Chapter 78: The One Behind Appears

Swoosh!

Yu Wei spun around abruptly, staring at the constantly rippling barrier; the familiar feeling instantly told him who was launching the attack.

"I know it's you, little forearm brat, always hiding in the shadows to ambush—come out!"

Before Yu Wei finished speaking, another invisible blade spear, accompanied by a sharp slicing sound, surged toward him; its power was three to four times stronger than the previous attack, and even the corpse on the ground was cleaved by the aftershock, leaving a neat wound.

Moreover, this attack's power broke through the barrier's defense limit; it held only briefly before the barrier vanished amid a sound of shattering glass.

But the blade spear's energy was exhausted; Yu Wei lifted his sword in an upward slash and easily shattered it.

"You think hiding the head and tail makes me unable to find you!"

He stared at the direction the blade spear came from, flashing a ferocious grin; the sword tip sliced through the air, and the Nanming Fire behind him instantly transformed into clusters of fireballs that surged forward.

But just as his strength waned and new power had not yet arisen, the illusory sensation in his spiritual perception became real; countless blade spears materialized from all directions, raining down upon him.

Yet this was only a façade—one hidden blade spear shot straight at the hand holding the Tai Sui, effortlessly cleaving it off, and the severed hand spun away.

"Damn!"

Realizing the true target wasn't himself, Yu Wei muttered darkly, instinctively relinquishing control of the Nanming Fire, trying to release his sword‑gripping hand to catch the severed arm mid‑air.

But he quickly realized that, with one arm gone and his combat power sharply reduced, it was impossible to keep the Tai Sui safe amid the encirclement.

Abandoning the severed arm to revive on the spot would restore his limb, yet during the ten‑second revival window the hidden Chen Shicheng would surely act, and the Tai Sui still couldn't be protected.

Since that was the case, Yu Wei decided to act decisively: after quickly activating a barrier, he lunged straight for the Storage Bag, shoving the limp, immobile Tai Sui inside; then he clutched the bag, curled into a ball, and concentrated all his remaining True Essence onto his back, hardening it against the onslaught of blade spears.

The hastily erected barrier's Defense Power was essentially nil; the blade spears instantly pierced it, slashing his body.

Even with True Essence as a final safeguard, deep wounds down to the bone still appeared across his back, the spilling blood instantly dyeing him crimson.

"Quick, charge forward!"

【9】 Song Bingyuan's eyes lit up as he led the charge, sprinting ahead.

Song Bingyuan's eyes lit up, and he ran ahead of the troops, leading the front.

The dozen‑plus teammates behind him also dropped their crossbows, dashing toward Yu Wei's position in a reckless sprint.

With so many charging Yu Wei, the Yellow Turban Strongman immediately released ten members of the Cultural Tourism Bureau Logistics Department, attempting to intercept, but they were instantly blocked by those ten people, leaving him momentarily overwhelmed.

Soon, Song Bingyuan, who was at the front, leapt over the Yellow Turban Strongman's battlefield, drawing ever nearer to the curled‑up Yu Wei.

He listened to the footsteps drawing closer, feeling his life force wane continuously as blood flowed.

Yu Wei forced himself to endure the Stun, began chanting low, and the blood beneath his feet seemed summoned, automatically forming a complex formation.

As his chant concluded, the formation emitted a burst of red light; the space above twisted instantly, and a masked figure in a white robe, whose condition resembled Hui Siye's, materialized at the center of the battlefield.

"Why summon my primordial spirit? If it's not important..."

Upon appearing, Bai Paoren spoke in an extremely authoritative tone, but before he could finish, the incessant blade spears cut him off. At that moment he realized the situation was dire: not only had he been summoned from within a formation, but he was also surrounded by members of the Cultural Tourism Bureau Logistics Department.

Seeing Yu Wei, battered and on the brink of death on the ground, he let out a cold snort and swung his wide sleeves.

His potent True Essence erupted violently, forming a circular vortex that scattered the surrounding blade spears; Song Bingyuan and the others attempting to charge were thrown about, and chaos erupted on the spot.

The Bai Paoren then raised his hand toward the Yu Wei beneath him; black light flashed, enveloping both him and Bai Paoren, which then transformed into a black wind that swept them away, vanishing from the spot.

A few seconds later, deep in a forest not far from the underground palace.

The black wind descended swiftly from afar, and shortly thereafter Bai Paoren and Yu Wei emerged within it.

Gazing at the motionless fool lying on the ground, Bai Paoren's eyes hardened, and Yu Wei's head instantly shattered like a watermelon.

After a quiet ten‑second wait, Yu Wei's corpse turned into a wisp of pale light and vanished; the space warped, and an intact Yu Wei reappeared here once more.

"Greetings, sir!"

Having just revived, Yu Wei immediately knelt, daring not to move, his head bowed so low it nearly touched the ground.

"So the Tai Sui is inside?" Bai Paoren fiddled with the Storage Bag, asking nonchalantly.

"Yes, sir. Before summoning you, I exhausted all my strength to pack the Tai Sui inside," Yu Wei, unable to lift his head, replied in a sycophantic tone.

Listening to Bai Paoren's rustling of the Storage Bag, Yu Wei's heart began pounding violently; the Tai Sui held immense significance for the organization's development.

Having completed the mission to seize the Tai Sui, he thought he could atone for all past mistakes; perhaps the organization would be pleased and grant further rewards. "Bang!"

Just as Yu Wei was daydreaming, a shoe's sole kicked his face without restraint, sending him four or five meters away.

After finally stopping, he rubbed his burning face, staring bewildered at Bai Paoren.

"Is this what you call giving it your all?"

Bai Paoren hurled the Storage Bag in front of him, saying furiously.

Yu Wei stared blankly at the Storage Bag before him, his face full of disbelief, "This can't be! Where's the Storage Bag I prepared?"

"Bastard, useless—didn't even notice the Storage Bag had been swapped!"

Bai Paoren, angry yet laughing, said, "The organization spent a huge cost to divine that little girl's identity, and you returned empty‑handed, even losing the organization's Relic. You messed up the raid on the newbies' stash, and you also forced me to expend a level of experience to rescue you. What good is the organization's intensive cultivation of you?"

Sensing the murderous aura in Bai Paoren's words, Yu Wei quickly flipped onto his knees, his eyes filled with terror, yet he dared not utter a single explanatory word.

"One month!"

Staring at the silent Yu Wei, Bai Paoren took a deep breath, suppressing his fury, "Considering you've handed over many Relics to the organization, we'll note the Tai Sui matter for now and settle it later. But you know the importance of that girl's Relic to the organization; within one month, retrieve that Relic, or don't blame the organization for its ruthlessness—then you may commit seppuku as atonement."

(End of Chapter)