The battle swiftly drew to a close. Under the command of two formidable Level 8 psychics, and with the aid of the mighty mech warrior Tugou, the forces sent to rescue Xiaofeng decisively routed the demonic beasts of the Evil Dragon Cult.
Xiaofeng's body gradually healed completely. Baibai, drenched in blood, ambled over to his side. Two long wounds marred Baibai's shoulder, bleeding steadily despite her own innate regenerative ability—which, though present, worked far too slowly.
Though still weak himself, Xiaofeng could not bear to see Baibai bleed so freely before him. Tenderly, he covered her wounds with his hand and unleashed his psychic power to mend the injuries.
With Xiaofeng's healing touch, Baibai's wounds rapidly improved.
Rush, K, and the others approached, while under the glow of the mech warriors' lights, Lin and Kerry finally glimpsed Rain's true beauty and innocence. The two roguish men could not help but draw closer, their intentions evident.
"Hey, beautiful, what's your name?" one called out.
"Don't mind this fool," Kerry interjected smoothly. "I'm Kerry. Pleasure to meet you."
Lin scowled and addressed Rain with a hint of possessiveness: "Kerry's the real bastard here. I'm Lin. If you ever need anything, you know who to find—I'm Lin from KILL. Remember that."
Rain eyed them warily; their roguish airs unsettled her.
Xiaofeng, well aware of the two scoundrels' true nature, pushed them aside with a warning edge: "You two idiots, keep your distance from Rain."
Lin and Kerry exchanged contemptuous glances.
Lin chuckled, "Xiaofeng, come on, when there's a beauty around, we all share. We're brothers, no need to be so selfish."
Kerry shot back, "Xiaofeng, don't think I won't tell my sister. Let her have a proper word with you. How dare you run around behind her back, chasing after every pretty face? Just wait and see."
Xiaofeng ignored their banter and turned to Rush, K, and Tugou. "Get yourselves in order. We need to breach the Evil Dragon Cult's headquarters swiftly. I must capture the Black Dragon—I want to carve him alive." The thought of the Black Dragon stirred memories of Ivy and Turner, sending fresh waves of pain through Xiaofeng's battered body.
Rice, standing nearby, asked, "What about these counts?"
Xiaofeng frowned, eyes narrowing as he looked at the captured nobles. "Killing them would be too merciful. Assign two mech warriors to guard them. After we capture the Black Dragon, I'll offer their heads and blood as tribute to Turner and Ivy."
"Understood," came the reply.
Rush and K, comprehending the gravity of the mission, rallied their subordinates, and alongside Xiaofeng, plunged deeper into the cavern.
Though Xiaofeng's body was still recuperating and not yet fully restored to its prior strength, he was fit enough to join the fight. He urged Rain to stay behind—inside the Evil Dragon Cult's lair, the dangers were unpredictable.
Yet Rain insisted on following him, her trust in Xiaofeng solidified by the ordeal. Without him, she felt exposed and vulnerable.
The group pressed deeper into the cave, occasionally encountering lone monsters. But before the combined might of the two Level 8 psychics and Xiaofeng, these beasts were vanquished almost instantly.
After several more minutes, they reached the cavern's terminus. Xiaofeng stood stunned before an immense chamber—far from a natural cavern with stalactites, it resembled a military base.
Within the base lay various equipment and several dust-covered fighter jets—clearly relics from before the Great Purge, inferior to the war machines now produced by the Brown Company.
"Damn, so this was a military base all along," Rush murmured.
Xiaofeng nodded thoughtfully. "What a place. How did that bastard Black Dragon even find this? If only we could convert this into a city—what a fortress it would be."
"True, but getting in isn't easy. At this altitude, only helicopters could reach it," K added.
"Exactly. The difficulty of access is why it's so secure. If we clear out all the beasts here, this place would be perfect to live in," Xiaofeng said as he surveyed the bright space. A few figures moved about—workers in uniforms rather than cultists. They likely maintained the base, not true followers of the Evil Dragon Cult.
A bad premonition stirred within Xiaofeng. "We need to find Black Dragon fast. He's badly wounded from our fight—don't know if he managed to escape."
With that, the team dispersed, scouring the vast chamber for any sign of Black Dragon.
Xiaofeng, Baibai, and Rain stayed close. Driven by urgency, Xiaofeng leapt forward and grabbed a middle-aged man in work clothes. "Hey, sir, I need to ask—have you seen that bastard Black Dragon?"
The man glanced at Xiaofeng's blood-streaked form, shook his head, and then pointed at his mouth—opening it to reveal his severed tongue.
Xiaofeng froze. The cult had silenced its workers by cutting out their tongues to guard their secrets.
Fury flared within him. "Find Black Dragon for me—I want to eat him alive."
Minutes later, after a near exhaustive search of the base, no trace of Black Dragon nor any cultist remained. Just as hope began to fade, a young man in work clothes was brought forward by one of Kerry's henchmen.
"Boss Xiaofeng, this kid claims he knows where Black Dragon went."
Xiaofeng looked intently at the youth. "Are you truly certain where Black Dragon has fled?"