Several kilometers away from the temple, nestled deep within a large mountain, the area appeared unremarkable from the surface, indistinguishable from any other dark forest. However, this was merely a facade. Everyone within the woods was clad in camouflage uniforms, adorned with yellow and green strips of cloth, rendering them invisible from above. Their faces were also smeared with paint.
Hiding in the woods during spring was an unpleasant experience, primarily due to the abundance of mosquitoes. Even in the darkness, these insects could accurately locate their prey, drawn by the carbon dioxide emitted by breathing.
Within this seemingly ordinary forest, two thousand soldiers were concealed. Their mission was to unleash artillery fire at the critical moment and annihilate the enemy. Though the task was straightforward, the soldiers dared not be complacent, for their adversaries were the very same extraordinary individuals who had previously defeated them in the city.
Matsushita, clad in his military uniform, remained in the command center. The command center itself was a large pit dug into the ground, concealed by various debris. Half an hour had passed since the commencement of the operation. He pulled out his walkie-talkie and inquired about the situation: "The time has come. Have you eliminated the enemy yet?"
There was no response from the other end of the walkie-talkie. Matsushita, feeling helpless, attempted to contact the hotel staff, but received no reply. He knew nothing about the situation in the temple area, and with no news from anyone he contacted, a sense of unease began to creep in, leaving him uncertain of how to proceed.
After much deliberation, Matsushita made a decision: "All personnel, prepare for combat. Remove all camouflage and prepare to fire!"
At this moment, a副官 (fùguān - adjutant) cautiously interjected, "General, we have not yet received any news from Miss Ranzi. Miss Ranzi may still be at the temple. Should we proceed with the attack?"
Matsushita stated gravely, "In fact, this plan was personally devised by Miss Ranzi. In order to avenge her family, she voluntarily acted as bait to lure the enemy. Before she left, she told me that if she could not withdraw in time, we should proceed with the plan as scheduled, and not allow her life to disrupt the meticulously laid plans!"
Upon hearing this, everyone present was filled with solemn respect. They were astonished that the last surviving member of the Fujino family, despite being a woman, was willing to sacrifice herself for victory. Such a spirit was truly great and worthy of emulation.
Following the orders, everyone immediately sprang into action. The first step was to remove the camouflage from the artillery vehicles. The soldiers stood up, discarding all the debris from the vehicles. Once the camouflage was cleared, thirty artillery vehicles were revealed in the forest. Soldiers quickly occupied them, aiming at the temple and preparing to launch missiles.
In reality, targeting could be entirely handled by satellites, which could provide precise positioning. The soldiers' role was to load the ammunition and press the launch buttons.
Once prepared, the thirty artillery vehicles unleashed their barrage. Almost simultaneously, missiles were fired, their target being the temple several kilometers away. The roaring sound echoed through the forest for a long time. Within seconds of their launch, the missiles reached their destination above the temple and detonated in mid-air, unleashing fiery orbs that cast dazzling light as they descended. The missiles were loaded with thermite, which would explode upon reaching their target, igniting and burning.
Even steel would melt under the intense heat of these fiery spheres. The missiles had a wide coverage area, capable of engulfing everything within tens of meters of their impact point. The sustained combustion generated by the high temperatures was enough to cause death by heat.
If a fiery orb landed on a person, the scorching heat would instantly turn them to ashes.
Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi were both startled by the massive flames appearing overhead. Subsequently, numerous fireballs began to fall from the sky, their brilliance striking in the night sky.
"Damn it, these people are even using missiles! They really want to kill us!" Yue Hengyi couldn't help but curse upon witnessing the situation.
Shen Feng was also stunned by the spectacle, completely taken aback by the enemy's use of missiles. The falling fireballs were mesmerizing, appearing as if stars were descending to the earth.
Fortunately, Shen Feng's reaction was swift. He immediately activated "As Wind Follows," reaching Yue Hengyi's side and carrying him on his back as they fled into the distance.
Meanwhile, the fireballs continued to fall, each impact igniting a conflagration. When the fireballs landed in the forest, the trees immediately caught fire. Although it was spring and the trees were high in moisture content, the extreme heat of the thermite could melt steel; how could mere moisture stand against such flames?
Soon, the entire forest surrounding the temple was engulfed in flames. As Shen Feng ran, he had to constantly dodge the falling fireballs. If a fireball were to land on them, even these two extraordinary individuals would perish on the spot, for they were still flesh and blood and could die.
Shen Feng continued to evade the fireballs, but the space available for him to dodge was shrinking. The surroundings were completely consumed by fire, and the sky seemed to be painted red by the inferno. Everywhere he looked, there were flames, and the fire was growing larger. If they stayed any longer, they would either be burned to death or suffocated by the smoke.
"Brother Feng, how about we hide in the hot springs? Hiding in the water should prevent us from being burned to death!" Yue Hengyi suggested.
"Nonsense. The surrounding forest is completely ablaze, and the temperature must be at least fifty degrees Celsius. The hot springs are still hot; if we stay there, we'll be boiled alive. We have to take a risk and escape through the road!" Shen Feng completely dismissed Yue Hengyi's suggestion, having his own plan. In this situation, staying put was clearly a path to certain death. To survive, they had to make a desperate dash for it.
