Behind the hillside, Bao Yuan was thrilled to see the train suddenly stop. He ordered his men, "Teams Three and Four, hold this position! Team Five, advance and harass the sentry post! Teams Six through Ten, follow me down!"

The members of the resistance organization all let out a cheer. Except for those stationed on the high ground, the rest excitedly followed him, charging down the hillside.

However, these men were clearly well-trained. They didn’t just swarm down recklessly but spread out wide, advancing on the train in an encircling formation. They paused intermittently, providing cover for each other’s backs and flanks.

On the peak of the opposite hill, Ren Xiaotian, who had been scouting ahead, rushed back.

"Most of these resistance members are behind the northern slope. They’ve brought over a hundred men this time. There’s another group on the opposite mountain. I didn’t get close, but judging by their unit structure, it’s no more than twenty people. Men are now moving toward several high points on both mountainsides..."

As he spoke, he used a branch to sketch a simple diagram on the ground, tapping at various points.

"There’s a team at the foot of the southern mountain—number unknown. A number of vehicles are parked there, likely their extraction team. To the north, they have men in ambush, probably to block any reinforcements that might come from that direction.

Also, I heard gunshots from the east just now. They sent people to attack the outpost there ahead of time, but there probably aren’t many of them—it’s just a diversion..."

In just a few sentences, he had laid out the general situation he’d scouted.

During that time, Chen Chuan had also contacted the Patrol Bureau by radio. Much of the information matched Ren Xiaotian’s report, giving him a clear picture of the situation.

Just then, a spotter from Wei Chang’an’s team exclaimed in a low voice, "Look, they’re on the move."

Chen Chuan glanced down and saw numerous armed men emerge from the forest, running quickly toward the train in the bright daylight.

He immediately said, "I’ll handle the men below. Senior Brother Wei, I’ll need you to take your men and deal with the hostiles on the opposite mountain and the high points."

Wei Chang’an said, "Leave it to me."

Chen Chuan added, "Senior Brother Ren, please lead the rest of the men and clear out the armed combatants on the high slopes on our side."

As he spoke, he snapped his fingers. The Combat Spider slowly crawled out from the nearby grass. He said, "I’ll have the Combat Spider coordinate with you."

The previous night, everyone had fed the spider their blood, allowing it to identify them as allies. They had also learned some of the control gestures, so it was now able to coordinate with their actions.

Chen Chuan had originally considered taking the spider with him, but he reasoned that as a living creature, the Combat Spider would likely be susceptible to the ceremony’s effects. Thus, it was better to leave it on the high ground.

Ren Xiaotian and the others had witnessed the spider’s prowess the night before. It was the ultimate ambusher, worth at least three squads. In terrain like this, a forested mountainside, it could perform at its peak. If the enemy lacked any powerful Fighters, the spider alone might be able to slaughter everyone up there.

Chen Chuan said finally, "If there are no objections, then let’s begin."

Everyone nodded at him and immediately split up to carry out their assignments.

Chen Chuan stood there alone. He took out the mask, which was covered in Secret Ceremony Patterns on both its front and back, and slowly fastened it to his face. The patterns were intricate and complex, but from a distance, they blurred together, resembling a roiling cloud of smoke. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

He plunged his Sword Scabbard into the dirt. Walking forward, he slowly drew the blade from it. Upon reaching the edge of the steep slope, he leaped and charged swiftly downward.

At the hidden observation post, Director Lei was observing the position of the hot air balloon. He glanced at where the train had stopped, then took out a map and a Secret Ceremony tool to cross-reference them. He ordered, "Team One, proceed to designated area zero-nine-three."

"Yes, sir!"

"Team Two, proceed to designated area zero-three-four."

"Yes, sir!"

"Team Three..."

As he gave out the orders, the members of the Review Bureau teams began to move out. Destruction was far easier than creation. They just needed to reach the designated locations, sprinkle the special ritual powder they carried, and form specific disruptive patterns to destroy the ceremony itself.

By now, the members of the resistance organization had reached the front of the train.

But just as they got close, their vision suddenly blurred, and the train in front of them vanished. Many of them involuntarily stopped in their tracks. In the next instant, however, the train was there again, stopped perfectly still. They shook their heads hard, and seeing that Bao Yuan was already advancing, they hurriedly followed.

Bao Yuan charged at the very front. He pointed two men forward to deal with the driver and secure the crew, while he himself boarded one of the rear carriages.

One of the men who followed him aboard saw two passengers still chatting. He pulled out his gun and shot one of them, and the passenger’s head instantly exploded.

Bizarrely, however, the passenger opposite them continued to speak with a perfectly natural expression to the person who was now a bloody mess with only half a head remaining on their neck.

"Heh, interesting."

As if he’d found a new toy, the squad member pulled out his gun again and shot a passenger on the other side.

"Alright, stop playing around."

Bao Yuan’s face darkened as he snapped, "These people are valuable. Don’t make trouble for me."

