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Chapter 270 Like a Demon's Armor

Fang Cheng's gaze swept across the room, and he recognized the person who had led the shouting.

This towering, muscular man is Xiong Wei, one of the "Two Heroes of Heihe".

Previously in the underground vault, the two brothers and Nailhead had a dispute over the Golden Bamba Bottle, which turned the "Two Bears" into a lone wolf.

Fang Cheng narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze shifting between Xiong Wei and Nailhead, lost in thought.

Nailhead's eyes darted around, as if he was trying hard to recall the origins of the person in front of him.

Then, with some doubt, he asked:

"Hey big dummy, I don't know you. What do you want with me? Are you out of your mind, coming here in the middle of the night in this desolate wilderness to act crazy?"

As he spoke, a look of concern for people with intellectual disabilities appeared on his pale face.

Upon hearing this, Xiong Wei's eyes widened in anger, and he couldn't help but roar again:

"Bullshit! My brother's life was ruined by you, and now I'm here to take your dog's life!"

"Boss Xiong, stop wasting time talking to him, let's charge in and kill him!"

"Yes, kill this bastard quickly and avenge our brother!"

Upon hearing this, several other extraordinary individuals who had gathered around also joined in with shouts of encouragement.

These people were his accomplices, each armed and capable, making them appear numerous and formidable.

“Nailhead, you were lucky to escape with your life in the underground vault when there were too many people around.”

As soon as Xiong Wei opened his mouth, his teeth clenched so hard they made a grinding sound, and the muscles in his cheeks bulged into hard lumps.

"Don't think this is over. Hmph, now that you're surrounded by my men, you'd better kneel down and beg for mercy, or I might spare your life."

Upon learning of Nailhead's whereabouts, he quickly led his accomplices to the location, seized a hiding place, and set up an ambush.

To ensure victory, they offered a hefty sum and temporarily recruited several assistants from other teams, striving for absolute certainty.

Even with the astonishing strength the opponent displayed in the underground vault, they have no chance of escaping alive and can only obediently accept their death!
Nailhead, however, acted as if nothing had happened, shrugging and responding nonchalantly:

"Really? I'm really looking forward to it!"

For a time, tensions rose between the two sides, creating a standoff.

Nailhead had his hands tucked into his sleeves, making a faint, chilling rubbing sound. His eyes even held a hint of provocation, making it impossible to discern the depth of his strength.

Xiong Wei stared intently at him, as if he wanted to tear him to pieces with his gaze.

At the same time, he tightened his grip on the giant axe, as if this would give him more confidence.

The surrounding crowd also began to breathe heavily, gripping their weapons tightly, eager to fight.

Xiong Wei took a sudden half-step forward, but then stopped abruptly.

He glanced at another onlooker standing to the side, seemingly detached from the situation:
"Brother White Ghost, I reckon you must have a grudge against this guy too. Let's team up and kill this bastard, shall we?"

He looked at Fang Cheng with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

It's worth noting that whether it was his performance of smashing someone's head in the underground vault with a single punch, or his agile skill in easily dodging Nailhead's sneak attack just now, it all comes down to his impressive abilities.

This mysterious masked man is definitely a top expert who is on par with me.

If the two could combine their swords and become one, dealing with this freak with a head full of nails would be as easy as cutting melons and vegetables, a chaotic and swift slaughter.

Thinking of this, Xiong Wei couldn't help but raise his chin and puff out his chest even more.

"Once this is done, I'm willing to be your friend and share wealth and glory with you."

"Go ahead and ask around. I, Xiong, am a big shot in the underworld. I'm loaded, I have lots of brothers, and I'm incredibly loyal. Whenever there's something good to eat and drink, I'll definitely invite you to join me..."

He became more and more excited as he spoke, his spittle practically flying out of his mouth, as if he had already decided that Fang Cheng was his capable assistant.

If the two of them join forces, they can take down not only that freak Nailhead, but even someone a few levels more powerful. After that, who in the martial arts world will dare to underestimate them?

Upon hearing this, Nailhead's lips curled into a playful smile, and he casually glanced over, as if watching an amusing farce.

Everyone else turned their heads in this direction as well, their eyes all falling on Fang Cheng.

Under everyone's gaze, Fang Cheng remained silent for a moment.

Then, with a calm expression, he spoke:

"I have no interest in, nor any intention of, getting involved in your feuds. Please do as you please."

