Chapter 453 - 99: Weren’t You Going to Challenge Me?

A few days later.

RAT-A-TAT-TAT!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The roar of artillery shook the heavens and the earth, echoing across the entire desolate wasteland.

The City Guard Army and the Superpower Bureau had joined forces, bearing down on the area to launch a joint siege and strike against the Reconqueror Branch base located in Crow Valley.

Taking in the scene...

It was a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides. The peaks were sheer and steep, nearly impossible to scale.

The Rebel Base seemed to be carved right into the mountain. Firing ports and gun barrels protruded from the reinforced rock face, pouring out an endless barrage of firepower. The only entrance was through the valley’s front, making it a highly defensible natural fortress.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Suddenly, ear-piercing screeches pierced the air once more. It was the tank battalion stationed outside the valley launching another assault, laying down a second round of carpet bombing.

Several fighter jets soared overhead, dropping a massive payload of bombs. Missiles trailing fiery exhaust plummeted like falling meteors, hurtling straight toward the valley floor and the surrounding mountain peaks.

In just a matter of breaths...

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The earth trembled, left riddled with craters. Deep, scorched pits were blasted into the valley’s rock formations, and massive boulders were blown to pieces. Shrapnel and stone debris flew in all directions, piercing the rock face. The shockwaves of the explosions caused thick fissures to spread everywhere, kicking up a towering cloud of dust and smoke.

The entire battlefield appeared completely under the control of the Superpower Bureau and the City Guard Army. Faced with such overwhelming suppressive firepower, even the Rebel Base found it difficult to mount a head-on defense.

Watching the scene from a distance...

A group of figures hid within the dense woods at the back cliff of the mountain, their faces flushed with excitement as they clenched their fists tightly.

A hovering aircar parked nearby automatically activated its electronic stealth mode, shutting down all electromagnetic communications. Camouflage nets were rapidly unrolled and secured with stakes driven into trees and the ground, effectively shielding them from satellite or drone surveillance.

"This operation’s plan is simple and straightforward.

"The City Guard Army and the Bureau’s main forces are responsible for a frontal feint. By employing suppressive firepower, they will distract the Rebels and force them to defend the front..."

Among the group in the woods, Special Commissioner Liu—an expert at the peak of the Exploration Level—spoke with a cold expression. Wearing a trench coat, he briefed the elite combat squad under his command, "As for us, we serve as the spearhead.

"According to the plan, our window to strike will open the moment this second wave of bombing ends. Intelligence indicates there is a hidden passage here that we can use to infiltrate the base and execute a decapitation strike."

As he spoke, everyone present wore a solemn expression.

Aside from Li Xiyuan and Yao Jin, there were five other Superpower Level combatants. Some were drafted from other branches, while others were Superpower Level commanders from the City Guard Army. In addition, there were over a dozen Elite Level Superpower Captains clad in combat uniforms.

"Special Commissioner Liu, the Rebels are clearly on high alert. Isn’t this a bit too risky for us?"

"It’s fine."

Though he could hear their doubts and concerns, Special Commissioner Liu maintained his unapproachable demeanor. Glancing at the person who asked the question, he replied confidently, "Special Commissioner Wang has already arrived.

"During the operation, he will pin down the Rebels’ forces on the frontal battlefield. You don’t need to worry about that."

At those words, many in the crowd visibly relaxed, seemingly reassured. Special Commissioner Wang was a formidable expert at the Transcendence Level. With him providing support on the front lines, this decapitation strike was all but guaranteed to succeed.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

As the group pondered this, the aerial bombardment continued. Clad in a black combat uniform and gripping an alloy longsword, Yao Jin watched the scene in silence, seemingly lost in thought.

As if reading her mind, Li Xiyuan stepped forward and reminded her in a deep voice, "We’re about to move out. You’re seriously getting distracted now?"

Hearing this, Yao Jin kept her gaze fixed on the explosions in the sky and replied calmly, "I was just thinking.

"If Leader Lu were still here, this operation might be much more secure."

Yao Jin spoke her mind without hesitation. Every Exploration Level expert was the elite of the elite. While their current lineup was far from weak, having more capable hands would naturally be better.

"Him?" Li Xiyuan furrowed his brows. "With Special Commissioner Liu and the rest of us here, he wouldn’t make a difference either way."

As a fellow Exploration Level combatant, he didn’t believe the other man was much stronger than he was.

Moreover...

"He can’t even save his own hide right now. He’s probably cowering in some godforsaken hole out in the wasteland." With a cold snort, Li Xiyuan made his deep-seated resentment toward Lu Chao glaringly obvious.

Yao Jin fell silent. Shaking her head inwardly, she stepped away to put some distance between them. Then, glancing at the dozen or so Elite Level Superpower Captains, she specifically called Sun Jiayuan, Gao Hu, Yang Heng, and a few others over.

"When we make our move, stick close to me," Yao Jin reminded them, lowering her voice.

Gratitude flashed across Gao Hu and Yang Heng’s faces as they nodded heavily.

Following a brief round of tactical preparations and equipment checks, the relentless artillery bombardment finally began to taper off. Special Commissioner Liu waved his hand, signaling the team to prepare for action.

RUSTLE.

Amid the soft crunch of footsteps, the group—decked out in ballistic vests and equipped with firearms and communication earpieces—swiftly followed him away from the rear cliff, hurrying toward the hidden passage in the nearby rock face.

The lush, dense forest was enough to shield them from outside eyes. Small radar detection devices scanned the vicinity, while the Superpower Level experts heightened their five senses, staying on extremely high alert to prevent an ambush.

Finally, after advancing a few hundred meters, they reached the depths of the forest.

It was a clearing near the mountainside, nestled right up against the brown rocky face of the peak. It seemed unassuming, but a squad of elite Rebels was stationed nearby, making it obvious that something was hidden there.

In a split second, the group exchanged glances from their hiding spots within the woods as Special Commissioner Liu waved his hand.

PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!

In just a few breaths, silenced bullets were fired and concealed projectiles tore through the air. The Rebel guards stationed by the rock face collapsed one after another, blood seeping from their chests and foreheads.