Chapter 77: Assassinating the Fire-Stealer

"Where did they go?"

Pu Wen moved through the wilderness, his eyes scanning the surroundings, searching for Number 8.

According to the original plan, five enforcers who had stepped onto the Soldier God path were to fight five Fire-Stealers, and he and Yan Xicai were to team up to set a trap for the leader, Number 8. But he hadn't expected that halfway through the plan, Yan Xicai would be chased off by a Fire-Stealer.

Just when he thought he would have to deal with Number 8 alone, Number 8 ran off too...

As the fight progressed, both teammates and enemies had vanished, leaving only Pu Wen.

Thump—!

Just as Pu Wen was wondering, a tremor came from the sky. He looked up, his eyes full of surprise.

Beneath the clouds, a black ribbon was gradually retreating back into the Dao Foundation at the hilt of the sword, but on that ribbon, a figure was still clutching one end, struggling desperately.

Isn't that the Fire-Stealer?

Number 8’s body moved rapidly away from the ground. He looked at the approaching Soldier God Dao Foundation, his eyes filled with excitement and madness.

His palm reached into the black ribbon, grabbing at it several times, only to grasp emptiness... But he had no intention of stopping, continuing to use "Steal Object."

Finally, after "stealing" dozens of times, a dark red fragment fell into his palm.

This fragment was about the size of half a palm, like a stone that had slipped off a mountain compared to the complete Soldier God Dao Foundation, but this was the limit of what he could achieve...

The moment this Dao Foundation fragment broke off, the entire Soldier Path Ancient Treasury suddenly shook. The black ribbon shattered into nothingness on the spot, and Number 8, losing his support, fell from mid-air, plummeting straight toward the ground!

"His goal is the Dao Foundation?" Seeing this, Pu Wen’s expression tightened.

Pu Wen didn't know much about the Dao Foundation... Although every Ancient Treasury had a corresponding Dao Foundation, they never had the chance to touch it. They only knew it seemed very important to the Treasury. If a Fire-Stealer dared to steal the Soldier God Dao Foundation, it would inevitably trigger a chain reaction.

Pu Wen didn't think the entities deep within the Soldier Path Ancient Treasury would let them leave this sea area.

"That Fire-Stealer who stole the Dao Foundation fragment is Third Stage. Now Yan Xicai is missing, and I don't know where that guy Lu Xuanming is... With only me left, how can I handle him?"

Pu Wen glanced at the direction Number 8 fell, then looked at the battlefield where the fighting was still ongoing, feeling a headache.

The melee between the enforcers and the Fire-Stealers was nearing its end. Three of the five enforcers who had stepped onto the Soldier God path had been killed, two Fire-Stealers were dead, and countless ordinary enforcers had been killed or wounded. Only a few three or four figures were still fighting, with corpses scattered across the land.

Pu Wen made a rough calculation; of the seventy-some people who had entered the Ancient Treasury, fewer than ten were likely still alive... In the past hundred years, there had never been such tragic casualties in the Soldier Path Ancient Treasury trials.

The enforcers in Aurora City had hoped to use this opportunity to cultivate more enforcers and recover their strength, but they hadn't expected all these seedlings to die in the Ancient Treasury!

If the Ancient Treasury opened, wouldn't those three enforcers be scared to death on the spot?

Pu Wen shook his head, throwing those messy thoughts to the back of his mind, and charged straight toward where Number 8 had fallen... With the fighting having reached this point, unless they dealt with that most troublesome Fire-Stealer, no one would be able to walk out alive.

Meanwhile.

Falling from the sky, Number 8 clutched the Dao Foundation fragment tightly and grabbed at the ground below.

Hard rocks were instantly stolen, leaving only soft sand beneath. He crashed heavily onto it, sending up a cloud of dust.

Even though the ground was soft, it still hurt Number 8 significantly. He staggered to his feet, feeling pain in all his internal organs... But when he looked at the Dao Foundation fragment in his hand, joy still appeared on his face.

Mission accomplished!

Having stolen the Soldier God Dao Foundation fragment, his rank should rise significantly when he returned; perhaps he could even enter the top five.

Just as Number 8 was secretly happy, a whistling sound suddenly came from behind his head. He felt a chill on the back of his neck and rolled forward without hesitation!

Slash—

A long blade grazed Number 8’s scalp, shaving off a large patch of blood.

Before Number 8 could see who it was, the blade light slashed again with astonishing speed. Thoughts flashed through his mind, and he raised his fingertips. The cold glint that had reached his brow vanished into thin air, only to be gripped in his palm.

But that hand seemed to have anticipated the weapon’s disappearance. Not only did the attack not stop, but the hand itself became like a blade, covered in steel-like blackness, and slashed lightning-fast toward Number 8’s face!

Number 8 immediately swung his blade to parry, sparks flying as the blade met the hand, but the terrifying force still sent him flying several meters away!

Number 8 was experienced in battle; he adjusted his body in mid-air and landed steadily on the ground... He looked ahead to see a young man in black clothes and pants standing there, coldly shaking his hand, which had been cut red.

"Dodged it, huh..." Lu Xuanming’s brow was heavy with gravity.

"It’s you?" Cold light flickered in Number 8’s eyes.

Lu Xuanming’s attack had been too sudden, as if he had been hiding by his side the whole time, waiting for his guard to be at its lowest before striking... If not for Number 8’s rich combat experience, he would likely have been decapitated instantly.

But now he had survived, and the distance between them had opened... In this situation, the scales of victory could no longer tip toward Lu Xuanming.

"An enforcer who just stepped into the First Stage dares to ambush me." Number 8 slowly straightened up, gripping the long blade tightly in his right hand. "As expected of the son of that famous enforcer, your courage is commendable... Unfortunately, you’ve lost your chance."

Lu Xuanming frowned, stomped on the ground, and charged toward Number 8 like a beast.

Number 8 stood calmly in place, his right hand grabbing at the void in front of him:

"Steal 'Light'."

Lu Xuanming’s vision instantly plunged into darkness.

The target vanished, the environment vanished. This sudden anomaly caused Lu Xuanming to falter. At the same time, a whistling blade light slashed toward his neck!

It was his own blade.

Lu Xuanming didn't think twice, [Iron Armor] instantly covering his skin. A sharp sensation pierced the hard iron armor, and he was knocked to one side by the blow. Just as he was about to roll to dissipate the force, the clear sound of a bullet being chambered rang out.

Click—

Oh no!

A thought flashed through Lu Xuanming’s mind, and the next moment, a flower of blood erupted from his thigh!