Upon hearing this, Xiong Wei was stunned for a moment, and the smugness on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of astonishment.

He never expected that he would be rejected despite his status and reputation.

Upon seeing this, Nailhead chuckled, as if mocking Xiong Wei's wishful thinking, which had now fallen through.

Fang Cheng slowly took a few steps back, his gaze sweeping over everyone like lightning, his eyes filled with vigilance.

He then flashed away and quickly fled out of the encirclement.

With a few leaps, it disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

The crowd was left standing there, looking at each other in bewilderment, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Only the calls of birds echoed through the forest.

Suddenly, someone shouted "Go!" breaking the brief silence.

The battle was about to begin, and a fierce fight ensued in the dense forest.

As for Fang Cheng, he had already run several hundred meters away at a speed that no one else could match.

Based on what we saw earlier, the Lu family's main force is on its way and will arrive here soon. It is believed that they will close the mountain and search the area soon.

Continuing to stay here and fight is just being a fool and asking for trouble.

It would be better to let Xiong Wei and Dingzitou fight fiercely, attracting the Lu family's attention, so that I could take the opportunity to escape.

"You guys take your time, I'm not going to keep up..."

Fang Cheng didn't stop walking; taking advantage of the chaos, he had already quietly slipped away.

The night grew deeper, the air was somewhat chilly, and the grass and leaves were covered with dew.

I looked up at the night sky after the rain, where the stars twinkled like tiny gems set against a black curtain.

Unfortunately, I wasn't wearing a sports watch, so I don't know the exact time.

Based on experience, it should be around 2 a.m.

"I need to hurry back to the hotel, have a good meal, and then get a good night's sleep..."

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng suddenly felt motivated and quickened his pace again.

Like a hurricane, it swept through the grass and bushes where there was no path at all.

Wherever it passed, it made a splashing sound, the grass and trees swayed and shook, and a shower of water droplets fell.

As they approached the foot of the mountain, a sudden, deafening roar erupted.

Flames burst forth from the treetops like ferocious beasts, illuminating a small patch of the dark night sky.

The birds were startled and flew around in all directions, chirping incessantly, and the ground trembled slightly.

It seems that Xiong Wei finally couldn't resist using powerful weapons such as bombs or grenades.

Fang Cheng turned around in astonishment, looked at the scene deep in the Misty Mountain, shook his head helplessly, and muttered to himself: This commotion is too big, as if they're afraid others won't know there's a war going on here.

He then turned his gaze to the dark village in the distance and the moonlit Yulong Lake.

Then, after slightly adjusting her breathing and facial expression, she continued running.

Just think of yourself as a fitness enthusiast who couldn't sleep in the early hours of the morning and suddenly decided to exercise.

Da da da--

Their footsteps were light and rhythmic as they trod on the ground.

The lakeside running track resembled a winding ribbon, shimmering under the moonlight, extending forward as Fang Cheng walked, gradually taking him away from the turmoil and clamor of the night.

....................................

In the dead of night, in the early hours of the morning.

The lake surface rippled gently, shimmering with tiny silvery lights.

Smoke swirled around it, as if draped in a layer of cold white gauze.

The pale moonlight painted a dreamlike yet slightly eerie scene.

Suddenly, the calm lake surface erupted with a loud "splash," creating violent waves.

A head suddenly popped out of the lake, like a water beast suddenly appearing, and then quickly swam towards the shore.

At this moment, the night was as dark as ink, the waves on the lake surged endlessly, and the darkness blurred the vision, making it difficult to see what it was.

Only by the faint moonlight could one vaguely see that the head was unusually large, with a sharp, protruding top, as if it had horns.

Two eyes, hidden underwater, gleamed with a dark light.

This appearance is truly terrifying, like a water monster that crawled out from the bottom of a lake.

Just as they were getting close to the lake shore, a human-shaped figure burst out of the water, splashing a lot of water, and nimbly leaped onto the shore.

The figure stood on the shore, the moonlight outlining the silhouette of a muscular male.

He shook his head, and water droplets fell down.

In the dim light, you could see that his clothes were tattered and had many burn marks.

It seems that they had just experienced a thrilling battle and had no choice but to jump into the water to escape the enemy.

Only now have they reappeared.

But that's not the most important thing.

What truly sends chills down your spine is his exposed body, which presents a terrifying shape even more bizarre than his head.

