Chapter 105

Zuo Shanyi stared fixedly at Ding Huan as he slowly approached, knowing his own strength was undoubtedly superior to this man who walked with Qi Xinyue.

Earlier, he had been frightened by Ding Huan—this man could sense his hidden silk threads and had severed them with true-energy blade flashes, which was simply terrifying.

Later, after carefully recalling the scene, he realized he had probably overthought it.

The true-energy blade flashes Ding Huan had used at the time were utterly chaotic, sprayed out indiscriminately with no targeting at all.

It was very likely Ding Huan had been afraid, worried he possessed some hidden technique, so he simply unleashed true-energy blade flashes everywhere.

And by sheer luck, he had actually cut through Zuo Shanyi's hidden silk threads.

Even knowing Ding Huan might have just been guessing, Zuo Shanyi still dared not let his guard down, and would never risk a direct confrontation.

So he hid here, waiting to deliver a single devastating blow against Ding Huan.

If the Heavenly Net hadn't been taken by Ding Huan, even if he knew he could ambush and win, he still wouldn't have acted—he would've fled first.

Zuo Shanyi had survived this long, even reached the rank of Divine Artisan, not because of his talent, but because he could endure, could bide his time.

Whether facing Ding Huan, a near-Divine Artisan, or even a newly initiated Divine Apprentice, he would still choose ambush.

No one had ever inflicted such a humiliating defeat on Zuo Shanyi and gotten away with it—if it were some other item, he could wait until his cultivation improved to seek revenge.

But the Heavenly Net was different—it was his lifeline. This man who walked with Qi Xinyue wanted his Heavenly Net and the Radiant Spirit Crystals? Forget it.

As for Qi Xinyue, he paid her no mind at all—just a newly initiated Divine Apprentice.

Watching Ding Huan draw nearer, Zuo Shanyi calculated the distance.

Now. This was the moment.

Zuo Shanyi was just about to strike when he felt a wave of deathly aura sweep over him.

Zuo Shanyi's body bristled with cold sweat—he no longer dared to ambush Ding Huan and immediately tried to flee.

But the deathly aura had already reached his body; his divine art force surged wildly, and his entire form trembled in response to the killing intent.

"Puff!" Ding Huan felt his Starry Blade pierce the opponent's body—but a bizarre thing happened.

The dung beetle's body, which had just moments ago withstood his slash, now offered no resistance as the blade entered.

It was as if he had slashed at drifting willow fluff—the fluff simply floated upward along the blade's path, clinging to its back, preventing the blade from severing it.

Ding Huan snorted, pouring his spiritual sense forcefully into the Starry Blade—a sudden slash of blade qi shot upward.

Crack!

One leg was severed by Ding Huan's blade.

Before Ding Huan could strike again, the gray shadow snatched up the severed leg and vanished instantly, leaving only a pool of blood on the ground.

"Dung Beetle, remember to wash your neck well—don't let me see you next time," Ding Huan said, knowing he couldn't chase down this slippery eel, so he threw out a threat instead.

Hearing Ding Huan's words, Zuo Shanyi fled even more frantically.

He realized this mistake stemmed from his own recklessness and arrogance—he would never commit such a low-level error again.

What made him think Ding Huan didn't know he was hiding inside the tree trunk? What made him think Ding Huan had just been guessing before?

From now on, he wouldn't emerge to seek revenge on Ding Huan until he reached the rank of Divine Master.

"Did he escape?" Qi Xinyue asked, still shaken.

Ding Huan nodded: "He won't dare come back this time. He thought I couldn't sense him, so he hid inside the tree trunk. Luckily you taught me the Divine Concealment Art—I spotted him lurking there. Otherwise, I'd have been at a serious disadvantage."

This wasn't politeness—Ding Huan knew well that if Qi Xinyue hadn't taught him the Divine Concealment Art, he would have truly been in trouble.

His next major task, besides raising his cultivation, was to solidify his spiritual sense—only then could he launch spiritual sense attacks.

Moreover, in the future, he wouldn't need to rely on true energy—he could detect all hidden presences around him using only his spiritual sense.

"We should leave this place and find somewhere else to cultivate," Ding Huan said, pulling out a glass vial to collect some of the dung beetle's blood.

If he got the chance, he would create a lethal gene toxin mist specifically targeting the dung beetle.

This dung beetle was simply too good at hiding—unless he prepared a killer move, Ding Huan felt uneasy.

If Zuo Shanyi knew Ding Huan's thoughts, he might just go mad with rage.

You've already got me cornered, and yet you're still preparing gene toxins? Don't you have any honor?

"Where are we going?" Qi Xinyue asked after Ding Huan finished collecting the blood.

"Head toward Kunlun Mountain—but we need to find a quiet place along the way to further enhance our strength."

Ding Huan had twenty-one Radiant Spirit Crystals—he intended to raise his cultivation to Level Nine Gene Cultivator first.

Africa's mountain ranges were too numerous; after just one day of travel, Ding Huan and Qi Xinyue found an ideal cultivation site.

It was a natural cave; after Ding Huan slew several low-level ferocious beasts, the area fell completely silent.

"We'll cultivate here. Take two Radiant Spirit Crystals—we must raise our strength quickly."

