On the morning of July 13th, under the pretext of attending an old friend's son's wedding, Mí Dàsōng drove his wife and children to the Mù'ēn District.
Once in the city, he drove directly to the administrative building's entrance and leaped out of the car, shouting at the top of his lungs, "I have information! I have information!"
Although Líng Jùn had dispatched people to keep watch, none of his disciples had the courage to eliminate Mí Dàsōng in front of the guards. As a result, the scheming Mí Dàsōng's plot came to fruition.
Líng Jùn had no choice but to organize a retreat. However, he had not anticipated that East Tai Company would initially classify the event as a high-level threat. This was not because they held the Green Alliance in high regard; in fact, East Tai Company had long looked down on such fringe organizations.
Clearly, East Tai's security forces were targeting Líng Jùn and the octopus monster.
Líng Jùn sent out several groups of men, and after much effort, they finally located Lìng Hú Mǐn, bringing her back to the Míjiā Lǐng cave. For this, they had lost seven lives. Why Lìng Hú Mǐn was so important would become clear in due time.
At this point, East Tai Company had completed its mobilization and launched a full-scale assault. The 17th Mobile Division, 3rd Battalion, was tasked with the primary attack on the Míjiā Lǐng cave.
Local security and allied forces naturally had to assist the security forces. Even the Inspector of Chéng'ēn Tún, Gǒng Qīngshān, personally took command of the operation.
A crane was brought in but could not reach the cave entrance. The passageway was blocked by boulders, and the only way to clear the obstruction was by hand. This honorably fell to the allied forces.
The Deputy Director of the Grand Canyon District, Gōng Sūnróng, pumped up with determination, even stripped to the waist and began lifting stones himself. This action not only earned Gǒng Qīngshān's deep admiration, but also impressed Dà Chuān Yángfǎ, who, after watching the video, nodded approvingly.
On the Green Alliance's side, the Míjiā Lǐng cave was under the charge of Wén Dàpéng, one of Líng Jùn's most trusted disciples. Though the cave was not large, its connection to the Xiáng Yāo cave made it of critical importance.
In terms of layout, the cave was divided into five main chambers: East, West, South, North, and Central, with a southeastern water passage leading directly to the Earth Dragon River. The East Cave served as the primary entrance.
The first line of defense was naturally set at the East Cave. The passageway was covered with dry grass, then sprinkled with sulfur and dried chilies, followed by a layer of loose earth, preparing to throw Molotov cocktails the moment the security forces advanced.
The dry grass, covered with earth, would not burn completely. With the sulfur and chilies added, poisonous smoke would inevitably billow out—more lethal than the flames themselves.
They erected a large wooden frame above the forked passage, with movable pillars, and piled stones upon it. Once the security forces entered, a swift pull would create several heroes for East Tai.
The second line of defense was set up in the Central Cave, primarily occupying the Sky Hollow, the small cavern above the Central Cave.
"Brothers! The moment to pledge our loyalty to the company has arrived! Long live East Tai Company! Long live the East Tai Board of Directors! Charge!" Gōng Sūnróng howled wildly, pushing his men forward with force.
"There isn't a coward in our Grand Canyon Allied Security Team! Anyone who dares to disgrace us will face my bullet! Forward! Forward! Forward! Go!"
The East Cave had only one passage leading directly to the Central Cave, and at this moment, Wén Dàpéng was guarding the entrance with a few men.
"Light it!" Wén Dàpéng shouted, lighting his Molotov cocktail and throwing it into the East Cave.
The bottle shattered upon hitting the shield, erupting into a burst of flames. The shield-bearing security officers screamed and stumbled back, only to be pushed forward by the men behind them.
"Hold firm! Keep holding!" Gōng Sūnróng roared, firing his shotgun into the forked passage wildly.
This man truly had a talent for command. Not only had he prepared fire extinguishers, but he had also set up a water pump and hose, drawing water directly from the Earth Dragon River.
They first used the fire extinguishers to suppress the flames, then pulled in the fire hoses to drench the cavern. The dry grass, sulfur, and dried chilies could not catch fire in the damp conditions.
