They hadn't expected to be discovered as soon as they entered the base. Surveillance was everywhere. The moment the first shot was fired, their cover was blown.

However, they began with an advantage. The base's soldiers were poorly equipped and trained. Despite the terrain advantage, they were no match. Had they arrived just ten minutes earlier, the outcome might have been different.

"Captain, they're trying to escape!" a shout rang out, and every guard at the entrance was instantly on high alert, weapons ready.

But the intruders weren't foolish enough to head for the main gate. Instead, they scaled a three-story building, planning to jump over the compound walls.

"This place has been abandoned for too long. The engineers we sent earlier only checked the equipment, without setting up proper security measures," Shao Qi lamented. If only they had electrified fences on the walls, none of the intruders would have a chance of escaping.

Holding his twin blades, Zhou You said, "It doesn't matter if we have security systems or not. As long as we have our blades, escaping won't be easy for them in this barren landscape."

Just as he finished, the sound of vehicles approached from outside the gate, followed by shouts, "Watch out! They're trying to break in with their vehicles!"

Zhou You swiftly made his way to the rooftop and caught an opponent. He glanced outside to see the foes that Yao Chen and his team had intercepted earlier. All of them had arrived, but there was no sign of Yao Chen and his team. Could it be...?

Chapter 183: A Formidable Foe

Zhou You's urgency made his moves even more fierce, his curved blades dancing freely in his hands, deflecting every attack.

His opponent was Orel, the strongest and fastest in his team. Orel was confident he could defeat the seemingly frail man before him, but once they engaged, he realized he had underestimated him.

None of Orel's powerful strikes ever landed. He felt slower and less agile. Despite his sheer size, he couldn't find any advantage. His gauntlets were unique and could pierce even the toughest armor. Initially, he intended to shatter Zhou You's weapons but found Zhou's curved blades remained unscathed, revealing their extraordinary nature.

"Aargh..." With all his might, Orel threw a punch, creating an airwave. The surrounding space seemed to tear as the force of his fist displaced the air, whipping up dust on the rooftop into a miniature cyclone.

Zhou You slid his right foot back, crouched, leaped, and swung his curved blades in succession—one aimed at Orel's fist, and the other at his forehead.

The storm intensified, making it impossible for those below to see the two figures clearly. Yet, no one came to help, believing that their side would undoubtedly triumph over their opponent.

The curved blade clashed with Orel's gauntlet. The blade was sent flying. Orel smirked, blocking another blade with his other hand. With his gauntlet covering his face, steel needles whirled towards him from within the storm. Even before he spotted the projectiles, Orel was already thrown backward. As he rose to his feet, the needles, which should have missed, turned and chased after him again.

"What kind of magic is this?" Orel dodged, observing his opponent, who just smiled back, the needles chasing him as if they had eyes. Even when knocked down, they'd fly back up and attack him. Could magic really be this terrifying?

This wasn’t martial arts anymore; it was Eastern mysticism, wasn't it?

Zhou You wanted to capture a prisoner alive to inquire about the foreign base. He decided to spare this man’s life, realizing he was likely the leader of this group and thus knew more than the others.

"Surrender, and I'll spare your life." Zhou You spoke first in Chinese, then repeated in English, unsure of their nationality but assuming English would be understood.

The opponent glared with anger, shouting as he rapidly punched the steel needles away. Charging at Zhou You, who stood hands on hips, without any discernible move, suddenly two needles came at Orel from behind. Detecting the danger, Orel dodged but was met with a barrage of needles. Even with great agility, evading them all seemed impossible. He chose to ignore them, confident that his armor would protect him from such small projectiles.

Orel expected to hear the sound of the needles falling but was met with pain in his thigh as a needle pierced through his armor. Seeing the countless needles, a sense of dread crept in. How could he possibly evade them all?

Zhou You sensed the opportunity, releasing dozens of needles to encircle Orel, waiting for his surrender.

Orel whistled, signaling his team who realized their mission was compromised. They tried to come to his aid, facing numerous obstacles.

With their move, the warriors of Yang City reacted. The cat and mouse game ended, exposing all under the sunlight. The confrontation left Orel's side in despair, nearly half of their elite hundred-man squad was annihilated in a short span.

China's strength is truly formidable.

They had underestimated their opponent and overestimated their technological prowess.

"Surrender or die," Shao Qi approached, brandishing his bloody blade, his dominating presence causing the opposing line to retreat. They held advanced energy guns—how could they be intimidated by one man's aura?

Surrender was out of the question. They were professionally trained soldiers, carrying the hopes of their nation. Fear of death wasn’t in their vocabulary.