Enemies Everywhere

A storm is brewing.

A strong wind swept in from the north, and dark clouds had already gathered in the sky.

The giant Ding Dong sat atop the Green Mountain Cliff, still gazing into the distance beyond Forbidden Zone No. 002.

Behind him, a small mountain of fruit was still being carefully guarded.

While Ding Dong was facing away, a little monkey sneaked closer to the fruit, intending to steal one or two and run away.

In the woods behind the Green Mountain Cliff, countless monkeys hung upside down from the trees, cautiously watching to see if their companions would succeed.

However, before the little monkey could get close, it was enveloped by a huge shadow.

It looked up in astonishment and saw a towering giant, as tall as a mountain, standing Ding Dong in front of it. The monkey was terrified!

However, Ding Dong didn't make a move. Instead, she tapped the monkey's head with her thick index finger and gently shoved it away.

"Ding Dong!"

(This is for my friends, you can't eat it!)

The monkey chattered incessantly, seemingly somewhat indignant.

"Ding Dong!"

(I know we've known each other longer, but I really like this friend.)

Just then, outside Forbidden Zone No. 002, airships crisscrossed the sky, and Ding Dong troop transports could be seen arriving.

Even multi-functional field combat vehicles were deployed.

They were positioned across the road leading north to Forbidden Zone No. 002, and all vehicles coming from the north that wanted to enter Forbidden Zone No. 002 would be stopped.

Countless soldiers disembarked from the troop carriers and, under the cover of dozens of war robots, swarmed towards the northern mountains like ants, attempting to blockade the northern mountainous region.

Like moths under a streetlamp on a summer midnight, the drone buzzed and swarmed in the air before flying away.

At an altitude of 8,000 meters, two enormous A-Class Airship hovered in the sky.

This is a fully-fledged Group Army Field Brigade, a unit typically deployed during peacetime only to clear out settlements of tens of thousands of people in remote, undeveloped areas. Each deployment requires...

Massive military spending.

At this moment, however, it was used by someone to intercept several people without regard for the cost.

These scenes unfolded right before Ding Dong's eyes. He didn't recognize these people, but at one moment, he wondered if they were related to the boy he was waiting for.

Ding Dong became worried. Could that boy already be on his way? How should she tell him?

Suddenly, a deafening roar rang out from beneath the towering tree in the distance.

Ding Dong was startled and quickly stood up to look in the direction of the big tree.

Once he realized what had happened, he immediately used a huge leaf to wrap up the mountain of fruit, carried it on his back, and ran and jumped towards the depths of the Forbidden Zone.

That leaf belonged to the towering tree at the center of Forbidden Zone No. 002; when unfolded, it was as large as Ding Dong's height.

In earlier years, the creatures in the Forbidden Zone would use fallen leaves to shelter from the wind and rain, but that giant tree did not shed leaves often, and its branches and leaves remained lush all year round.

Later, Ding Dong climbed up a tall tree to pick leaves and built some nests for the creatures in the center of the Forbidden Zone.

If we were to choose the most popular creature in the Forbidden Zone, it would undoubtedly be Ding Dong.

Until he promised to treat Qing Chen to fruit in the spring.

Return countdown: 36:00:00.

In the wilderness, the pickup truck was still wobbling southwards.

Behind them rolled in dark clouds, which, from the horizon, looked like a high wall chasing after the pickup truck, creating a magnificent and thrilling scene.

Shadow said from inside the truck bed, "A Group Army under Qing Wen's father has been mobilized in the north, Qing Shi's father seems to be making moves as well. If I'm not mistaken, this elite Qing clan force will join forces with the Chen Clan troops in the south to encircle us and trap us firmly in the wilderness."

"Do you already know who made the move?" Qing Chen asked.

"We've found two main culprits, and of course, there are accomplices hiding in the shadows," Shadow explained. "Those who have come forward so far are the most ambitious for the Shadow position...

They can't bear to let you remain a shadow for another ten years. After all, you've already so quickly acquired the strength and courage to break out of Base A02, and you possess a reputation and following unmatched by anyone in your generation.

Shadow: "I've suppressed them for ten years, but I haven't even damaged their foundation. But if you suppress them for another ten years, the Qing family will be ours. So, their determination to kill you is as firm as iron... even I'm just an afterthought. How about this, although these big shots are all in hiding, I can go and kill Qing Wen, Qing Shi, and Qing Xing all of them, then they'll have no hope!"

