Chapter 7372
No Need for Support
In a purgatory of consciousness that no one can reach, Liu Ming's desperate cries have only just begun to unfold the prelude to a "long" period of time.
This is the price for touching Xiao Chen's sore spot... a fight to the death, until his spirit is completely annihilated.
The azure divine energy rose and fell slowly on Li Can's chest, like a living stream of light, constantly nourishing his withered body.
Xiao Chen knelt beside Li Can, his right hand hovering three inches above Li Can's chest, his pure divine essence continuously seeping into the body below like a fine stream, repairing the damaged organs and meridians.
The team members standing nearby pursed their lips, their eyes filled with anxiety, but no one dared to make a sound to disturb them.
"Teacher Xiao, Li Can's vital signs... are still very weak." A female team member couldn't help but whisper, her voice filled with worry.
"Don't worry, his life is saved." Xiao Chen gently interrupted her, his tone firm. "The neurotoxins in his body have been completely removed by me, and he will not suffer any aftereffects."
As soon as he finished speaking, he slowly withdrew his hand, and the flowing, dark blue divine energy, like birds returning to their nests, instantly retreated back to his fingertips.
A faint trace of color finally appeared on Li Can's originally pale face. His long eyelashes trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his heavy eyelids.
His vision gradually focused, and when he finally saw the figure before him, Li Can's pupils constricted sharply. He struggled to sit up, exclaiming, "Teacher Xiao... Teacher Xiao!"
"Don't move." Xiao Chen raised his hand and pressed down, a gentle yet irresistible force gently pressing Li Can back to his original position. "You've been overworked. Your task now is to rest well. Don't worry about anything else."
Li Can immediately stopped what he was doing, his Adam's apple bobbing violently a few times, his chapped lips moving several times, and all his words finally condensed into two hoarse words: "...Thank you."
Xiao Chen stood up, casually took the disinfectant wipes handed to him by another team member, and wiped his fingers again with unhurried movements. "No need to be polite," he said calmly, "we're friends."
The moment the word "friend" was uttered, a storm raged in Li Can's eyes. He stared blankly at Xiao Chen's retreating figure, unable to recover for a long time.
For those of them who live on the edge of a knife year after year, the word "friend" carries immense weight. Hearing it from Xiao Chen's mouth is nothing short of the most profound recognition and promise.
In the distance, the low hum of engines gradually became clearer. A stealth speedboat, as if emerging directly from the night, silently approached and precisely docked with the cargo ship.
The team members immediately sprang into action, moving the wounded and important items at the scene in an orderly and efficient manner.
In the midst of this orderly evacuation, a sudden and abrupt ringing sound rang out... It was the hoarse sound effect unique to old electronic devices, carrying a retro and noisy feel, completely out of place with the serious atmosphere of the scene, instantly breaking the tranquility.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and found that it came from a body still twitching unconsciously in the corner of the cabin.
It's Liu Ming's phone.
Despite enduring such intense fighting and energy shocks, the phone is still stubbornly functioning.
Xiao Chen paused slightly, his indifferent gaze sweeping towards the corner. Then, with a casual gesture, he raised his hand and the still-vibrating phone flew into his hand as if pulled by an invisible thread.
A light tap on the screen connected the call. A male voice, heavily disguised with multiple electronic embellishments, came through the receiver. It was hoarse and slurred, with a distorted accent from a minority dialect, yet one could still tell the speaker was no young: "The 'goods' have landed?"
Xiao Chen paused for half a second, his tone as calm as if he were talking about something trivial: "We've reached shore. But the sea was too rough, and the ship sank."
Silence fell instantly on the other end of the phone, broken only by a faint crackling of electricity; the air seemed to freeze. A few seconds later, a chilling voice boomed, all pretense shattered: "You're not Liu Ming. Who are you?"
"Xiao Chen...the person you've been plotting to kill." Xiao Chen's voice remained flat, yet it carried a piercing, oppressive quality.
“…Xiao Chen.” The other party practically spat out these two words through gritted teeth, each syllable filled with bitter hatred. “Fine, very well! It seems we not only underestimated the Western Martial Arts Army’s resolve, but also your personal madness!”
“Ancestor of Extreme Yin,” Xiao Chen spoke first, interrupting the other party’s resentment, “I have accepted the ‘gift’ that you sent Liu Ming to deliver. Soon, I will return the favor with a ‘generous gift’.”
"You will pay the price for your arrogance!" The voice of the Extreme Yin Ancestor was so gloomy it could drip water. "This is not within the Dragon Kingdom; you have no home-field advantage to rely on! The millennia-old heritage of Extreme Yin Island is beyond the comprehension of a mere brat like you!"
"Foundation?" A soft laugh seemed to escape Xiao Chen's throat, a laugh as cold as ice, devoid of any warmth. "Perfect, I'd like to personally test whether this so-called millennium-old foundation can withstand my blade."
"Beep...beep...beep..."
The communication was abruptly cut off by the other party, leaving only a monotonous busy tone in the receiver.
Xiao Chen casually tossed his phone to a member of the martial arts team beside him, saying in a flat tone, "Check the origin of this number and all related information."
"Yes, Teacher Xiao! I guarantee I'll complete the task!" The team member caught the phone steadily and nodded vigorously.
As Li Can was being carefully helped onto the speedboat by his teammates, he couldn't help but turn back to look at Xiao Chen, his voice urgent: "Mr. Xiao, aren't you going to evacuate with us?"
Xiao Chen looked up at the deep sea shrouded in night, where the outline of land was faintly outlined at the horizon... That was the outer sea, and also the sphere of influence of Jiyin Island.
“Since I’ve accepted the ‘gift,’ I should naturally return the favor.” His voice was calm, but it carried an undeniable resolve. “Some garbage piled up in front of other people’s houses is too unsightly. It’s good to clean it up while it’s dark.”
"It's too dangerous!" Li Can's voice trembled with anxiety. "Extreme Yin Island must be heavily guarded, and that Extreme Yin Ancestor has been listed as a 'Celestial-level High-Risk Threat' by intelligence agencies from multiple countries! We must at least wait for reinforcements to arrive before taking any action..."
"No need."
Xiao Chen said no more, took a slight step back, and disappeared into the shadows deep within the cargo ship, as if he had completely merged with the darkness and vanished without a trace.
The next second, a towering wave suddenly surged up on the sea, cutting through the calm surface like a sword, and sped off towards the open sea, disappearing into the night in an instant.
A martial arts team member supported Li Can, gazing in the direction Xiao Chen had disappeared, his voice filled with worry and disbelief: "Captain, Teacher Xiao... he really wants to venture into the Extreme Yin Island alone?"
Li Can closed his eyes, his mind flashing back to the vague records in the top-secret files, and to the occasional indifference and composure that seemed to belong to another dimension emanating from Xiao Chen. (End of Chapter)