

The final assault had begun.

Whoosh!

At the same time.

The drones forming the "Sky Net" turned into massive sources of light, illuminating the ground.

At that moment, the entire Old District became as bright as day.

Qin Annian set down the long case, drew out his short gun, and waited in full readiness.

His sharp hearing could catch the sounds of a fierce battle erupting underground in the Old District!

Especially the martial artists with high Life Development Power—the commotion from their clashes was even greater than the earlier explosions!

Boom!

Just then.

A streak of fire suddenly shot into the sky, destroying drones in the distance that had failed to evade in time. A black figure within the flames charged into the night sky, radiating an incomparably scorching aura.

Qin Annian's eyes narrowed. This person's Life Development Power had definitely exceeded one hundred, and he had undergone a considerable degree of mechanical augmentation surgery.

Mechanical wings extended from the flesh on his back, granting him, whose Life Development Power had not exceeded one thousand, the temporary ability to fly.

[Leader of the Cultivation Holders Association—"Evil King." Life Development Power: 328.]

Miss Ju Zi promptly provided information related to this man.

"So he's the leader of the Cultivation Holders Association."

"You actually dared to betray me?!" The leader's eyes were split with rage. A sharp dagger had been driven into his lower right abdomen.

Yet with his formidable vitality, after pulling out the dagger, his flesh wriggled and compressed around the wound, sealing the bleeding.

The Evil King's eyes turned crimson, and his entire aura boiled like molten lava!

He had never imagined that the underground base he believed impregnable would be breached by the Security Bureau so easily.

Even worse, the Security Bureau, having prepared in advance, had blown apart all the escape routes, rendering most of his plans to flee useless!

Sickle knew the Cultivation Holders Association was finished. How could the Evil King not know?

As Taiyu City's armed authority, the Security Bureau had martial artists with Life Development Power exceeding one thousand stationed within it. There were also plenty whose Life Development Power surpassed his, the strongest member of the Cultivation Holders Association.

If those powerful figures living in the light were unwilling to continue serving as their umbrella.

Then the Cultivation Holders Association and the Security Bureau were like an egg and a stone—the former would shatter upon impact.

The reason the Evil King had caused such a huge disturbance was to find an opportunity to escape Taiyu City with some important items.

If he went to another city-state and was willing to bow his head, there would still be plenty of powerful figures willing to take them in as their black gloves.

The Security Bureau had made up its mind to encircle and eliminate the Cultivation Holders Association. Escaping Taiyu City would naturally be exceedingly difficult, but after operating in the Old District for so long, the Evil King had his own trump card as well.

But he had never expected there to be an undercover Security Bureau agent within the Cultivation Holders Association!

There was a traitor in his own ranks—and not just anyone, but the trusted confidant he valued most, the Cultivation Holders Association's third-ranking figure!

At that moment.

The Evil King's scalp went numb.

He had already been forced into a desperate situation. As he watched figures whose Life Development Power vastly exceeded his appear all around him.

The Evil King's expression became utterly crazed!

"This is all your fault!"

"You want me dead?"

"Then let's die together!"

"Let the entire Taiyu City be buried with me!"

No one knew what he had activated.

Rumble!

The entire Old District suddenly began to shake violently.

Boom!

Immediately afterward, the ground of the Old District began to break apart. At the location of the underground base, a cylindrical, cigar-shaped object slowly emerged from the earth amid the shattered ruins!

Its exterior was a dazzling silver, made almost blinding beneath the drones' lights.

Its entire structure was seamless, without the slightest trace of rivets, and it did not conform to aerodynamics.

However.

Through the intelligence prompt from Miss Ju Zi, everyone's hearts tightened!

"It's a battleship!"

"An alien starship!"

How could a starship possibly be buried beneath Taiyu City?!

This kind of war machine could unleash extraordinarily terrifying combat power. It was not something ordinary martial artists could handle.

Once it opened fire at full force, Taiyu City would undoubtedly be reduced to ruins in an extremely short time!

Just as panic began to spread, an incomparably dazzling beam of light suddenly slashed down from the heavens!

Under the night sky.

Zhang Qifeng, wielding the Ship-Slaying Blade, stood in midair and single-handedly pinned the battleship down, preventing it from rising even half an inch further!