Qing Chen was both amused and exasperated. "Can you please stop joking around like this? There's no point in going on a killing spree like this."

"Alright, you're in charge now," Shadow chuckled, leaning back in the pickup truck. "What's your plan?"

Qing Chen calmly said, "Go to Forbidden Zone No. 002."

Too many people want to kill him, but he only has one thing to do: reach Forbidden Zone No. 002!

Qing Chen looked at the shadow and asked, "With such a large mobilization, aren't they afraid you'll open the Shadow Gate and run away?"

The Shadow Gate is truly a wonderful thing; it allows you to fight and escape, and you can leave whenever you want.

If it weren't for the bizarre containment conditions of this Forbidden Item, Qing Chen would also love to possess it.

Shadow smiled and said to Qing Chen, "They know I created this opportunity, and they know I'm waiting for Chen Yu and Li Bingxi, so they want to gamble: they're better prepared than I am!"

"I understand. In Texas Hold'em, some people have three Kings and some have three Aces. Everyone thinks they can win the game," Qing Chen said. "Usually, in this kind of game, people will bet the biggest chips."

"Okay, I'm going to take a nap," Shadow said with a smile.

At that very moment.

Qing Chen saw the shadow suddenly close its eyes and droop its head.

There was no heartbeat, no breathing.

Qing Chen was stunned for a moment, and his expression suddenly changed.

I just said I had three aces in my hand, and then those three aces folded?!

He shook his shadow tentatively and asked, "Big brother? Are you faking it or are you really? At this time..."

A sudden backlash wouldn't be good.

Yang Yang muttered to herself, "Judging from the force field, it's not faked; it's very weak."

Qing Chen was both amused and exasperated. "Wait, let's wait an hour and see if we can get him to wake up."

"Um."

An hour passed.

This time, the backlash against the shadow lasted even longer than before. Half an hour had passed, but the shadow showed no signs of waking up.

Qing Chen had a bad feeling.

For some reason, Shadow seemed to be actively hibernating, preparing for the impending earth-shattering battle.

Last time, when the shadow backfired, even he himself couldn't predict when it would happen.

This time was different. This time, Shadow notified Qing Chen in advance, so it was more like he was taking the initiative to accept some backlash in order to avoid the backlash coming at the most critical moment in the future.

Qing Chen asked, "Yang Yang, how many people can you carry with you when you fly?"

Yang Yang said, "Two can maintain high-speed flight, three will significantly reduce the speed, and four won't be enough to keep it moving."

There were seven of them...

"Abandon the car," Qing Chen said, frowning. "Driving on the road makes us too conspicuous. The Qing family has already offered enough Pledge of Allegiance; Chen Yu and Li Bingxi won't wait any longer. The Qing family has no way out."

"Okay," Yang Yang, sitting in the back of the truck and patting the driver's side window. "Stop the truck. We're not far from Forbidden Zone No. 002. We'll hike through the mountains."

If what Shadow said is true, and the main force of the Chen family is waiting in the south, then walking on the main road would be like courting death.

They were about 240 kilometers away from Forbidden Zone No. 002. If they traveled quickly, they could cross the mountains in about two days.

The pickup truck stopped by the roadside, Qing Chen carefully carried Shadow on his back.

The person who had always protected him had now handed his life into his hands without any warning.

Just as Yang Yang said, Qing Chen is the only person Yingzi can unconditionally trust right now.

Zard asked curiously, "...

"How about I carry it? I'm strong!"

Qing Chen shook his head. "You are now the most skilled player in the team, a true master, so we can't put any pressure on you. You need to focus entirely on the battle."

Zard grinned from ear to ear. "Boss, it seems my identity as a master, master, master can no longer be kept a secret from you all."

Qing Chen: "... Let's go."

Sun Chuci and Tuanzi looked at Pikachu with reluctance.

The car that accompanied them from the very beginning of their journey is now saying goodbye.

Qing Chen, standing to the side, said, "You two should stop cultivating the Myriad Thunder Department and start cultivating the Zhunti Method instead."

"Huh?" Sun Chuci was taken aback. "Is there a difference?"

Qing Chen said, "The Zhunti Method was practiced by Nangong Yuanyu and the others from the Freemasons, and it's also currently being practiced by Zhang Tianzhen, Nan Gengchen, Liu Dezhu, and Li Tongyun. For example, a genius like Xiao Tongyun, I would suggest she switch to the Myriad Thunder Department; with her foundation, she could quickly transform Zhunti True Qi into Thunder Essence. But you two... are more suited to practicing the Zhunti Method. I saw you two crawling into a tent last night?"