His skin was grayish-black, with a strange texture, resembling metal but not pure metal, with subtle, faint scale-like patterns.

Moreover, the muscles are in the form of fibrous bundles, like steel bars intertwined, yet constantly wriggling.

If you look closely, it looks like countless hidden insects are scurrying under the skin, trying to crawl out.

His arms were thick and strong, with muscles bulging like lumps of steel. Sharp bone spurs grew on his elbows, along with a ring of fine barbs.

Whenever the arm moves, the barbs also wriggle and stretch slightly, seemingly able to easily tear the flesh of the prey.

The same is true for the legs, with huge knuckles bulging out at the knees, looking ferocious and exaggerated.

On the back of his calves, a row of barbs is arranged in a serrated pattern. As he walks, these barbs sway rhythmically, like the tail of some kind of creature.

He exuded a strong and oppressive aura of danger, looking exactly like a legendary demon.

"Ling Zifeng, didn't you say that the Lu family was just a poor family and that you could easily handle it on your own? How did you end up in such a sorry state?"

Suddenly, a mocking laugh rang out, echoing in the silent night sky.

The demonic figure abruptly turned its head, a cold glint flashing in its eyes, and fixed its gaze on the source of the voice:

"Liang Xiaotang, you drove dozens of miles from the city to Yulong Lake just to see me make a fool of myself? Should I gouge your eyes out and see if you can still laugh then?"

"Hehe, Commander Ling, please calm down."

A figure then emerged from the woods ahead and explained:

"I was just informed by headquarters and ordered to come and check the situation."

He stood at a distance, not daring to approach the other party rashly, seemingly showing some apprehension.

Then, his expression turned serious, and he asked:
"What exactly is the Lu family plotting this time, causing such a huge commotion? Is it related to their secret realm? We would appreciate a clear answer from Commander Ling so that we can take appropriate countermeasures."

The questions were asked in quick succession.

The man called "Ling Zifeng" snorted coldly and did not answer immediately.

At this moment, his breathing became unusually heavy, and his already ferocious and terrifying face became even more distorted, as if he were in great pain.

On his chest, an irregular, crystal-like protrusion was slowly rising and falling, faintly glowing red, like a beating heart.

Then a crack appeared in the center, from which countless barbs emerged, gleaming coldly in the moonlight, like a gaping maw.

Immediately afterwards, the barbs rustled and flew towards Ling Zifeng's head, embedding themselves in his head and face with pinpoint accuracy, like nails.

Liang Xiaotang, standing opposite, instantly changed his expression, his pupils contracted, and he stared intently at the scene.

Ling Zifeng's head began to shrink rapidly, his facial features gradually returned to their original positions, and he began to transform into a normal person.

The intense and dangerous aura emanating from him was slowly dissipating.

The grayish-black epidermal tissue, as if receiving some silent command, quietly initiated the "homing" process.

First, the bulging muscles in his arms gradually subsided.

Those terrifying barbs, like the receding tide, slowly retracted under the skin, leaving only a relatively smooth epidermis.

Then, the sharp bone spur at the elbow slowly retracted, returning to the shape of a normal elbow.

Occasionally, tiny flashes of light would appear, as if energy was being gathered back together.

The legs and torso also show similar changes, returning to a normal human appearance.

This dark gray muscle structure is like a suit of armor covering the entire body from head to toe.

Moreover, it is clearly pieced together from some kind of wriggling, living thing.

As the command was activated, the gray-black substance covering his entire body converged towards the center of his chest at a speed clearly visible to the naked eye, transforming into streams of light that ultimately flowed into the crystal-like core.

The red light emanating from the core grew brighter and brighter, as if molten magma was surging within it.

Ling Zifeng clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his neck as if he were under immense pressure. His body trembled slightly uncontrollably, his hands clenching and unclenching unconsciously.

Only after the entire "gray armor" was fully retracted did he raise his hand and suddenly pluck the core from his chest.

In an instant, all the light went out, and everything returned to calm.

The figure that was originally ferocious and terrifying, like a demon, suddenly transformed back into a thin man with an ordinary face.

Only his tattered, charred oversized trench coat still bore traces of the dramatic transformation he had just undergone.

Ling Zifeng breathed a sigh of relief, looked up at Liang Xiaotang, and said coldly:
"That old bastard Lu Shihua is still alive."

(End of this chapter)