BANG! BANG! BANG!

The deafening gunshots seemed to shatter the night sky, echoing like distant thunder across the empty, deathly silent streets.

Tang Hong'e's hands, clenched around her pistol, were stiff and trembling. Her eyes were fixed on Zhan Wushen, and a cold sweat trickled down her pale face.

From the distant darkness, the howl of a Shu Demon suddenly cut through the air, menacing as a soul-reaping wraith.

A trace of impatience showed on Zhan Wushen's face. He glanced sideways and murmured softly, "All of you, get lost."

The Shu Demons, drawn by the noise, seemed terrified of him. They all ceased their howling and quietly retreated into the night.

Zhan Wushen glanced indifferently at Tang Hong'e, then walked straight toward Lin Shan Shan. He hadn't even bothered to dodge the bullets that flew at him, letting them strike his face and forehead.

"Shan Shan, run!"

At that moment, only terror remained in Tang Hong'e's heart. The old man's power far exceeded her comprehension. The gun, which had always given her a sense of security on every mission, now seemed utterly meaningless before him.

But she did not retreat. She resolutely stood her ground in front of Lin Shan Shan.

"Go, now!" Tang Hong'e roared, suddenly snatching a grenade from her waist and charging toward Zhan Wushen with grim resolve.

She didn't possess the Mesmerizing Flame Technique, so she couldn't create a brief illusion with her gaze to confuse her enemy like Su Hongli could. Thus, she had no choice but to risk her life.

However, Zhan Wushen simply swatted a hand forward. An invisible force sent her flying. Her delicate body slammed into a thick wall, collapsing it. She was sent flying out into the street, where she landed heavily amidst a shower of bricks.

A few nearby Shu Demons hesitated for a moment before pouncing, tearing and biting at her flesh.

Inside the battered little supermarket, Lin Shan Shan watched as Tang Hong'e was savagely torn apart. Her small face was streaked with tears, and she clamped a hand tightly over her mouth.

"Come with me."

"I won't go with you, you big baddie!" Lin Shan Shan shouted angrily. She suddenly turned and fled, summoning the last ounce of strength in her body to leap out the window.

Her speed was astonishing, and she vanished into the night in the blink of an eye.

Back where she had been, Zhan Wushen shook his head helplessly. What a troublesome little girl.

「...」

Lin Shan Shan pumped her legs, running desperately down the dark street. Tears glistened in her eyes as her small, dirty hand clutched the amulet she had worn since she was a little girl.

Auntie Liyu, Auntie Tang... don't worry. Shan Shan will never let the bad guys catch her. When my daddy gets here, Shan Shan is going to beat all of these bad guys!

BANG!

Suddenly, she kicked a fallen lamppost on the road. Her small body pitched forward, and she fell heavily to the ground.

Her small, bare feet were swollen and bleeding. A large patch of skin was scraped from her delicate knees, and for a moment, the pain was so intense it nearly suffocated her.

She gritted her teeth, enduring the agony as she scrambled up from the ground. She then hobbled to the side and dove into a roadside trash bin.

It hurts so much... Daddy, Mommy, where are you? Shan Shan is so scared. Auntie Liyu and Auntie Tang were killed by the bad guys while protecting me... Waaah... I'm really, really scared...

The physical exhaustion and pain, coupled with the terror in her heart, finally made the little girl break down and cry her heart out. This narrow, filthy trash bin seemed to be the last safe harbor she could depend on.

Time trickled by.

Lin Shan Shan sat curled up inside the trash bin, hugging her knees. She bit her lip hard, shedding silent tears of grief while trying her best not to make a sound.

The teardrops rolled down her cheeks and onto the amulet clutched in her hand. The amulet then silently absorbed the mixture of tears and blood.

A sharp screech suddenly erupted as the trash bin Lin Shan Shan was hiding in was torn in half by a massive force.

Lin Shan Shan slowly raised her head, glaring at the Shu Demon before her, her eyes filled with utter hatred.

"Go to hell!"

Her small, tender fist, still clutching the amulet, shot out and struck the Shu Demon with terrifying might.

With a thunderous BOOM, the Shu Demon was sent flying dozens of meters. It crashed heavily to the ground, dead.

After that single punch, fatigue and weakness washed over her once again, like maggots burrowing into her bones. Lin Shan Shan swayed, standing weakly amidst the garbage as an overwhelming weakness washed over her. The faint, almost imperceptible glimmer of Azure Spiritual Power on her tiny fist vanished.

That was the last bit of strength she could muster.

But just then, the amulet began to emit a brilliant light, which gradually illuminated the oppressive night that surrounded her.

Zhan Wushen descended lightly from the sky, landing in front of Lin Shan Shan.

"I truly can't imagine what kind of bloodline flows through your veins," he said. "Some people strive their entire lives and never reach the realm you now possess. And yet, you were born into it."

「...」

「Henghai Provincial City—Border Region.」

Luo Xiu was on the verge of breaking down after numerous failed attempts.

Great Qian of Tai Ah was also cursing up a storm. "This damned Forbidden Heavenly Barrier! How in the hell do we break it?"

Just then, Master Ping spoke up. "I, Master Ping, have thought of a method that might just break this barrier."

Hearing this, Luo Xiu's eyes lit up. He snapped his head up to look at Master Ping.

"What method?"

But the words had barely left his lips when a strange light suddenly erupted from his body. In that instant, he felt as if something was absorbing him. Before he could even begin to understand what was happening, his body vanished.

Darkness swallowed him in an instant, but it only lasted for a moment.

The next thing he knew, Luo Xiu found himself on a dilapidated street.

Not far away, a little girl, filthy and covered in wounds, was sitting in a pile of trash. A black-robed elder with a profound aura was slowly walking toward her.

Is that... Shan Shan?

Luo Xiu's gaze sharpened. He immediately recognized the amulet in the little girl's hands and instantly understood everything. He realized it must have been Lin Shan Shan who had summoned him here by activating the amulet.

"Old bastard, if you dare take one more step, I'll break one of your legs."

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