In complete silence, a person was killed. A shadowy figure quickly vanished. By the time the man's comrades arrived, all they saw was a decapitated corpse. They exchanged glances, seeing the horror reflected in each other's eyes.

This person is terrifying. To kill one of them so silently… His strength is far beyond our own.

But their master had given them a death order; if they failed, there was no need to return. They knew the organization's methods. In this vast world, there would be no place for them to hide. At this thought, the men's eyes hardened.

This time, the remaining men in black formed pairs, creating a semi-circle as they advanced quickly into the depths of the dense forest.

"Captain, do you really think we can succeed in this mission?" a pair of men conversed in hushed tones.

"Shut up!" the captain hissed angrily. "According to the intel, the target is a strong Martial Artist whose qualities surpass ours in every aspect. If he hears us…"

"ARGH!"

Suddenly, a scream rang out, startling the two of them. Another comrade had met a grisly death.

"ARGH!"

However, just a few seconds later, another scream was heard.

"Not good!" The captain was alarmed and ran swiftly toward the direction of the screams.

But when they arrived, all they found on the ground were two more corpses. It seemed they had died cleanly, without even a chance to fight back.

How is this possible?!

The two men looked at each other, speechless. They had been cautious and careful, but they had still underestimated their target's strength. The opponent was fast, powerful, and ruthless, showing no mercy. Their comrades hadn't even had time to raise an alarm.

It seems this is a mission with no chance of survival.

With this in mind, the captain said in a low voice, "You need to leave now! Report the situation and have the target's strength re-evaluated!"

"Captain, I…"

The man wanted to object, but the captain cut him off in a cold voice, "Go now! That's an order!"

"Yes!" The man immediately obeyed and disappeared into the dense forest in the blink of an eye.

The captain gripped the gun in his hand, vigilantly scanning his surroundings. Every single tree became an object of his intense focus. He feared the enemy might emerge from behind one of them and deliver a fatal blow.

SNAP. SNAP.

The sound of footsteps on branches rang out. Startled, the captain instantly fired toward the noise.

THWUMP!

Though the handgun was fitted with a silencer, the shot still echoed loudly in the still forest.

WHIRR! WHIRR!

Wildlife flew out of the bushes, prompting the captain to fire off several more rounds. But, without exception, none hit the target he was searching for.

CRUNCH. CRUNCH.

The footsteps grew closer, apparently right behind him.

THWUMP!

He spun and pulled the trigger. However, the bullet merely struck a tree trunk, revealing nothing. Cold sweat dripped from the captain's forehead. His hand holding the gun trembled slightly with nerves.

His speed is eerie… Even with my special training, I didn't sense a thing.

Swallowing hard, the captain hid behind a large tree, hoping his few remaining comrades would not be discovered. As the minutes ticked by, the forest returned to its previous quiet. But this stillness only filled the captain with a deeper sense of dread.

CRUNCH!

The footsteps sounded again, this time without any attempt at concealment, right behind him. The captain spun around, pulling the trigger in one swift motion.

THWUMP!

CLANG!

A sharp, metallic sound rang out, as if the bullet had struck steel. It even produced a shower of sparks. The captain's pupils constricted, his mouth falling agape. He saw a sight he would never forget for the rest of his life. A few meters away stood a person enveloped in a luminous barrier. The bullet had just struck that very barrier. The seemingly thin shield had somehow withstood his bullet.

What is this thing? A man or a ghost?

While the captain was still dazed, the person seemed to raise their hand and threw something toward him. Thinking it was a hidden weapon, the captain fearfully fired three shots in succession.

THWUMP! THWUMP! THWUMP!

But when the object landed, he realized it was a bloody human head. Though mangled by the bullets, the captain recognized it instantly. It was the subordinate he had sent back to report the situation.

This…

The captain was shocked, terrified. A feeling of utter despair suddenly flooded his mind.

"Who the hell are you? No… you're not human!" the captain exclaimed. He was certain there were people in the world who could silently decimate a ten-man squad. But there was absolutely no one who could withstand bullets. Even the so-called Martial Way masters in the organization couldn't do that.

"To come and kill me without even knowing who I am… you certainly have some nerve," Lin Mu said, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked step by step toward the captain.

"You… don't come any closer!" Even as a battle-hardened special forces soldier who had walked through hails of gunfire, the captain felt a profound despair. The unknown is the most terrifying thing of all.

CRUNCH. CRUNCH.

As if he hadn't heard, Lin Mu continued his steady advance.

"Don't come any closer!" the captain yelled, pointing his gun at Lin Mu. "If you take another step, I'll shoot!"

THWUMP! THWUMP!

The bullets whistled out and struck the luminous barrier. However, the barrier merely dented an inch before resisting the heavy impacts. The slugs fell to the ground; thumb-length bullets had been compressed into small, flattened lumps. One could only imagine the terrifying rebound force of that barrier.

"No!" The captain's eyes turned bloodshot as he defiantly fired again.

CLICK!

Unfortunately, he was out of bullets. The anger and fear on his face melted away into pure despair. He slumped against the large tree, his gaze dimming.

Even bullets can't penetrate that bizarre barrier. It seems my death today is certain.

"Talk. Who sent you?" Lin Mu stopped a few meters away, watching the captain with a calm expression. With his current strength, even if the man had more ammunition, he couldn't be harmed in the slightest.

With my Gang Qi projected externally, I'm impervious to blades and bullets. Combined with the unique properties of my Spiritual Energy, my defense is as solid as King Kong. Mere bullets can't even leave a scratch.

"You think I'll tell you?" the captain grit his teeth, his expression one of unyielding defiance.

Lin Mu nodded. "I know people like you are specially trained to die rather than surrender. But… I have a hundred ways to make you talk."

A strange smile crept onto the captain's face. "Is that so?"

His cheek twitched as if he had swallowed something. His face turned dark, and a trickle of black blood spilled from his mouth.

Suicide by poison.

Lin Mu raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by the man's resolve. He stepped forward, intending to check the body for any information. However, after just two steps, a strong sense of unease flooded his mind.

SWOOSH!

His figure flickered.

BOOM!

A muffled, thunderous explosion echoed through the dense forest. It tore through the space where the figure had stood, continuing on to pierce clean through the bowl-thick tree behind it.

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