Onoda Juro's attacks were extremely exaggerated, striking at incredible speed with agile footwork, making him truly an all-rounder in both offense and defense.
Meanwhile, as time passed, Yuan Zhu found himself with fewer and fewer attributes to transfer. Under Juro's rapid and decisive attacks, he was gradually losing the ability to fight back.
"Game over. Trash will always be trash. You can go die now!", Juro said coldly. His eyes flashed with killing intent as he used his bizarre footwork to maneuver behind Yuan Zhu, thrusting his sword straight toward Yuan Zhu's back.
"Piercing Slash!", At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared behind Yuan Zhu.
With a loud bang, the Tragic Light Blade pierced through a shield.
Li Biao roared, "Want to kill him? Did you ask me first?"
"Zhuzi, snap out of it! Go help Nuannuan and the others—I'll hold him off! Move!", Li Biao took the chance to shout at Yuan Zhu behind him.
However, just as he finished speaking, Juro's figure blurred again, swiftly circling around to Li Biao's back.
He leaned against Li Biao, reversed his grip on the Tragic Light Blade, and stabbed backward.
"You think trash like you can hold me off? Overestimating yourself!"
With a pfft, the longsword pierced straight through Li Biao's back, emerging from his chest.
After landing his strike, Juro pressed his wrist downward, dragging the blade down Li Biao's body for over ten centimeters.
Yuan Zhu hurriedly turned back, but Juro had already flickered away to the side.
What Yuan Zhu saw was Li Biao's body slowly tilting forward.
He rushed forward to catch Li Biao, his eyes turning bloodshot.
Li Biao looked at Yuan Zhu and forced a weak smile, "Sorry, Captain... I was too useless… Zhuzi, don't be afraid. I told you, I... will stay… with you…"
After saying this, Li Biao coughed violently, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood, his face twisted in extreme pain.
Before long, Li Biao took his last breath.
Only now did Yuan Zhu notice that Li Biao's body was already covered in countless wounds, big and small.
During the previous battles, Li Biao had already been gravely injured, which was why he fell so easily.
Yuan Zhu's lips trembled, and the alcohol in his system seemed to vanish instantly…
Without the influence of alcohol, his greatest weakness was laid bare.
He lifted his head blankly, looking at the battlefield ahead.
Brother Chen had been killed. The Captain was dead. Several more teammates lay lifeless on the ground.
Sister Hua was desperately covering Nuannuan as they attempted to break through, but their squad was down to only seven or eight people.
Captain Zhu Yuan was fighting madly to carve out an escape route, yet enemies continued to chase relentlessly.
He still remembered the first time he followed Tiger Squad for leveling. He had fainted in fear at the sight of a Phantom Banshee, and Brother Chen had cursed at him while carrying him a long way.
But despite the scolding, every time he passed out, Brother Chen was always the first to rescue him.
("And you call yourself the 'Number One War God'? What a joke. Beat me first before bragging!"), Brother Chen had always mocked him like that.
And at times like that, Sister Hua would never hesitate to scold Brother Chen.
("Zhuzi might grow into the real Number One War God someday! Zhuzi, work hard and slap his face for me in the future!")
The Captain had always been strict, but when he learned that Yuan Zhu had received an E-rank evaluation, he insisted on getting it reassessed despite everyone's objections.
He had said he would never abandon any soldier under his command.
He remembered that before their departure, the five of them had made a vow: even if they had to risk their lives, they would complete the mission no matter what.
And now, only three members of Tiger Squad remained.
Yuan Zhu slowly stood up, staring intently at Onoda Juro. His hands trembled at first, but gradually, he gripped his heavy sword firmly.
"Captain, I was wrong. If not for me, you could have had a chance to escape!", Yuan Zhu said softly.
"With you all around, I should have never relied on Brother Ruan's liquor in the first place."
With a thunderous boom, a powerful surge of energy erupted from Yuan Zhu, sending the surrounding dead leaves scattering.
Juro's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Yuan Zhu.
"True Qi? Impossible! How can a Second-Tier Martial Disciple use True Qi?"
Not only did Juro notice it, but even Hochman and the other experts saw this shocking scene.
"Hahaha! Finally, Huaxia has sent a proper martial artist!"
"A Second-Tier being able to unleash True Qi? Interesting! It's time to prove that martial artists are just useless!"
However, just when everyone thought Yuan Zhu would fight Juro to avenge his Captain, he suddenly turned around and leaped forward. With a few swift movements, he caught up with the Huaxia breakout squad.
Su Nuannuan's eyes widened as she saw him.
"Wasn't this guy drunk? How is he escaping with us?"
"Nuannuan, stay close to the team! Leave the rest to me!", Yuan Zhu growled, charging ahead to catch up with Zhu Yuan.
"Captain Zhu, let me clear the path for you!"
"Xuanwu Sword!"
Yuan Zhu roared, sweeping his heavy sword forward. A fierce surge of energy blasted out, instantly repelling several blocking experts.
Zhu Yuan shot a shocked glance at Yuan Zhu, utterly astonished, "True Qi attacks? This…"
But now was not the time to dwell on it. With Yuan Zhu's help, his burden lightened, and their chances of breaking through increased.
"Nicely done! Everyone, move! We will complete this mission!"
