Chapter 87 Internal Strife

The procession moved forward once more. Whether it was because all the spider-monsters had been lured away by the gigantic pillar or for some other reason, they traveled another ten-odd miles without encountering a single monster. However, a significant portion of the group was now reaching their absolute limits, gasping for breath and utterly exhausted.

"I can't go on, I really can't walk another step. Elder Long, can we take a break?" The student group from Yangcheng University was the first to collapse, dropping unceremoniously to the ground as they groaned from fatigue.

"No, we haven't reached a safe zone yet, we cannot afford to delay. Anyone who wishes to rest is free to do so, but our squad will not wait here. We must push ahead."

Before Elder Long could speak, the leader of the military squad—formerly under Chief Staffant Han—a mutated awakener with a pitch-black arm, immediately voiced his objection. This man was now calling the shots for their faction; as for Chief Staffant Han and the pampered young master Chu, they had perished not long after suffering mental breakdowns.

His words were instantly echoed by the majority of the awakeners. Seeing this, Elder Long merely frowned in silence. While he deeply desired for everyone to stick together and support one another, the reality of the situation made it impossible to impose his will, nor did he possess the authority to force them.

"How about this, let's not rest for too long. Comrade Zhu Qian and I have been riding the motorcycles for quite a while now, so we are reasonably rested. We can hand the motorcycles over to the remaining ordinary people to use in shifts, which will speed up our pace. After all, having made it this far and escaped the jaws of those monsters, it would be utterly tragic to perish simply due to physical exhaustion."

Elder Long's voice echoed through the ranks. One had to admit that the old man possessed an exceptionally noble character; willing to give up the motorcycles under such perilous circumstances required immense courage.

Yet, despite this, the black-armed Captain Yuan refused to relent. Casting a look of utter contempt at the exhausted ordinary people slumped on the ground, he let out a cold laugh and said, "Elder Long's noble selflessness is truly admirable, but my subordinates and I lack such lofty morals. People with differing paths cannot seek common ground, so let us part ways right here!"

"Captain Yuan, these are students from Yangcheng University. Can you really just watch them wait here to die? Without the protection of awakeners, they won't have the slightest bit of resistance if they encounter monsters!" Upon hearing Captain Yuan's stance, the female teacher immediately panicked, her expression filled with desperate pleading.

"Heh, so what if they're ordinary people? Are we awakeners obligated to protect them? On what grounds? Enough of this nonsense, I hope we never meet again!"

Captain Yuan turned a blind eye to the teacher's entreaties, showing no intention of remaining with the group. He glanced over his own men, and finally fixed his gaze on Xu Ruobing, who had been lingering quietly behind Shen Lie. With a sinister grin, he said, "Miss Xu, our squad is parting ways with these people now. Shouldn't you return to your proper team?"

"Yuan Qingyu, since when did I become a member of your team? I was the one who initiated hiring you in the first place, and now I declare the contract terminated. Go wherever the hell you want!" Hearing Captain Yuan's words, Xu Ruobing trembled slightly, but she gritted her teeth and firmly rejected him.

"Heh, how could a contract be terminated unilaterally? Miss Xu, could it be that you're waiting for me to personally come over and invite you?"

"What do you want?" Watching Yuan Qingyu step closer and closer, Xu Ruobing grew even more panicked, her body instinctively drifting closer to Shen Lie's side.

Seeing Xu Ruobing's movement, Shen Lie frowned slightly. He had no intention of sticking his nose into this messy affair. If it were Xia Ke, he would have intervened without hesitation, but he and Xu Ruobing shared no such familiarity.

This fellow surnamed Yuan possessed formidable strength. Although he was no match for Shen Lie himself, the man had a dozen or so awakener subordinates backing him up. Even Elder Long chose not to interfere, which clearly showed that no one wanted a falling-out with this individual at this time and place.

"Help me survive this crisis, and I'll tell you the whereabouts of that woman!" Just as Shen Lie was preparing to step aside and stay out of it, Xu Ruobing quickly whispered those exact words from behind him.

Shen Lie's body instantly jolted. With a look of stunned uncertainty, he asked urgently, "Which woman?"

"The woman in the photo on your phone, Wen Wan, right? Aren't you searching for her? I happen to know a thing or two about her. Just help me this once and I'll tell you!"

"I hope you're telling the truth, otherwise, you'll find out the consequences of lying to me!"

News of his eldest cousin was Shen Lie's absolute soft spot. Regardless of whether this woman was lying or telling the truth, he simply could not afford to gamble. Seeing that the man surnamed Yuan had already closed the distance, Shen Lie took a deep breath and stepped firmly in front of her.

"Since she clearly doesn't want to go with you, why force the issue? I suggest Captain Yuan take his leave early. If a nuclear bomb happens to drop right now, leaving won't be nearly as easy!" Holding the exquisite small hammer in his left hand, Shen Lie casually let the black spear manifest in his right as well. He might soon face a coordinated assault from a dozen awakeners, so caution was paramount.

"What, you want to play the hero for this woman? People who stick their noses where they don't belong never meet a good end these days!" Yuan Qingyu had not expected Shen Lie to pull such a stunt, causing him to pause in surprise, though he didn't care much. His greatest concern had been Elder Long intervening; believing that as long as Elder Long stayed out of it, no one could stop him, he was determined to take the woman by force because she possessed something he desperately desired.

"Get lost!"

Unaware of Shen Lie's true strength and dismissing him as merely a slightly stronger-than-average awakener, Yuan Qingyu's face hardened as he struck without hesitation. His pitch-black palm radiated an eerie, sinister sheen as it lunged straight toward Shen Lie!

The moment the blow was launched, Shen Lie felt a horrifying suction force erupt from the adversary's palm, resembling a massive black vortex intent on swallowing him whole.

However, Shen Lie had already ignited three anatomical nodes, making him a powerhouse of immense proportions. With a surge of his bloodline power, he instantly neutralized the terrifying suction into nothingness. Then, a flash of golden light erupted across his body, and he charged forward like a cannonball!

Ever since igniting the third node, Shen Lie's bloodline skill, Savage Charge, had received a massive boost. Both its speed and destructive power were several times greater than before. Coupled with the extremely close proximity between them, Yuan Qingyu had no time to react before Shen Lie slammed directly into him!

This impact felt like a mountain-splitting collision. Yuan Qingyu felt as though he had been struck by a meteorite from the heavens, his body flying backward like a tattered sack of grain.

Shen Lie's display of this skill caused the surrounding onlookers to narrow their eyes in shock. This ability was simply too ferocious, exuding an overwhelmingly intimidating aura. Furthermore, Shen Lie had previously revealed the World-Destroying Hammer technique, and now he was deploying yet another terrifying ability—did this mean he had mastered two distinct powers?

The vast majority of awakeners in the current era had only mastered a single ability; those capable of wielding two without exception were absolute experts. Thus, the uninformed spectators were inevitably shocked, and even Xu Ruobing's eyes lit up brightly.

Although Yuan Qingyu was sent spinning in a daze from the impact, he was still an awakener who had ignited his second node. His physical constitution was sturdy enough to deflect bullets, preventing him from losing his capacity to fight back entirely.

"Ah! You little bastard, you're courting death!"

Stumbling backward, Yuan Qingyu roared at the top of his lungs. Ever since his awakening, when had he ever suffered such a humiliating defeat? Possessing formidable strength and having mastered two mysterious skills, he refused to lose face in front of so many people and instinctively resorted to his ultimate trump card!