The banquet concluded, and everyone began to depart. This banquet wasn't just about enjoying crabs; there were also many mutated beasts, such as wild boars and rabbits. No vegetarian dishes were served in the main hall. Perhaps everyone unanimously agreed that vegetarian dishes were not presentable.
Speaking of which, no matter how low their status, those attending the gathering were evolvers. Eating vegetarian dishes offered little nutrition, whereas the meat of mutated beasts could aid in evolution. This explained why the hall was filled with only meat dishes.
Shen Feng, having eaten his fill, with a slightly protruding belly, used a toothpick to clean his teeth and instructed Lu Xian, "Grab the boxes, we're returning to the camp. After eating, one feels sleepy."
Lu Xian, remembering Shen Feng's earlier instructions, dared not leave his side, fearing a surprise attack. If ambushed unexpectedly, his reputation would be ruined. Lu Xian followed behind Shen Feng, using his abilities to observe their surroundings. In his mind's eye, he saw six people gathered together, following them.
The journey from the gathering to the camp spanned two kilometers. Normally, this road would be brightly lit, but now, with no lights possible, the street was shrouded in darkness. Fortunately, the moon had risen, and its light was just enough to dimly illuminate the path.
Lu Xian wished to return to the camp quickly. With five thousand people stationed there, he doubted anyone would be foolish enough to attempt a robbery. However, at this moment, he noticed Shen Feng walking slower and slower, seemingly unhurried.
"City Lord, aren't you deliberately slowing down?" By now, Lu Xian had begun to understand. If Shen Feng had wanted to leave, he could have turned and departed immediately after the transaction was complete, thus avoiding any robbery attempts. But by deliberately moving slowly, it was as if he were walking down the street with a wad of cash, attracting the attention of anyone who wished to act.
Shen Feng nodded, smiling, "I've never fought against an esper before. I want to see what these people are capable of. Sometimes, only by displaying one's strength can one deter the petty and the wicked."
Lu Xian shook his head helplessly, explaining the current situation, "There are six people tailing us behind, and further in the shadows, more than a dozen are secretly observing. If you can't defeat these people, City Lord, we're in trouble!"
"Are there any third-tier espers around?" Shen Feng asked.
"All three of them are! However, these three powerhouses are all lurking in the shadows, clearly not in a position to launch an open attack," Lu Xian replied honestly.
Shen Feng nodded and continued forward. To be honest, he felt a slight unease. If any of these individuals possessed peculiar abilities, he would still be in danger. However, he had witnessed the strength of several individuals from the Esper Management Bureau, so no matter how strong these people were, they couldn't possibly surpass those from the Bureau. Therefore, Shen Feng prepared for the worst-case scenario: if he couldn't win, he would run.
After walking a considerable distance, Shen Feng finally turned to face the six people behind him and asked, "Gentlemen, you've been following me for quite some time. Isn't it time to get down to business? I don't have much time!"
The six people following Shen Feng consisted of five men and one woman. Seeing Shen Feng turn around, they dropped the pretense and stated directly, "Hand over the evolution base, and we'll spare your life. Otherwise, we won't be polite."
Shen Feng shrugged, gesturing to the two long swords hanging at his waist, "If you want to rob me, you'll have to ask my weapons first. They are Excalibur and Durandal. If they agree, then I have nothing more to say."
"You should think carefully. There are only two of you, and six of us. You have no chance of winning," one of the men threatened.
"An army's strength lies in its quality, not its quantity. Even a multitude of straw bags cannot compare to a true hero," Shen Feng couldn't help but retort sarcastically.
"Fine, this kid won't shed tears until he sees the coffin. Let's attack together. Once we capture him, we'll force his subordinates to hand over the evolution base!" The six were enraged. They were all prodigies who had survived the rain filled with zombie virus. Wherever they went, they were respected. Now, to be repeatedly insulted by Shen Feng, how could they tolerate it? All they wanted now was to utterly humiliate Shen Feng with facts.
The six exchanged glances. Although they had only formed a temporary team, facing Shen Feng now, their only chance of winning was to attack as one.
"Take this sword, China's number one sword..." The six men charged forward, shouting fearless slogans. One of the men suddenly became invisible, disappearing into the air, leaving only the sound of his footsteps.
Shen Feng immediately drew his two titanium alloy long swords and turned to Lu Xian, saying, "The invisible one is your responsibility. I'll deal with the rest!"
With that, Shen Feng used "Swift as the Wind" and charged out, heading straight for the center of the group.
At this moment, the woman beside them pointed her finger at Shen Feng and whispered, "Hypnotic Wave."
Shen Feng's steps faltered, and a wave of drowsiness washed over him. He then bit his lip hard. The pain stimulated him, and Shen Feng woke up, continuing his advance.
Seeing this, the woman quickly said to the others, "You all attack quickly too. My hypnotic wave doesn't have a strong effect on those with higher evolution ranks; it can only cause interference. I'll tie him down, you attack quickly."
No one dared to underestimate Shen Feng. Although Shen Feng's forward momentum was affected, his speed was still the fastest among them. If he wasn't restricted, he would surely defeat them with his extreme speed.
At this moment, a third person stepped forward. He clasped his hands together and slammed them onto the ground. Instantly, more than a dozen walls rose from the ground, blocking Shen Feng's path. This person's ability was earth and stone manipulation, allowing him to easily alter the terrain.
