This battle came quickly and left just as swiftly.

A cold wind mixed with a strong scent of blood swirled through the clearing in the forest, lifting a few blood-stained dry leaves.

Fang Cheng stepped on the crushed rock debris under his feet, making a slight creaking sound.

In the depths of those deep eyes, a faint golden hue was faintly visible.

The seemingly thin figure stood amidst the gray mist, exuding an oppressiveness that was suffocating.

The tall thin man was drenched in cold sweat, his camo jacket on his back already soaked through.

He quickly stepped back half a step, the soles of his military boots scuffing against the mud in an attempt to put a little distance between them.

If he were to betray the organization’s core secrets and leak information, there would be no way back but death.

But...

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced into the distance at the large pine tree that Fang Cheng had broken in half with a punch.

If he now played the hero, the pile of shattered bones and flesh belonging to his comrades on the ground would immediately become his fate.

Death either way, but dying later is better than being punched into a pulp right away.

Even a fool knows what to choose now!

Thinking of this, the tall thin man gritted his teeth in secret.

As long as he survived this military zone, he could disappear with a new identity, perhaps find a way out abroad.

"Have you made up your mind?"

Fang Cheng didn’t give him much time to weigh the pros and cons, his gaze locked onto him like a tangible force, speaking in a calm tone:

"Explain your identity and background first, and I’ll consider whether to leave you a proper burial."

The words, dripping with disdain, were the exact same words the tall thin man had used provocatively earlier.

Now returned verbatim by Fang Cheng, it was like a heavy hammer, making the hearts of this group of vicious criminals skip a beat.

"I’ve decided! I’ve decided!"

The tall thin man’s forehead was covered with cold sweat, and he hurriedly responded:

"On the road, the brothers have generously referred to me as ’Grey Eagle.’ You can also just call me Xiao Hui."

To prove his innocence, he swallowed hard, speaking rapidly:

"We’re actually independent mercenaries picking up jobs on the black market, usually doing small cleanup jobs or scouting missions, not very familiar with each other otherwise."

"This time someone offered a huge price to forcibly gather us together, specifically sending us into the West Mountain examination hall to do their bidding."

"I swear, we’re not deliberately targeting you or intending to kill the examinees; we’re just hired runners for external tasks."

As he spoke, he hurriedly discarded the bloodstained dagger in his hand, his hands obediently placed at his sides.

Afraid of causing any misunderstanding that might provoke the humanoid T-Rex into deadly wrath.

Fang Cheng looked at him calmly and then asked:

"Is your task to find the entrance to the ancient civilization ruins of West Mountain?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Grey Eagle nodded rapidly, forcing a flattering smile, bowing deeply at nearly a ninety-degree angle:

"As you just heard, the reason we went through so much trouble to infiltrate the examination hall was not for a place in the Special Search Team, but to find a hidden entrance to the ruins in West Mountain."

"You think wandering aimlessly in the forest will help you locate the ruins?"

Hou Peng gripped his dagger, his eyes flickering slightly, couldn’t help but interject.

"Not wandering aimlessly."

Realizing that Fang Cheng and others seemed to know about West Mountain’s secrets, Grey Eagle dared not conceal the truth and quickly explained:

"Recently, West Mountain’s magnetic field has been extremely chaotic, resulting in several weak points in the space barrier.

"The Special Search Team detected the anomaly, conducted a grid search, and finally narrowed the range to the core area of West Mountain, which is where this physical test takes place."

"Our employer, after getting the exact information, did everything possible to send us inside, intending to find the new space rift before the Special Search Team."

As he spoke, Grey Eagle swallowed hard, a surge of greedy excitement flashing unconcealed in his eyes:

"You also know that the military is strictly controlling the existing ruins entrance, keeping it sealed tight, monopolizing it."

"If we could find a new entrance, enter that mysterious vast New World, and bring out some ancient technology or gene-altering Heavenly Treasures... the rewards would be unimaginable!"

"Money would be the least of it. With the resources from the ruins, we could wield Extraordinary Power and truly rise above others!"

"Bah!"

Ma Donghe snorted coldly at the words, mercilessly mocking:

"You think too highly of yourselves. Just a few of you puny wretches think you can score big under the military’s and Special Search Team’s noses? Without fear of breaking your own teeth!"

Grey Eagle felt his face twitch from the scolding, but catching sight of Fang Cheng’s emotionless eyes, he immediately swallowed his anger back down.

He bent his spine lower and tentatively offered:

"Brothers, since we’re all here for the ruins of the ancient civilization and to take the Special Search Team exam, why don’t we join forces..."

"Join forces?"

Fang Cheng cut him off, his tone still calm:

"Can you make that decision? Why don’t you first contact your backer and have them come out to talk to me?"

"This... I..."

Grey Eagle stammered at this, his lips trembling slightly, his eyes darting around the dark forest.

He was visibly nervous, stuttering unable to form a complete word.

Seeing his guilty demeanor, Ma Donghe took a heavy step forward.