THUD!!

The silver right arm of the mechanical prosthetic crashed down like a giant hammer, whipping up a whistling gale.

Even before it touched him, Yang Wangtao felt a chill. The air hummed and trembled around him, an invisible, suffocating pressure rushing straight for his face.

He might be severely wounded, but he was still Elite Level.

Even with his diminished strength, he was a cut above an ordinary peak Professional Level fighter.

WHOOSH!

Not daring to block it head-on, he hastily erupted with Martial Arts Power and dodged to the side.

BOOM!!

The metal fist brushed past his shoulder and smashed into a piece of machinery.

A full ton of force was violently unleashed, causing the heavy machine to shudder and scrape several inches across the floor.

The dull, concussive sound made his eardrums ring and his nerves scream.

Yang Wangtao’s expression was incredibly grim. His breathing was visibly ragged, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

He had several bloody wounds on his body, and his chest was even slightly caved in, as if he had previously taken a Fist Seal that had nearly crippled him.

The continuous attempts to stall had cost him a great deal of energy, and his injuries were piling up.

He wanted to create distance again, to stall until the patrol team or Lu Chao arrived.

But unexpectedly...

THUD!!

Qiu Shan, whose Fist Seal had missed, suddenly stomped the ground. Pivoting on his left foot, he launched a spinning kick.

The prosthetic right leg stretched his black trousers taut, sweeping toward him like a great steel spear. It created a terrifying, tearing sound as it flew straight for his left temple!

SWISH!

At the critical moment, Yang Wangtao ducked, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.

But then...

"Die!"

Qiu Shan’s eyes were savage. His right leg stopped in mid-air, then bent and chopped straight down.

It fell like a War Axe, carrying his bone-chilling killing intent.

Having been stalled for several minutes, he had lost all patience. He also vaguely sensed that his other subordinates were being killed one after another.

Instantly, Yang Wangtao threw his arms up to block above his head.

THUD!!

A muffled bang erupted, and a ring of white vapor spread out in all directions.

The tarps covering the nearby machinery rustled and shook, and dust and debris flew into the air from the shockwave.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Yang Wangtao’s face flushed red as he strained to hold on.

Even with a Martial Skill and Secret Technique activated by his power to temporarily boost his strength, it wasn’t enough.

His legs trembled, and his knee joints groaned as if under an unbearable weight.

A sharp pain shot through the arms he used to block, as if the bones were fracturing.

VMMMM!!

In that instant, Qiu Shan seized the opportunity. A sound like a revving engine seemed to erupt from within his body.

The prosthetic right leg, which had been locked in place, suddenly jolted with power, smashing through Yang Wangtao’s crossed arms and chopping down onto his shoulder.

CRACK!

With the sharp crack of bone, Yang Wangtao’s body buckled, his knees bending as he nearly fell to the ground.

Ferocious power surged from the point of impact, making his head ring and his body seize up. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.

In that instant, seeing his opponent’s guard wide open and his combat ability gone, Qiu Shan’s eyes turned icy. Like a humanoid bear, he clenched his left fist and threw a devastating punch.

VMMMM!!

A blast of air surged forth as if a furious dragon were tearing through the atmosphere.

Amid the whistling wind, the light in Yang Wangtao’s eyes dimmed. He felt his consciousness fading fast, his body too stiff to dodge.

The pain from his grievous injuries flared up all at once. Qiu Shan seemed to have temporarily recovered his full Elite Level strength; he was completely outmatched.

He wanted to dodge but had no time to react. He could only watch as the devastating fist, abnormally ferocious and wrapped in bone-chilling killing intent, rushed straight for his head.

In that brief moment, Yang Wangtao tasted death.

Images from his past flashed through his mind: his wife and daughter, and the risky choice he made for this mission. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

’Do I regret it?’

The thought flashed through his mind as his eyelids grew heavy, about to close for the last time.

The specter of death loomed over him, his fate seemingly sealed.

TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP!!

Just then, a flurry of rapid footsteps sounded from behind, approaching at high speed.

It was like an arrow soaring through the air, bringing with it a whistling wind.

Or like a humanoid beast charging recklessly, dodging nothing in its path.

In a daze, Yang Wangtao caught a glimpse with the last of his vision.

He saw Lu Chao in his patrol uniform, rushing over at incredible speed. Ten meters, five meters, one meter...

He was so fast that his riot helmet, which he should have been wearing, had been discarded somewhere along the way. Steam rose from his body like a mist.

In that instant, Yang Wangtao’s eyes closed. He was about to collapse, his head about to be smashed by the incoming fist.

And yet...

THUD!!

A shockwave erupted!

A pale fist shot out of nowhere, slamming forward like a cannonball.

The silver metal fist was stopped in its tracks. A ring of white vapor exploded outward from the point of impact, creating a ripple of wind that spread in all directions.

Dust and debris flew everywhere, and the tarps on the machinery rustled once more.

Qiu Shan narrowed his eyes, looking down at the young patrol officer who was a head shorter than him.

"Who are you?"

He asked instinctively, his eyes filled with both killing intent and confusion.

’To be able to block my full-power strike... there’s no way he’s an ordinary patrol officer!’

RUSTLE! RUSTLE!

The wind continued to blow. The misty steam around Lu Chao dissipated, only to be replaced by new streams of white vapor seeping from his pores.

Lu Chao glanced behind him. Yang Wangtao had passed out and fallen to the ground.

His breathing was faint. The sunken Fist Seal on his chest had clearly broken his sternum, and the fracture in his shoulder was exceptionally severe.

He had clearly exhausted all his strength to stall Qiu Shan.

And now...

"Who am I?"

In that same instant, Lu Chao’s eyes grew cold as he stared at the enemy before him.

His Copper Flesh state and [Adrenaline] overlapped, providing an even greater boost.

He threw his left fist forward. His knotted, muscular arm shot out like a cannonball, churning the air as it flew straight for Qiu Shan’s chest.