Chapter 68: Melee

Chapter 68 Melee

Only when the gunshots rang out did Li Jun, who had been hiding in the shadows, finally arrive belatedly. He vaulted onto a walltop, gazing into the distance.

At this moment, the area before the main hall of the Yang Clan Ancestral Manor had become a Shura field devouring flesh and blood.

Deafening gunshots and whistling stray bullets were everywhere; severed biological limbs and mechanical parts nearly paved the entire courtyard.

The degree of mutilation on the corpses was shocking, possible only from point-blank gunshots.

Surviving gunners used the piled bodies on the ground as cover, roaring as they vented their last rounds of ammunition.

Crimson blood and milky-white synthetic blood intertwined and flowed horizontally, leaving no place to set one's foot.

A young scholar in a Confucian robe, both arms hacked off, lay beside a grand teacher's chair, his gaze hollow and dead, yet a faint smile lingered at the corner of his mouth.

Behind him, inside the main hall, the clansmen of the Yang Family's Second Branch had vanished without a trace.

Not far away, a courtyard wall had collapsed in ruin. Along the road leading from the main hall to here, corpses lay strewn across the field. Judging by their attire, there were men from both Tianfu Heavy Industries and Shudao Logistics.

Among them were some unfamiliar faces Li Jun had never seen, their deaths the most miserable.

One could discern the fury in the killer's heart.

Atop the main hall's roof, collision sounds were deafening.

Gu Jia looked rather wretched at this moment; half his facial features had been torn away, revealing the hideous, terrifying mechanical bones beneath.

The man locked in combat with him had heavy brows and eyes; the synthetic skin on half his arm had also been scraped clean.

The droning of their Mechanized Hearts surged like a rising tide; even separated by such a distance, it still made every hair on Li Jun's body stand on end.

In the vault of heaven, a golden eagle of supreme martial might beat its wings, catching up to the panicked fleeing falcon in an instant. Its talons seized the wings, tearing the opponent clean in two.

Zhao Qingxia sat cross-legged on the golden eagle's back, muttering to herself against the howling night wind: "Old Ma, why are we helping him?"

The vertical eye in the helmet flickered, transmitting Lord Ma's calm voice: "Li Jun is our friend, so of course we help."

"Since when did we become friends? How would I know?"

Zhao Qingxia froze for a moment, then suddenly snapped: "Did you go and make some deal with someone else again?"

"Of course not, you suspect me?"

Lord Ma's tone rose, the grievance in his voice causing Zhao Qingxia's expression to freeze.

He scratched his head, saying dejectedly: "Then what's the deal?"

"It was while you were unconscious. I told Li Jun about your childlike devotion to the martial path, moved him to tears and snot. He said this world barely sees martial devotees like you anymore, and insisted on becoming sworn brothers with you."

"If I hadn't stopped him, you wouldn't just have an extra friend now, but an extra brother!"

Zhao Qingxia looked dubious. "Your story... why does it sound so fake?"

"Believe it or not. Someone said if there's a chance later, he'll teach you martial arts, help you perfect Mimetic Martial Arts. With a friend like that, you tell me, should we help or not?"

"He's willing to let me study?!"

A sharp, substantive light suddenly shot from Zhao Qingxia's eyes. "Then of course we should help!"

"But what about seizing Yang Zhan's brain tissue slices? You said that thing was very important to us."

"Treasures are important, but it depends on what you're comparing them to. Isn't brotherly loyalty important?"

Lord Ma's tone carried a sense of righteous awe. "If you still want to seize it, we'll turn around and give chase right now."

"Of course loyalty is more important!"

Zhao Qingxia's face flushed red. Having said this, he moved to command the golden eagle into a dive.

Down there are two Rank Eight experts. Are you courting death?!

The vertical eye blazed with blinding red light. Lord Ma urgently said: "This little scene down below doesn't need us. Li Jun can handle it himself. He has other things he needs our help with."

"What things?"

"Help him kill someone."

"Simple. Where?"

Facing the excited Zhao Qingxia, Lord Ma's voice was full of helplessness. "Don't rush. We'll help Li Jun finish up first, then go kill."

As the vertical eye in the helmet flashed red, the next moment Lord Ma's voice rang in Li Jun's ear.

"I've cleared out the aerial scouts for you. They're all blind now. In a bit, I'll cut their comms. The rest is up to you."

"No problem. You kill, I loot."

"One hand delivers the head, the other delivers the goods."

"Relax, I won't sell you out."

Li Jun looked up at the sky. The golden eagle suddenly threw back its head and shrieked. An invisible ripple of sound waves spread through the air.

Gu Jia and Shi Chengfeng, locked in fierce combat on the roof, both froze simultaneously. Tiny sparks sprayed from their right ears.

Li Jun straightened his waist and back, standing tall in the night wind. His shoulders shrugged, the motion like shaking off shackles.

A tangible, fierce bandit qi suddenly surged from him.

This bandit qi was not the petty thief's aura of bullying the weak and waylaying travelers, but the domineering ferocity of a warlord howling through mountains and forests, audacious to the extreme!

[Consumed 102 Proficiency Points. Po-Lu Saber advanced to Late Stage Rank Eight (2/100)]

"Finally I can let loose. Today, I'll start with you!"

The two on the distant roof sensed Li Jun's gaze simultaneously and turned back in unison.

Three gazes collided in mid-air, invisible sparks scattering.

Fei Baiju actually died at this man's hands?

The instant he saw Li Jun, Shi Chengfeng's heart sank. The opponent could kill Fei Baiju and still have strength to fight; his power was likely not inferior to Gu Jia's.

"Two on one, a bit troublesome."

Li Jun shot forth like a powerful arrow. Five zhang out, fast as a galloping horse; ten zhang out, swift as thunder!

"Director, I'm here to help!"

Gu Jia split his mouth into a hideous grin. "Good timing!"

Li Jun's footwork flashed like a pouncing tiger. In the blink of an eye, under Gu Jia's shocked gaze, he had already closed in on Shi Chengfeng.

The ink saber thrust forward like a fierce soldier leveling a spear!

Po-Lu Saber, Charge Formation Spear.

A move born from battlefield slaughter, carrying a fierce killing intent, instantly pierced through the martial suit on Shi Chengfeng. The hard feedback in his palm indicated the blade tip had already stabbed into the mechanical bone at the opponent's heart.

Li Jun's right arm muscles swelled, about to exert force and drive the saber deeper, but he was horrified to find he couldn't advance an inch.

Two mechanical hands gripped the ink saber in a death hold!

"Indeed good timing. Just right to slaughter you both together, uprooting the Shudao Logistics Security Department in one go!"

"Everyone's Rank Eight. What are you acting tough for? Today I'll take your head to offer at Old Wu's grave!"

Gu Jia roared in rage. His short, stocky body leaped up, a heavy fist smashing toward Shi Chengfeng's skull!

Fist wind and Gear Heart detonated as one, their overlapping roar sounding for all the world like a tiger’s howl.

"You two pieces of trash, let’s see who dies first!"

"As if you’re worthy?!"

"Talk too much, don't you?!"

Thunderous shouts rang out in unison; the terrifying power erupting from Gear Heart’s frame crushed the entire roof inward.

Inside the room, blinded by swirling dust, two fists and a blade collided with brutal force!

Sparks scattered, illuminating three pairs of eyes blazing with murderous intent!