Volume Two: Expedition! Chapter Seventy-Six: Escape

On the screen, a gigantic black bird wreathed in flames soared up from the forest. Even though the image was blurry and indistinct, the bird’s proud, commanding ascent still radiated through the footage, leaving a profound impression on all who saw it.

“Commander! We have a signal!”

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“What is that!” Nakamura Masao exclaimed in shock as he watched the black flaming bird with a wingspan of nearly fifty meters rise into the sky.

Zhao Tian, suspecting what it might be, excitedly raised his wrist and activated the teammate locator. Sure enough, the unique marker belonging to the God of War appeared once more.

Seeing the joy on Zhao Tian’s face, Nakamura Masao ventured, “Mr. Zhao, could it be that the Sword Immortal has returned?”

Zhao Tian sneered, his tone mocking. “Mr. Nakamura, you dragged me here against my will—I understand your intentions. I’ll make sure to report everything that happened here to the Sword Immortal in full detail.”

“Mr. Zhao, you misunderstand…”

“Misunderstand? I don’t think so! We brought you urgently needed medicines out of goodwill, helping you save countless wounded. Do you think our country has an abundance of medicine? Now, based on mere speculation, you treat me so harshly. Aren’t you worried you’ll chill the hearts of those who came to help you?”

As Zhao Tian spoke, his expression grew darker. Faced with such ingratitude, his anger flared. “Not only that, we sent the world’s top combatant to assist you. Now, to help you investigate, he’s put himself in danger, and how do you repay us? You secretly investigated our aircraft, and now you’ve forcibly brought me here. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve probably detained my colleagues as well?”

Nakamura Masao’s face changed dramatically upon hearing this. He hadn’t expected their careful probing to be so easily detected by the Chinese soldiers. He was momentarily at a loss for words.

The atmosphere in the defense department grew tense. Everyone stared wide-eyed as the Chinese soldier openly mocked Commander Nakamura, and, to their frustration, their own commander had no grounds to rebuke him.

Nakamura Masao’s expression shifted repeatedly. After a long pause, he bowed deeply to Zhao Tian, apologizing with sincerity. “Mr. Zhao, I am sorry. It was entirely my fault—I was too rash. I accept full responsibility. Please forgive me.”

Having scolded Nakamura Masao in front of so many Japanese, Zhao Tian felt his anger dissipate, replaced by a sense of satisfaction. It was the first time he’d confronted someone of such high status and received an apology in return—truly gratifying.

“Hmph! Save your apologies for the Sword Immortal!” Zhao Tian snorted coldly, then turned and strode out of the defense department, eager to check on Wang Chuan and the others.

---

Nakamura Masao watched his retreating figure, his face troubled, inwardly regretting his impulsiveness. Had he waited patiently just one more day, things would not have reached this point.

“Commander, what should we do about our people…” Kumagawa Taichi stammered.

“What people?”

Kumagawa Taichi lowered his head, biting his lip. “I’m sorry. I took Mr. Zhao away by force, fearing the Chinese might cause trouble, so I took it upon myself to assign some men to watch over them.”

Smack!—

Nakamura Masao struck him hard. Kumagawa Taichi’s face quickly swelled, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, yet he dared not lift his head.

“Your reckless actions have put us in a precarious position. If the Chinese take offense and cancel the rescue operation, prepare to commit seppuku!” With a cold face, Nakamura Masao issued the warning, then hurried toward the Chinese soldiers’ camp.

---

In midair, the black fire phoenix spread its wings, flying with abandon. Its flaming body looked almost tangible, every feather sharply defined. In its lively eyes, two black flames flickered, majestic and mysterious.

If one could see through the phoenix’s core, they would find a human floating at its heart, eyes tightly shut. His body was unclothed, his skin luminous and flawless as jade. The black flame mark on his forehead contrasted strikingly with his fair skin. Anyone who saw him at that moment would sincerely marvel, “This is the true visage of an immortal!”

Liu Cong slowly opened his eyes, quietly feeling the ceaseless energy flowing within him. Though trapped, he had unexpectedly turned misfortune into blessing: not only had he developed new uses for the black fire, but the intense tempering had greatly enhanced his physique.

If before he’d thought the tale of the Grand Supreme Elder refining the Monkey King with true fire was mere legend, now he believed it. The high-intensity black fire had further strengthened Liu Cong’s body. With his improved constitution, he wielded the Celestial Sword’s energy with even greater ease. This transformation of black fire was Liu Cong’s newly developed technique.

Previously, Liu Cong’s use of black fire was crude—he’d simply throw it out and let it burn. But now, he had mastered a higher-level method: energy shaping.

Simply put, energy shaping was a highly concentrated attack. Now, when Liu Cong released fire, he didn’t have to summon a whole sea of flames; he could compress and mold the black fire into various forms—feathers, needles—focusing its heat and power to a single point, easily piercing barriers that once resisted the flames.

Dispersing the black fire, Liu Cong floated silently in the sky. Suddenly, a layer of black flames condensed into a black cloak around him, shimmering with flowing light, almost tangible.

“Looks like I’ll never be short of clothing again,” Liu Cong said, glancing at his newly conjured attire, a faint smile playing at his lips.

---

“Beep beep beep!”

Looking down, Liu Cong saw an incoming signal from Safe Zone One. He answered the call.

“Liu Cong, is that you?”

“Commander, it’s me. Were those missiles yours?”

Before the missiles bombarded the black forest, Liu Cong had heard the familiar whirring, guessing that someone suspected he was trapped and launched them to help. He had gathered his strength, using the explosions to break through the layers of vines and finally escape.

Hearing Liu Cong’s voice, Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness you’re safe. We were worried something had happened to you. We couldn’t reach you at all.”

Liu Cong smiled gently. Though he was on foreign soil, the support from his homeland moved him deeply. Yet he did not forget his duty, promptly reporting his discoveries about the black forest to Li Yu.

“When you return, bring those fruits with you. We’ll research their effects. Also, head back to the safe zone now—I suspect Zhao Tian and the others need you.”

Liu Cong was momentarily surprised. “Understood, I’ll return immediately.”

After hanging up, Liu Cong checked his pocket, relieved to find the fruits intact. He had been careful, keeping them and his communicator safe.

Before departing, Liu Cong gazed at the black forest below for a long time. Despite being bombarded by over a dozen missiles, the vast, eerie woods remained whole. Only the targeted areas showed some changes—branches and leaves thinned, but that was all. Even the fallen leaves below seemed untouched by fire.

Considering the power of the missiles, in any ordinary forest, they would have blasted huge craters, instantly obliterating trees at the impact sites and causing shockwaves to devastate the surroundings, possibly triggering wildfires. Yet here, the explosions seemed insignificant. Not a single tree was toppled; Liu Cong even suspected that the trees had drawn energy from the vines to resist the blasts, which was why he’d been able to escape.

After observing for a while, Liu Cong chuckled softly, amused at his own carelessness for landing in danger, yet grateful for the unexpected gain in strength. Without this accident, who knew how long it would have taken for his next breakthrough.

Standing high above, Liu Cong took one last look at the black forest below. Suddenly, black flames erupted around him, transforming into a small phoenix that enveloped his body. The little black fire phoenix spread its wings, surrounded by azure currents, and shot forward like an arrow, crossing several kilometers in a flash of lightning.