Sun Chuci asked doubtfully, "What does it mean that the two of us are more suitable? Is there any relationship between them?"

"Yes, you'll find out later," Qing Chen said. "Also, there's another shortcut to the Zhunti Method, which is initiation."

The next step is a long journey. Sun Chuci and Tuanzi are still ordinary people and certainly cannot adapt to the intensity of outdoor trekking. Therefore, Qing Chen needs to help them grow.

Now, the Knight True Qi within Qing Chen's body is like a vast ocean, capable of unleashing two E-rank Qi in one breath, which is more than enough.

After the initiation, Sun Chuci and Tuanzi stared at their hands in disbelief.

They found it hard to believe that the realm of cultivation they had once dreamed of had been reached in the blink of an eye.

Thinking back to those team members who abandoned them to do missions, they had no idea how many missions they had to complete or how many days and nights they had to spend to reach level E.

This is the benefit of following the right people.

As for Zhang Mengqian...

This child is so pitiful; Yang Yang sneaks around while walking...

Zard secretly activated an anti-gravity field for him, and Zard even used his ability to help him move, making him walk as if he were a master of shrinking the distance between people.

Shadow would also make excuses that the things in the backpack were useless and then throw them away to help Zhang Mengqian lighten her load.

Qing Chen frowned for a long time, but ultimately said nothing.

I don't know what the point is for the little boy to be carrying an empty backpack...

However, now is not the time to think about these things.

The group ventured into the mountains and headed south.

Ahead, the mountains resembled a fortress, fraught with danger. Qing Chen and his companions had to fight their way through.

Just three hours after Qing Chen and his group abandoned their vehicle, a special forces unit suddenly appeared next to it.

What's odd is that, in addition to carrying firearms, this group also carried two black briefcases.

They did not wear semi-enclosed exoskeleton-powered armor.

Generally speaking, soldiers who want to conduct raids in the wilderness will definitely wear exoskeleton armor unless they are high-level genetic warriors who are extremely confident in their physical strength.

This special forces unit consists of 41 people, each with 12 scars on their faces, which have disfigured them and made them unrecognizable by facial recognition.

They have never left their own DNA comparison records in the federal database.

The Faceless Unit.

It is also one of the most elite special forces units in the Federation.

They connected the vehicle's central control panel to a miniature handheld computer. The person inspecting the vehicle looked at the handheld computer and said softly, "The vehicle's last departure time was three hours ago. Their team includes both experts and ordinary people; they can't be much faster than us."

The Faceless Unit's action leader was silent for a moment, then gave a tactical signal, and the 41 men quickly infiltrated towards the distant mountains.

These 41 people leaped and darted through the mountains and forests with the agility and speed of monkeys; each of them was a gene warrior of B grade or above!

This is the most elite special forces force that other forces created through an arms race after learning of the existence of the Shadow Unit.

Each person here would be capable of leading Group Army independently at the battalion level.

After the Faceless Unit entered the mountains and fields.

Another brigade-sized force arrived at the abandoned vehicle and made the same choice as the Faceless Unit.

A lieutenant colonel ordered the main force to continue advancing along the main road, while his reconnaissance battalion, composed of genetically engineered soldiers, headed lightly into the mountains.

These reconnaissance battalions have a total of five hundred soldiers, each of whom is a D-level gene warrior, and the battalion commander is even a B-level one.

A massive number of mechanical spiders were dumped in the mountains and fields, advancing alongside the gene warriors. The mechanical spiders moved along the ground with their four mechanical claws gripping the ground, making a rustling sound that sent chills down one's spine.

An adjutant asked, "There's a shadow in that group. Even if we pile up our lives, we can't kill him. Is there any point in doing this?"

The lieutenant colonel sneered, "Of course there is. Shadow's abilities can't be used without restraint. Every person he kills accumulates a backlash, a pattern that the higher-ups observed for ten years before discovering. Do you think Shadow isn't afraid of human wave tactics? No, he is. Otherwise, why do you think he's been so cautious all these years? It's only in the last few months that he's become somewhat reckless."

Lieutenant Colonel: "Don't worry, all we're asked to do is make a statement. The one who will ultimately end Shadow and Qing Chen is not us, but the demigod."

Four thousand words chapter