The squad member chuckled. "Captain, a few less won’t matter, right?"

Bao Yuan shot him a cold glance, and the squad member immediately fell silent. By this time, the resistance members who had stormed the other carriages had brought the entire train under control.

Bao Yuan ordered the technician, "Radio a message to the rear. Tell them I’ve hijacked the Changshun. There are three representatives from major foreign companies on board. Have them spread the news."

The resistance organization had its own radio station with many listeners, both domestic and foreign. Some government agencies also monitored the channel, so once this news was broadcast, its impact would be enormous.

He was confident that after this, his prestige within the resistance organization would soar to unprecedented heights.

He then gave another order. "Also, use the train’s radio to send a message to the Yangzhi City Administrative Affairs Hall. Tell them to accept our previous demands. Give them half an hour to consider. After that, I will execute a group of people every ten minutes.

"To show them we’re serious, we have to prove we mean what we say. Kill all the corporate security guards first! Then use their radios to send messages to their companies and tell them to put pressure on the Yangzhi City Government!"

"Yes, Captain!"

The squad members excitedly rushed toward the various company representatives and began gunning down the security guards.

But no matter what commotion they made, the security guards showed no reaction. Even when the person next to them was shot dead, they remained standing there nonchalantly, like human target dummies.

Perhaps getting carried away, upon reaching the Porlon Company’s carriage, one squad member shot the assistant in the head. A bloody hole instantly appeared on the side of the assistant’s skull, and his body slumped to one side.

Across from the body, Lindenberg remarked, "Is this the Yangzhi Government’s welcoming ceremony? They seem quite enthusiastic."

Chen Chuan had now arrived not far from the front of the train. He heard gunshots erupt from the mountains on both sides, seemingly aimed at him, but he paid them no mind. At such a distance, and with his incredible speed, it was impossible for them to hit him.

At this moment, he saw his Second Self begin to flicker and turn translucent. This meant he had entered the area affected by the ceremony.

He assessed the situation using the method Director Lei had taught him and identified it as a mental assault. The inside of his trench coat was inscribed with patterns designed to resist this type of ceremony.

He immediately wiped away an extra stroke near the collar, and the entire Secret Ceremony activated instantly. The translucence of his Second Self immediately weakened, almost disappearing entirely. However, the once-vibrant colors of the patterns seemed to dim slightly in response.

’A conflict between Secret Ceremonies is a battle of attrition,’ he thought. ’The patterns drawn with my limited materials won’t last long.’ So, he quickened his pace.

Two resistance members guarding the outside of the train saw a figure approaching and opened fire without hesitation. But their vision blurred for a moment, and in that instant, the figure dodged their shots.

"A Third Limit Fighter!"

The two squad members were horrified and scrambled to pull out their pills to swallow them. But it was too late. A flash of a blade swept past them, and a figure crashed directly into the train car!

BANG! A man inside the carriage who was raising his gun was slammed directly against the opposite wall. His chest caved in completely, his internal organs and spine pulverized.

Meanwhile, the upper torsos of the two men at the carriage entrance slid cleanly to the floor. Behind them, a long, diagonal slash marked the carriage wall.

Chen Chuan slowly rose from a low crouch. Just then, someone from a rear carriage charged toward him, but before the man could fire, a bloody hole appeared on his forehead. He stumbled back two steps and fell flat on his back.

Chen Chuan retracted the hand he’d used to throw the pebble. He turned sideways and slowly raised his Long Blade, its tip aimed down the length of the carriage, following his gaze. He took a deep breath, and his body instantly became scorching hot.

He lowered his stance slightly. With a powerful stomp, an explosive CRACK echoed as he shot forward. In his vision, everyone and everything around him seemed to slow down. Beneath his feet, wherever he stepped, the carriage floor began to crack, warp, and shatter, like a wave rolling forward in his wake.

Through the long line of the train’s windows, a flash of light from a blade could be seen streaking from the front of the train toward the rear. In its wake, it left a trail of dismembered bodies.

Like falling dominoes, the resistance members in carriage after carriage were cut down. Heads flew, limbs were severed, and blood sprayed everywhere. The passengers on both sides, even when splattered with gore, maintained their smiling, conversational postures, some even sipping the blood that dripped into their teacups.

Amid the sounds of the floor shattering and the blade slicing through flesh, the men in the rear who had taken their pills finally reacted. Two overlapping Shields blocked the path, and with a loud CLANG, they intercepted the rampaging flash of the blade.

However, the two Shields shattered instantly. The men holding them were sent flying backward, spinning away to either side. By the time they hit the floor, they were already dead.

Chen Chuan planted his foot, stopping his momentum, and straightened up. From behind his mask, his gaze fell on the array of firearms aimed at him from further down the car. He slowly raised his Long Blade, holding it horizontally in front of him.

The next moment, the carriage erupted with the roar of gunfire!

...

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