Chapter 72: Mixed Battle Begins

“I found them!”

An enforcer hurried across the wilderness, shouting to Yan Xicai and the others who were gathered.

Hearing this, Yan Xicai’s eyes lit up. He immediately asked, “Where?”

“To the southwest, in front of a Fifty-Man Gully.”

“How many people in total?”

“Six people, all together!”

“Let’s go!”

Without a word, Yan Xicai led over fifty enforcers directly towards that direction.

Five enforcers who had already stepped onto the Path of Arms God, like generals, charged around Yan Xicai. Their eyes gleamed with an unprecedented will to fight. Having just embarked on the Path of Arms God and acquired their skills, they were eager to test themselves against an enemy... and the Usurpers were the perfect targets.

Large amounts of dust swirled on the ground. After the group had departed, the enforcer who had just delivered the message stood in place, the corner of his mouth slightly upturned.

He tore at his chin with his right hand, and a mask of skin fluttered away in the wind.

“Kill them all…” Chen Ling, in red, murmured to himself amidst the swirling dust. “This performance, too, has reached its final act.”

Audience Expectation: 3

Meanwhile.

The six Usurpers watched as numerous figures in black and red uniforms appeared from the nearby hills, their expressions visibly darkening.

“They actually came?”

“One, two, three, four, five... Five more enforcers have embarked on the Path of Arms God. No wonder they’re so confident.”

“Their initial retreat was just to allow more people to embark on the Path of Arms God, then to encircle us together? That doesn’t seem right... When did these enforcers become so united?”

“What do we do now?”

“What’s there to be afraid of? Just kill them all! Don’t let their numbers fool you; most of them are just living targets with no divine path and no guns. Do you really think they can hurt us?” An Usurper sneered. “As for those who have stepped onto the Path of Arms God, they’re only at the first stage. What kind of threat can they be?”

“Don’t underestimate them,” Number 8 said in a deep voice. “Before the fourth stage, the Path of Thievery is weak in combat. We especially need to be careful not to let the Path of Arms God users get close. Try to wear them down with ranged weapons.”

On the opposite hill, Yan Xicai slowly walked forward, flanked by the five first-stage Arms God enforcers. His blood-red eyes stared intently at Number 8, as if he wanted to tear him to shreds!

“You bunch of thieves and scoundrels... Hand over my token at once!!”

“Token? What token?” An Usurper was stunned, quietly asking the others, “Did any of you steal something from him?”

“No...”

“Stop playing innocent with me!” Yan Xicai roared in anger, pointing at Number 8. “In the entire Ancient Treasury of Arms Path, who else but you can steal things from a distance?! And I saw it with my own eyes... If you won’t hand it over, I’ll take it myself!”

“Everyone, attack!!”

At Yan Xicai’s command, the five first-stage Arms God enforcers shot out like arrows, hurtling down the hillside, creating several whistling sounds as they cut through the air.

The other enforcers exchanged glances and followed closely behind them, appearing like a rapidly approaching black and red wave from a distance!

“Something’s not right…” Number 8’s brow furrowed as he looked at the furious Yan Xicai.

“What’s not right?” an Usurper asked.

“Everything’s not right. I always feel like someone is targeting us.”

Since entering the Ancient Treasury of Arms Path, the six of them had been gathering killing intent, preparing to steal the foundation of the Path of Arms God. They hadn’t had any contact with any enforcers... yet Yan Xicai claimed they stole his item and even saw it with his own eyes?

Since entering the Treasury... no, ever since they stole the identities of enforcers from Districts 3, 5, and 6, they seemed to have been led by the nose. Everything that happened was beyond their control.

He always felt as though an unseen hand was manipulating all their actions...

“We’ve come this far, who cares what’s wrong,” an Usurper said, a sinister look on his face. “Just slaughter them all, and everything will be normal again.”

Although Number 8 couldn’t figure it out, it was pointless to dwell on it now. His eyes grew colder as he ordered:

“Then kill!”

The six Usurpers raised their hands simultaneously, each holding a firearm. Their dark muzzles aimed at the approaching black and red wave, and they opened fire repeatedly!

Bang bang bang bang—

Upon first entering the Treasury, they had stolen all the enforcers’ firearms and weapons, giving them an almost endless supply of ammunition. On the other side, however, the enforcers were empty-handed, forced to brace themselves and charge straight through the hail of bullets.

Fortunately, there were only six Usurpers. Even with two guns each, that was only twelve firearms in total.

The five first-stage Arms God enforcers at the forefront roared. A black sheen appeared on their skin, like armor affixed to their bodies. A barrage of bullets struck them, but only left shallow bullet marks.

“What the hell is that?!” an Usurper exclaimed in surprise.

“It’s Iron Skin,” Number 8 said gravely. “The first-stage skill for most Paths of Arms God is Iron Skin. It significantly boosts one’s defense and strength, but its weakness is that before reaching the fourth stage, Iron Skin cannot fully cover the body.”

Under the Usurpers’ volley of fire, other enforcers rushing forward fell one after another, except for the five first-stage Arms God enforcers at the very front.

Crimson blood stained the ground. Seeing this, the enforcers hiding behind the crowd paled, turned, and ran backward. But before they could run more than a few steps, Yan Xicai’s brutal and ferocious face blocked their way!

He knocked down the fastest-running enforcer with a single punch. The ruby ring on his finger embedded itself into the enforcer’s body, instantly absorbing a large amount of flesh and blood, and began to glow with an eerie red light.

“Either charge forward! Or die!” Yan Xicai raised his hand and clenched it in the air towards the fleeing enforcers.

“Crush!”

CRACK!

Several enforcers’ necks seemed to be squeezed by an invisible hand, then violently torn, twisting their bodies like pretzels before they fell to the ground with a thud.

This scene instantly terrified the enforcers who were preparing to flee. Combined with the thick killing intent radiating from Yan Xicai, they hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose to turn and charge towards the Usurpers... Death awaited them either way, but there was a greater chance of survival by moving forward.

Meanwhile, the five first-stage Arms God enforcers had already broken through the hail of bullets, their bodies like cannonballs as they lunged towards the six Usurpers!

“You’re asking for it!”

Killing intent flashed in one Usurper’s eyes. He raised his hand and clawed at the air. The first-stage enforcer rushing towards him suddenly found the ground vanish beneath his feet as a large pit opened in the solid earth.

The first-stage enforcer stepped into empty space, losing his balance. In that instant, the Usurper backhanded, stealing his short blade, and thrust the sharp tip straight towards the enforcer’s throat!