Shen Feng leaped onto the stone walls and continued forward, his speed slowing once more.
Just then, the remaining three individuals attacked together. One of them threw a seed onto the ground, and the seed began to grow rapidly, transforming into a large tree. This person was controlling the tree to attack Shen Feng, but Shen Feng easily dodged the assault with his extreme speed.
One person waved his arm, and a mist emerged, immediately engulfing Shen Feng.
The last person simply stood in place, extending his hand but doing nothing. However, Shen Feng smelled a pungent odor.
Lu Xian, using his abilities, saw clearly that gases were emanating from the last person. The gas was familiar, and fearing Shen Feng would be at a disadvantage, he shouted, "City Lord, the last person is farting! That's his ability!"
Hearing this description, the last person couldn't help but retort, "You're the one farting, kid. My ability is controlling ammonia gas. You're simply insulting me!"
However, it no longer mattered. The moment Shen Feng smelled the pungent odor, he unleashed "East Wind's Might." A gust of wind swept over, instantly dispersing the mist and ammonia gas. Shen Feng had also evaded the tree's attack. As he appeared before the five individuals, he sneered, "Eye of the Hurricane."
A whirlwind emerged from Shen Feng, instantly engulfing the five people in front of him, sending them flying. Seizing this opportunity, Shen Feng focused on the woman who used the hypnotic wave. The electromagnetic waves she released induced sleep, so Shen Feng had to resist the hypnosis while fighting the others, which significantly reduced his speed.
Shen Feng desperately wanted to regain his extreme speed. To avoid interference, he focused on the woman who served as a distraction.
Lu Xian watched clearly from the side and couldn't help but cheer loudly, "Well done, City Lord! Finish them all off."
However, at that moment, a man's voice echoed in Lu Xian's ear, "Are you still worrying about others? You should worry about yourself. You're about to die."
It turned out that while Shen Feng was advancing, the invisible man realized he couldn't catch up and shifted his target to Lu Xian, who was further away. By eliminating Shen Feng's helper, he could at least relieve some pressure on his teammates.
With this thought, the invisible man prepared to kill Lu Xian. What surprised him most was that Lu Xian seemed to have no defensive intentions whatsoever, completely leaving himself open. Did he not worry about being attacked at all?
At this moment, Lu Xian suddenly pulled out a dagger he carried and stabbed it into the air. A flash of cold light cut through the air, and blood splattered out. This stab had wounded the invisible man.
The invisible man cursed, "Damn it, I shouldn't have warned you. Now prepare to die."
However, Lu Xian also began to move. He dodged continuously. Although he couldn't see anything, Lu Xian kept shifting his position as if wrestling with the air. Yet, every time Lu Xian attacked, he accurately stabbed the invisible man, causing blood to continuously spill onto the ground, while Lu Xian himself remained unharmed.
"Damn it, what is your ability? Why can you see me?" The invisible man went mad. His ability was most suited for stealth and assassination, yet here he was, invisible, but the opponent could clearly see his movements and counterattack. This was completely unreasonable!
"Don't misunderstand. I can't see you at all. I can only detect heat changes. You think optical invisibility makes you unseen, but as long as you emit heat, I can find you!" Lu Xian said with a smile.
At this moment, Lu Xian finally understood the concept of ability counteraction. His ability might not be very useful against ordinary espers, but when dealing with invisibility, his opponent was completely exposed in his mind. He could completely counter the opponent's ability.
Just then, Lu Xian shifted his attack. Although he only held a dagger, as he began to attack, he could predict the opponent's movements. In an instant, he discovered a flaw in the invisible man's defense and plunged his dagger into his chest. Blood gushed out like a spring. The man quickly collapsed, and his invisibility also dissipated.
Lu Xian wiped his dagger on his sleeve and whispered, "In your next life, keep your eyes sharp. There are many people you can't afford to provoke. You think you're capable, but in others' eyes, you're just a clown!"
The invisible man felt his strength draining away. He knew he was losing too much blood. If this continued, he would surely die.
"I should have never participated in this operation. I should have just stayed low and developed myself," were the invisible man's final thoughts.
There are things that, if not done, leave one with a gnawing feeling, like twenty-five mice scratching at their hearts. Not doing them feels like too great a loss, but actually doing them reveals the impossibility of completion. This regret of "if only I had known" is the complexity of human nature.
At this moment, Shen Feng had reached the woman who used the hypnotic wave. He brought his sword down diagonally. The move was as swift as lightning. A flash of white light appeared in the air, and the sword descended with extreme speed. Even if the woman wanted to block, it was too late, as Shen Feng's speed was simply too great.
"Clang." Just as the sword was about to strike the woman's neck, a stone wall rose directly from the ground, narrowly blocking Shen Feng's attack.
It turned out that after Shen Feng used "Eye of the Hurricane" to disperse the gathered five people, the man with earth and stone abilities immediately began creating barriers for those around him. Thus, he managed to block the attack just before the woman was killed.
"So troublesome!" Shen Feng frowned, annoyed by the interference.
If it were a single person blocking Shen Feng, he could defeat them within seconds. However, he hadn't expected that when espers cooperated, their strength would become formidable, and his pride in his speed would also be affected to a certain extent.