Chapter 99: Adrift in the Martial World

Bai Xiaosheng, a reporter for the Martial Arts Channel, had been following this operation closely. Ever since they left the City of Phantom Moon, he had been in a state of intense excitement. Though he had frequently attended various events hosted by the two major corporations, this was the first time he had witnessed such a large gathering of elite fighters engaged in a single operation. He even felt that this mobilization of top-tier talent from both the Blue Corporation and his own company would be earth-shattering—in a sense, it might even be recorded in the annals of Star Wars history.

However, the encounter at Wind Forest Volcano shattered all his previous journalistic assumptions. What was most important for a reporter? Imagination, because there is nothing you cannot see, only things you cannot conceive of.

The Qimen Corporation’s interception squad consisted of only six people, including a female reporter, yet these six had wiped out the entire group of "history-making" elites without suffering a single casualty. Bai suddenly felt that the world of Star Wars was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; if the three major cities in the southern region alone possessed such terrifying experts, he decided he would preserve this footage at all costs. He had already settled on a headline: "How to Forge a Legend."

At this moment, Wu Hua had already holstered his M500. He extended his fist toward the still-stunned Ling Lan, then beckoned with his index finger, signaling her to bring it on.

This gesture instantly infuriated Ling Lan. Among the Seven Fairies, she was the most composed, but she had never suffered such an insult. To her, Wu Hua’s gesture was more humiliating than being stripped naked.

Ling Lan slowly raised her head, her face flushing a strange, eerie red.

"Bad news," 1860 remarked. "The little girl is using stimulants."

Ling Lan had indeed used a potion—a powerful genetic booster designed to maximize her strength. She had to take him out in one go, or she would be the one killed in an instant.

"Ya!" Ling Lan let out a shrill cry, rushing forward with her bronze-green sword.

She thrust the sword in a straight line. The move was simple, but the momentum was astonishing. Wu Hua stepped aside lightly, and Ling Lan transitioned into a lateral swipe. Wu Hua executed a backflip, a maneuver he had now mastered, once again slipping out of her attack range.

Ling Lan’s specialty was continuous combos. As Wu Hua retreated, she vaulted into the air, launching a flying kick followed by a sword strike. Her movements were seamless; if the first strike failed, the follow-up was already there.

Cang Lang commented with admiration, "The Blue Corporation finally has someone worth noting."

Wu Hua still hadn't drawn his gun. Dodging, weaving, rolling, and flipping—his combat techniques had improved significantly, all thanks to the half-month of training at Yunmeng.

*Swish.* -486!

A gash appeared on Wu Hua’s chest, blood flowing freely.

After all, a warrior’s combat technique was superior to a gunman’s. Wu Hua pulled back in shock. Ling Lan swooped down from mid-air, her green-clad sword dancing in a cross-pattern. She followed with a seven-strike Gale Slash, leaving trails of light, and finished with a Wolf God Explosive Slash aimed straight at his head.

*Puff, puff, puff.*

-340! -323! -336! -349!

Wu Hua took several hits, losing over 2,000 HP in an instant, but he managed to roll away just in time to dodge the final lethal blow.

Every three-hit combo required a three-second cooldown; the longer the combo, the longer the pause, and the more stamina it drained.

Ling Lan stood panting, heaving for breath. Her bronze sword was a sharp weapon, and she firmly believed no gunman could survive her three-hit combo, especially since she was fully geared in green equipment and had consumed genetic stimulants.

But she was wrong. When she looked up, Wu Hua was not only alive and well, but lying on the ground, having retrieved his heavy gun. The long, slender barrel of the Star of Finland was pointed directly at her chest.

"Bang!"

The gunshot was like a thunderclap. Ling Lan was struck as if by lightning. The bullet hit her chest, and she was knocked backward like a kite with a broken string, landing seven or eight meters away. She slumped to the ground, her sword slipping from her hand.

-5619!

She was indeed wearing full green gear, which reduced the damage from the Star of Finland by half, and with the genetic potion, she hadn't died instantly. But at this point, it made no difference.

Ling Lan struggled to rise, kneeling on one knee, feeling a strange power surging in her chest. Three seconds later, she could no longer hold on, and a mouthful of blood erupted from her lips.

Wu Hua walked up to her, gun in hand, looking at her coldly. "Because you're a woman, I'll show you mercy. Go back and tell your big sister to come see me herself."

Ling Lan spat out a curse, "Crazy, you son of a b—" Before the word "die" could leave her lips, the Star of Finland barked again.

-5781!

Ling Lan’s chest exploded, and she was blasted into fragments. A ghostly white light ascended into the air; the Federal General Hall would certainly not be lonely tonight.

Wu Hua exhaled and turned around.

Spicy Girl’s face was covered in dust and bloodstains, yet she appeared calm. She walked up slowly. "Brother."

"Sister Spicy," Wu Hua said quietly.

Her expression remained tranquil. No one could understand how she could remain so calm at a time like this.

Wu Hua said, "Sister Spicy, I only want to say one thing: if you hadn't hired me back then, I wouldn't be who I am today."

Spicy Girl sighed. "Brother, you are a real man."

Wu Hua sighed as well. "Sister Spicy, go. I hope we can still be friends in the future."

Spicy Girl replied, "Brother, you don't understand. I have always been a person of the Blue Corporation."

"I understand," Wu Hua said.

Spicy Girl said nothing more. She slowly raised the muzzle of her M16.

Wu Hua did not move.

*Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat—* The sound of a light machine gun echoed.

Spicy Girl’s body shuddered violently four or five times before she collapsed to her knees. A faint smile touched the corner of her lips. "Thank you!" With that, she breathed her last and slowly dissolved into white light.

Cang Lang lowered his gun and sighed. "Why bother? Why throw your life away for such a company? Sigh! Pitiful!"

Seeing Spicy Girl’s tragic end, the middle-aged woman beside her charged forward with her sword. She didn't dodge, letting 1860’s lightning and Cang Lang’s machine gun fire tear into her. The result was the same; she collapsed to her knees and died in silence, saying nothing.

1860 lowered his energy staff and said solemnly, "These two girls were tougher than the others."

"Tougher? They were ten thousand times better than that trash," Cang Lang said, staring at the ground. Spicy Girl’s M16 had dropped. He walked over and picked it up slowly. "What was her name? I’ll return this gun to her when the time comes."

Wu Hua glanced at the still-stunned Long Zhan Xingye, turned to the group, and said, "Let’s retreat!"

1860 said, "I think that’s enough. They should be able to hold the upper levels now. Send a message to Boss Tie, tell him to send someone to pick us up. Send a plane—I'm not riding in a car."

Lost Sunshine glared at him. "Quit showing off."

1860 glared back. "Three days without a beating and you're already tearing the roof tiles off?"

Lost Sunshine retorted angrily, "I’ll poison you to death! How much HP do you even have?"

"You want to try?" 1860 snapped.

...

The couple began to bicker. Bai Xiaosheng, carrying his camera, stood dumbfounded. Long Zhan Xingye was plunged into an unprecedented silence; for Wu Hua’s group to kill him would have been better, but to ignore him was the ultimate insult—in their eyes, he didn't even qualify as someone worth killing.

As the saying goes, what goes around comes around.

Mr. Tie watched the scene on the screen, stood up, and said to Tian Na, "Contact a helicopter immediately to pick them up. Have it land at the entrance of the Dream Star Hotel. While you're at it, book the best luxury suite in the hotel. Also, tell the finance department to prepare the checks. I am going to receive them personally..."

"Yes, Boss!" Tian Na smiled and left the conference room.