Ding Huan felt that in this place, the dung beetle wouldn't be able to find him.

Even if he did come, Ding Huan had blocked the cave entrance—the dung beetle, no matter how powerful, couldn't sneak in silently to ambush him.

Qi Xinyue knew Ding Huan had surplus Radiant Spirit Crystals and didn't refuse this time.

Her low strength would only hold Ding Huan back—she needed to raise her power quickly too.

……

Boom!

The elegant glass doors of the Dongxun Gene Center building were shattered into fragments.

Several Gene Alliance security officers rushed forward with weapons—but none dared to strike first upon seeing the man who had smashed the doors.

Zhong Chi, the strongest man in Huaxia.

To attack such a powerhouse was like carrying a lantern into the latrine—seeking death.

Shi Changyi, who was in a meeting on the top floor, received the news immediately and flew into a rage.

Ding Huan had come to the Gene Alliance to kill before, but Shi Changyi had never encountered him—today, at last, he'd caught him.

In his mind, only Ding Huan, that lawless brute, would dare smash the Gene Alliance headquarters' main doors in Puhai.

When Shi Changyi stood up in righteous fury, he felt something was off.

Didn't Ding Huan die?

"It's Zhong Chi—he didn't die; instead, he returned to Puhai," a subordinate rushed in to report.

Zhong Chi? Hearing it was Zhong Chi, Shi Changyi calmed down.

He was thinking of one thing: how could Zhong Chi have survived? He knew the poison he'd given Zhong Chi wasn't from Earth—it came from that alien spacecraft.

He had already tested its potency on a Grade Earth cultivator—it was a vicious toxin capable of poisoning the meridians.

How could Zhong Chi possibly recover after being poisoned by this?

He hadn't seen Ding Huan die with his own eyes, but he was certain Zhong Chi had been poisoned by him during the gene-beast swarm's attack—there should have been no way out.

"Boss, why not wait for him to come up, then…" a man beside Shi Changyi whispered.

He had always followed Shi Changyi closely and could guess how Zhong Chi had vanished.

Now that Zhong Chi had returned, if this affair leaked, it would be a devastating blow to the Gene Alliance and Shi Changyi.

Shi Changyi's heart stirred—he absolutely should not go down now.

Zhong Chi appeared refined on the surface, but he was in truth a brute.

If he went down himself, this matter would surely become public knowledge immediately.

Once Zhong Chi came up, he and Leng Qi together had over an 80% chance of killing Zhong Chi.

No matter what words Zhong Chi had spoken, once he was dead, none of it mattered.

"Good." Shi Changyi nodded and sat down calmly.

He wasn't worried Zhong Chi wouldn't come up—this brute wouldn't wait for him to descend; he'd storm up without fail.

No, Zhong Chi wouldn't wait at all—he'd charge up the moment he smashed the gate.

But Shi Changyi hadn't sat long before his phone rang.

"Boss, Zhong Chi had someone hold up a large sign at the building's entrance, claiming the Gene Alliance colludes with gene-beasts, causing the Human Corridor defense line to fall, and that you conspired with the beasts to ambush him…"

Before the caller finished, Shi Changyi hurled the phone to the ground and charged downstairs without hesitation.

This bastard was playing games with him.

Colluding with gene-beasts? When had Shi Changyi ever colluded with gene-beasts? He could tolerate his aunt, but not this!

In fact, the entrance of the Dongxun Gene Center building was already packed—Zhong Chi, China's nominal strongest, had appeared.

Moreover, Zhong Chi's revelations were utterly shocking: the Gene Alliance conspiring with beasts to break the Human Corridor defense line, and Shi Changyi ambushing Zhong Chi while he fought the beasts.

Not only ordinary civilians, but even the Fu Alliance's vice-chairman, Senior Yan Xia, had arrived. As for the Security Bureau, with Qu Yi absent, the old director Zhu Qinjiang came personally.

After all, Zhong Chi's return was no small matter.

As the allegations of China's strongest, Zhong Chi's claims weren't something ordinary people could just say and dismiss.

Shi Changyi arrived at the entrance and saw Zhong Chi loudly denouncing him.

Beside Zhong Chi, a man held a large sign reading: "The Gene Alliance is a beast traitor. Boss Shi Changyi colludes with beasts to break the Human Corridor defense line. Shi Changyi ambushed Zhong Chi."

"Zhong Chi, what do you mean?" Shi Changyi's rage nearly burst his lungs.

This guy was at least a powerhouse—why did he act like a shrew?

Ding Huan had come here multiple times to kill people, yet never shattered his Gene Alliance's gate—yet Zhong Chi came and smashed it open—how could he tolerate this?

Zhong Chi stared at Shi Changyi and said coldly: "Shi Changyi, how dare you ask me what I mean? When I was fighting gene-beasts, who used poisoned darts to ambush me?"

Zhong Chi's gaze swept to the shadow behind Shi Changyi—Leng Qi—and thought to himself: had he acted by his old habits, he might have charged straight up and been ambushed by this fool on the rooftop.

Ding Huan's younger brother was right—acting recklessly won't do; one must devise a strategy.

Seeing Senior Yan Xia and Zhu Qinjiang approaching through the crowd, Zhong Chi felt his strategy was sound.