The first line of defense was easily breached, and Wén Dàpéng and his group were forced to retreat to the Sky Hollow.
Gōng Sūnróng drove his men into the Central Cave like a pack of vicious hounds herding sheep. The first security officers created a curved defensive line with their shields while firing their shotguns indiscriminately.
Once more than a dozen of his men established a solid defense, Gōng Sūnróng finally entered the cave. But this cunning man, with his sharp eyes, quickly noticed the large wooden frame above.
He hastily retreated and, ensuring his safety, shouted for a retreat.
To escape, in his dreams! Wén Dàpéng leapt into action, seizing the rope tied to the wooden stake. Hǔ Zǐ grabbed another rope tied to a different stake.
"One, two, three!" Together, they yanked with all their strength. The two wooden pillars, standing on stone nooks in the rock wall, were pulled free. The wooden frame, loaded with stones, rocked violently before crashing down in a thunderous cascade.
A dozen security officers were immediately struck down.
Once the passageway was completely blocked by stones, Gōng Sūnróng threw himself onto the rubble, desperately digging, shouting, "Quickly, move the stones! We must break out and rescue our brothers!"
Just then, the command to retreat came through the earpiece. His relatives and fellow officers carried him out, dragging him from the cave.
As Gǒng Qīngshān watched the video feed from the surveillance equipment, his eyes welled with tears, and he exclaimed, "Heroes! The great warriors of East Tai!"
Once Gōng Sūnróng emerged from the cave, he was warmly embraced by Gǒng Qīngshān. To show his bravery, he removed his security shoes, revealing his left big toe, bloodied and torn.
"Heroes! Deputy District Chief Gōng Sūnróng, you are truly our shining example! Once the chaos subsides, I will personally commend you!" Gǒng Qīngshān praised, his admiration genuine and heartfelt.
Not only did they repel the enemy's assault, but they also captured six shotguns. The group couldn't help but burst into cheers, with most of them even believing they were invincible.
Suddenly, the earth trembled violently. Those standing could not help but stagger, falling to the ground in unison. This was the true embodiment of the earth shaking and the mountains quaking!
It turned out that the armed guards had swiftly taken over, placing explosives on the stone pile and executing a directional detonation.
With a deafening explosion, not only were the rocks blocking the passage blown away, but even a large section of the cave entrance was demolished.
The soldiers waiting at the East Cave immediately charged, advancing into the Central Cave under the cover of bulletproof shields. A marksman raised his semi-automatic grenade launcher and fired six grenades in rapid succession toward the Sky Hollow.
"Down!" Wén Dàpéng shouted, rolling sideways to take cover behind a rock.
However, the local mountain folk under his command, who had never encountered the armed security forces, mistakenly thought a new team of security guards had arrived. The barrage of explosions tore apart the Sky Hollow, instantly causing dozens of casualties.
"Hǔ Zǐ! Hǔ Zǐ! Are you alright?"
"We're fine! Just a few scratches!"
Though Hǔ Zǐ spoke lightly, his injuries were far from minor. Fragments of shrapnel were embedded in his shoulder and back. Every slight movement sent sharp, searing pain through him, as though being torn apart.
"We need to retreat to Cave 7 and regroup with the master before counterattacking!"
Yet Hǔ Zǐ refused to retreat. If they fell back now, the people in the West Cave would be trapped, including Lìnghú Mǐn and Suìr.
Wén Dàpéng forcibly lifted him and carried him through the tunnel.
Earlier, in an effort to protect Lìnghú Mǐn, Suìr, Jiǎ Xiǎokāng, and Léi Dàlì had also been injured, so they had stayed behind in the West Cave to recuperate. With the Sky Hollow providing cover, they had felt safe.
But under the overwhelming firepower, they could not even hold for half a minute.
Before Suìr and the others could reach the entrance, bullets poured in like rain, and the fragile rock walls immediately splintered.
Just as they retreated to the bend in the tunnel, a blast grenade shot in. The intense flash was brighter than lightning, followed by an earth-shattering explosion.