However, at that very moment, more missiles were launched from a distance. One of the missiles exploded above the road, and the thermite from the explosion rained down onto the asphalt, melting it instantly. Now, even the escape route was blocked.
"Damn it, where can we run now?" Shen Feng, seeing fire on all sides, felt a surge of helplessness. It seemed all escape routes were cut off. Fireballs continued to fall from the sky, and the surrounding area was engulfed in flames that grew larger by the minute. Waiting any longer was a death sentence, yet a way out remained elusive.
Just then, a slender figure appeared in the distance, and a voice called out, "Lord Shen Fuyao, please come this way. I can lead you out!"
Shen Feng looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Ranzi. She was covered in mud and water, appearing quite disheveled.
"You didn't run? You're still waiting here. Why?" Shen Feng rushed over and asked directly.
Ranzi replied nervously, "Now is not the time to talk about this. Please follow me. I can lead you out!"
With that, Ranzi turned and headed towards a side forest. Flames were present there as well. Shen Feng followed her and discovered that this was the path where the hot springs flowed. Perhaps some minerals in the water had killed the surrounding trees, resulting in fewer trees along the stream. Going down this path would indeed be safe.
Shen Feng looked at the mud and water on Ranzi's body and thought, "So, Ranzi specifically walked this path! She did this to save us!"
Since a way out had been found, Shen Feng no longer hesitated. He reached out and embraced Ranzi. Ranzi was small, and once embraced, she was completely unable to resist.
Shen Feng then dashed forward, unleashing his full speed. His feet skimmed across the water as he propelled himself forward, reaching supersonic speeds in an instant. Ranzi, being an ordinary human whose body had not undergone any enhancement, was subjected to immense force and immediately fainted.
Ten seconds later, Shen Feng, following the stream, burst out of the sea of flames. Having endured the scorching heat, Shen Feng was covered in sweat. The sweat trickled down, soaking his silk pajamas.
Upon reaching a clearing in the distance, Shen Feng felt a sense of coolness. He stopped and looked down, realizing that the young girl in his arms had fainted. Yue Hengyi, however, seemed fine. Just as Shen Feng could withstand the pressure of the gravitational field, Yue Hengyi's body could also withstand the impact of supersonic speeds.
"Little Yue, take care of Ranzi. I'm going to kill all those troublesome guys. This basket contains my medicine and extraterrestrial elements. Keep it safe!" Shen Feng placed Ranzi on a rock and then spoke to Yue Hengyi.
Yue Hengyi, gripping his Kang Long Jian, confidently replied, "Don't worry. I'm a fifth-tier extraordinary individual, after all. Protecting a young girl is a piece of cake! I never thought you, Shen Feng, would save someone!"
Yue Hengyi found it incredible. Shen Feng had always presented himself as a ruthless individual who killed without blinking, yet now he was saving a young girl.
Shen Feng shrugged his shoulders and said, "To be honest, I'm a person with double standards. For those who want to kill me, I will kill them without hesitation. But Ranzi risked being burned to death to save us. Such a person is good to me, and I will repay those who are good to me!"
With that, Shen Feng instantly charged forward. Although he was running barefoot, with "Water Walking" supporting him, Shen Feng ensured his soles would not be pierced. He had already set his target: not a single one of those who launched the missiles would be allowed to live!
After Shen Feng charged away, Ranzi slowly regained consciousness. In fact, she had already regained her senses when Shen Feng stopped in the clearing. Therefore, she overheard Yue Hengyi's address to Shen Feng: "Shen Feng!"
The name Shen Feng was not unfamiliar to Ranzi. She had seen the great hero from across the sea on television before. At that time, Shen Feng had appeared on television with an arrogant demeanor, wearing a wolfskin cloak, and was reportedly the one who proposed beheading the Corpse King!
Ranzi had greatly admired Shen Feng back then. However, she never imagined that her enemy would be her former idol. Moreover, Shen Feng's current gaunt appearance bore no resemblance to the dashing young man he once was. After much thought, Ranzi felt a sense of confusion.
"He's Shen Feng? Then why has he become like this? He's so thin and gaunt, with no flesh on his face. He looks like someone whose body has been excessively depleted. How can he be my idol?" Ranzi thought to herself.
At this moment, Yue Hengyi saw Ranzi open her eyes and quickly expressed his gratitude, "Miss Ranzi, thank you so much. If you hadn't told us the escape route, we would probably have been burned to death by now!"
Ranzi replied respectfully, "I didn't expect this either. I thought I was just coming to worship Buddha and seek enlightenment, but I never imagined we would encounter such a situation. It seems I am also one of the abandoned!"
Ranzi was actually quite enraged. She had explicitly stated that they should not act until she was safe, but Matsushita, that old scoundrel, had initiated the attack directly, clearly intending to kill her as well and seize her family's assets in the process.
After much consideration, Ranzi began to pray for Shen Feng, "Cheer up, you must eliminate these scoundrels!"