———
[Jiangzhong City Military Hospital]
Jiang Kai watched the video feed of Yuan Zhu and the others, a slight smile curling at his lips.
"This kid… he's grown a lot… That Xuanwu Sword just now—what was that? So powerful!"
———
[City 073, an abandoned hotel building]
Heavy curtains blocked out the morning sunlight, shrouding the room in darkness. Several figures sat in the shadows, their faces faintly illuminated by the flickering video feed in front of them.
"This kid actually used the Xuanwu Sword!", One man was surprised, "When we gave him that skill, we thought he'd need at least Tier Three before he could use it."
Another person spoke calmly, "We've studied this long ago—innate abilities are often tied to one's personality."
"Yuan Zhu's usual cowardice is just one extreme. It also means that when he activates his potential, he can explode with power beyond ordinary people's reach."
This person's voice was eerily familiar. If Yuan Zhu were here, he would instantly recognize him as that mysterious man.
The man continued, "To be honest, his True Qi is still weak. Barely even forming a proper layer. That last move was just an imitation. He's nowhere near unleashing the full power of the Xuanwu Sword."
Someone else remarked, "You can't expect a Second-Tier Martial Disciple to use real True Qi. The fact that he could do this much is already impressive."
The man chuckled, "I'm not just setting high expectations. As one of our chosen, he must surpass others. But what's truly commendable is that, even in that moment, he prioritized protecting the squad and completing the mission. That is his greatest growth!"
"With the Xuanwu Sword's protection, Huaxia should be able to reach their safe zone."
But just as he finished speaking, multiple figures suddenly emerged ahead of the Huaxia squad. Blocking their escape.
Hochman alone blocked the front of the Huaxia team. Facing Yuan Zhu's sweeping sword strike, Hochman neither dodged nor avoided it. Instead, he roared, "Today, none of you are leaving!"
"Exclusive Relic · Blood of the Berserker!"
Hochman's entire body seemed to boil with blood, continuously emitting steam. His skin turned red, and his whole demeanor became even more frenzied.
In an instant, Hochman had already charged to Zhu Yuan's front, his speed and momentum far exceeding before. His hands directly clapped towards Zhu Yuan's ears.
"You're the third one I'm killing today!", Hochman roared.
Onoda Juro was even more enraged. He pulled out a new card, instantly materializing a katana with a golden base and a crimson blade.
"Unique Equipment · Soul-Devouring Blade!"
The Soul-Devouring Blade slashed down fiercely, directly breaking through Yuan Zhu's True Qi sword energy and ruthlessly striking at him.
Yuan Zhu raised his greatsword to block.
With a clang, Yuan Zhu's greatsword was actually severed on the spot.
Two top fighters had each unleashed their trump cards—one an exclusive relic, the other a unique weapon. Their power was overwhelming.
Zhu Yuan shouted in a deep voice, "Zhuzi, take them and go!"
Then, with a quick step, he dodged Hochman's attack. Seizing the momentum of his evasion, he struck toward Onoda Juro.
"I've had enough!"
Not far away, a woman clad in chainmail and a black cloak parted her red lips beneath her black hood, "Still not done fighting?"
"Forget it. I'll end this."
"Entangling Sorcery!"
The woman extended her slender fingers forward.
Suddenly, beneath the feet of the Huaxia fighters, several thick vines burst from the ground. As if they had eyes, the vines chased after the Huaxia members, and within moments, they had captured the entire breakout squad.
Zhu Yuan's eyes widened, just as he was about to cut the vines apart, the woman had already appeared in front of him.
"Still not giving up?"
"Sigh, to be honest, I kind of admire your Huaxia squad's determination and strength. To hold out this long despite being surrounded by an enemy force three times your size, and now, you're only four kilometers away from your destination… You're indeed strong."
Zhu Yuan suddenly froze.
'The woman said we are only four kilometers from our destination? In other words, she knows where we were going?'
'The Dawn Operation… was leaked?'
In fact, from the beginning, he had felt that the enemy's reinforcements were arriving too fast.
Beneath the hood, those seductive red lips curled into a slight smile, revealing dazzling white teeth.
"Don't look at me like that. You're right. We've known about your plan for a long time. Otherwise, would you have encountered such heavy ambushes the moment you emerged? The intensity of this blockade is greater than any before. Hochman and Onoda Juro wouldn't have specifically prepared exclusive relics and weapons just for you otherwise."
"Also, let me give you another piece of news. The breakout operations of your thirty-something allied nations… all squads have been completely wiped out. Now, you are the only ones left."
"Even if you reach the stronghold, what difference can a few of you make?"
The woman spoke calmly, "Don't believe me? Why don't I release you and let you turn around? Take a look—at your A-point teleportation formation. Are any other teams following behind you?"
After speaking, the woman actually released the vines.
Zhu Yuan did not immediately escape. The woman had specifically named their teleportation point as A-point, a code only known to the breakout nations.
This also confirmed her previous words.
Zhu Yuan turned back in a daze, looking toward the teleportation formation.
The other nations' squads should have logged in just a few minutes after Huaxia. However, up until now, behind them, there were only pursuers—no allies!
The woman stood behind him, her tone still indifferent, "As recognition of your strength, I'll let you reach the stronghold. That way, you can completely give up hope."
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