The soundwave, reaching 180 decibels, not only left them momentarily deaf but also robbed them of their balance, causing them to collapse.
Jiǎ Xiǎokāng and Léi Dàlì instinctively dropped to the ground, clutching their heads with both hands, frozen in place like statues.
Suìr too, was involuntarily knocked down. The sensation felt as if a sledgehammer had struck her, and her ears buzzed incessantly.
However, her nervous system was incredibly resilient. Though her hearing and vision were impaired, she did not lose them entirely. Yet, her body felt like a limp rag, incapable of any strength. She couldn't tell north from south, as if she were lying in a spinning barrel, endlessly rotating.
A squad of guards, tasked with searching the West Cave, followed their standard procedure by throwing blast grenades first. Shields were then deployed at the front, while the rest of the team filed in behind them.
Suìr struggled, attempting to sit up, but her body crumpled helplessly to the ground. The liquid in her middle ear, combined with the intense soundwave vibrations, left her unable to maintain her balance.
Just as they prepared to face their doom, a warrior suddenly appeared at the cave entrance. Clad in ancient-style armor, he seemed to descend like a deity.
With the ferocity of a storm, the warrior charged forward, each step causing the ground to tremble as stones flew in all directions.
Suìr felt a surge of panic. She feared that with one stomp of his foot, the two men lying on the ground would surely be crushed to death.
Fortunately, her fears were unfounded. The warrior, light as a swallow, nimbly avoided the two men beneath him and swiftly darted around the corner.
At that moment, another blast grenade was hurled toward him. The warrior struck it with his left palm, sending it careening against the cave wall before it rebounded and exploded at the far end of the passage.
The grenade exploded directly above the thrower's head, the 180-decibel sonic blast instantly incapacitating him, rendering him a permanent "small white" (deafened).
Upon rounding the corner, the warrior faced two guards behind the steel shields. They immediately fired their weapons, but the bullets merely ricocheted off the warrior's armor, sparking harmlessly as they flew off.
A foolhardy attempt! The warrior charged forward, slamming into the steel shield. The guard holding it was flattened, the shield and his body crashing into the other two guards, knocking them to the ground.
The warrior continued his relentless sprint, using a single palm to push one guard in the chest. His chest was instantly crushed, his lungs and heart reduced to mush, with blood spurting from his mouth in a grotesque eruption.
Clad in this armor, the warrior's movements were limited, but he relied on two main techniques—either striking with his palm or pushing with his hand. No matter the technique, they were all utterly unstoppable!
A sergeant attempted a sideways roll, firing his rifle in a desperate "dog's piss shot."
Alas, he was sorely mistaken, thinking himself in the midst of a dramatic play!
The warrior, unfazed, charged directly toward the oncoming bullets. With a single stomp, the sergeant was flattened into a pancake.
"Fire the grenades! Fire the grenades!" the squad leader screamed in a panic.
The five-meter blast radius of the grenade was undeniably lethal! Ordering it was tantamount to a suicide mission.
Yet, a foolish soldier, without hesitation, fired the grenade.
It struck the warrior's chest, detonating immediately and sending him hurtling backward. The heavy armor slammed into the cave wall, causing a massive chunk of rock to crumble away.
The grenade launcher, torn apart by shrapnel, was flung away by the blast's shockwave, meeting its glorious end. Another soldier, caught unawares, was also swept into the same fate.
The squad leader, however, was quick enough to dive to the ground just before the explosion.
After the blast, thick smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring vision even through night-vision goggles. The squad leader, convinced the warrior was dead, got up, ready to shout in triumph. But from the smoke, the warrior suddenly shot out, his steel palm descending from above, crashing onto the squad leader's helmet.
With a crisp "crack," the squad leader's neck was shattered, and his head was forced into his torso.
The remaining guards, terrified, dropped their weapons and fled in a panic.
So who, exactly, was this striking warrior? It was Lìzhuī! As for how he donned this divine armor, that will be revealed in time.