As soon as Lu Zhaoming stepped into the entrance of the stronghold, he immediately sensed an unusual atmosphere.
In the dim light, he saw that the ground beneath his feet was covered with various traps and mechanisms, gleaming with a cold metallic luster.
The blacksmith followed behind him, his face full of frustration, and said in a low voice, "Boss, I suspect it was Sister Hong who did it."
Lu Zhaoming frowned slightly. He quickly scanned his surroundings and found that the traps were not only densely arranged but also extremely cleverly hidden, clearly the work of a master.
The two carefully avoided the traps on the ground and slowly made their way along the corner of the wall.
Various coping strategies flashed through Lu Zhaoming's mind. He gripped the system's terminal tightly, already having a preliminary plan in mind.
The blacksmith followed closely behind, gripping a sharp dagger tightly in his hand, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
Finally, they successfully entered the stronghold.
However, as soon as he stepped across the threshold, Lu Zhaoming heard a familiar yet childish voice: "Brother Lu, come and save me!" It was Xiaomei's voice, filled with panic and fear.
He immediately quickened his pace and rushed towards a room inside, following the direction from which the sound came.
As soon as he entered, Lu Zhaoming saw Xiaomei surrounded by several armed men, one of whom was holding a sharp knife to her throat.
Xiaomei's face was filled with terror, and tears glistened in her eyes.
Little Tiger, lying motionless on the ground, remained unconscious.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Zhaoming quickly activated the system's time delay function.
The surrounding scenery suddenly slowed down, like a slow-motion scene in a movie.
He moved with lightning speed, weaving through the invaders, his fists flying like the wind, accurately repelling each enemy.
The sounds of fists colliding with bodies and metal clashing together created an eerie symphony.
A moment later, time returned to normal, and the intruders fell to the ground. Xiaomei took the opportunity to quickly dodge away.
After ensuring Xiaomei's safety, Lu Zhaoming immediately began checking the intruders' equipment.
He noticed that one of them was carrying a special communication device that looked exceptionally advanced, clearly used to locate their position.
"System, analyze this thing." Lu Zhaoming quickly handed the equipment to the blacksmith, who skillfully disassembled it and found the key chip.
"Boss, this thing is not simple. It should be a high-tech product of the White Robe Organization."
A system notification popped up: "The host can unlock the advanced form of the 'Special Ability Amplification Module,' but must bear a higher risk of mental energy depletion." Lu Zhaoming nodded without hesitation, and the system interface then displayed the loading progress.
A few seconds later, Lu Zhaoming felt a powerful energy surge from deep within his body, instantly spreading throughout his entire body.
His gaze deepened, and he exuded an aura of authority that commanded respect without anger.
“Next, we will take the initiative,” Lu Zhaoming said in a low voice, his tone filled with unwavering determination.
He quickly formulated the next plan, and after a brief discussion with the blacksmith and Xiaomei, he immediately put it into action.
Lu Zhaoming deliberately left some seemingly unintentional clues to lure Sister Hong out again.
He used his wisdom and the advantages of the system to carefully set a trap, waiting for Sister Hong to appear.
A few hours later, Sister Hong indeed led a small team to the outskirts of the stronghold to try to further confirm the situation.
Lu Zhaoming had already laid an ambush, using the terrain advantage of the stronghold to defeat the enemy one by one and force them into a corner.
Sister Hong appeared before him with a cold smile, a hint of malice in her eyes: "Lu Zhaoming, do you think this will stop him?"
Lu Zhaoming's eyes narrowed, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly: "Sister Hong, you overestimate yourself." Before he finished speaking, he flashed and disappeared into the darkness again, leaving only Sister Hong's cold laughter echoing in the air.
Faced with Lu Zhaoming's questioning, Hong Jie's exquisitely made-up face flashed a cold smile like poisoned ice shards, which "swooshed" through the dim and dilapidated stronghold, making people's eardrums ache: "Lu Zhaoming, do you think this will stop him?" Her voice was shrill, with an almost morbid excitement, as if she was about to put on a grand show, "The White-Robed Lord has long prepared a final feast for you ignorant insects!"
Before she finished speaking, a mad, all-consuming light suddenly flashed in the woman's eyes!
She grinned in a strange arc, giving Lu Zhaoming no time to react. Her hand seemed to press something; a faint, almost inaudible "click" was heard, followed immediately—
"BOOM—!!!"
What the hell!
The loud noise was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, or like a dozen oil drums exploding in your ear at the same time!
The entire dilapidated stronghold, no, the area within a hundred meters, seemed to be thrown up and shaken three times by this blast!
Lu Zhaoming's pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints!
This guy's reaction speed is simply inhuman. In almost a fraction of a second before the eerie smile on Sister Hong's lips appeared, he had already sprawled backward in a bridge pose, and at the same time, he used his waist to propel himself backward like a cannonball!
Even so, the shockwave, mixed with flames and debris, slammed into his chest like an invisible wall!
"Pfft—!" Lu Zhaoming almost spat out a mouthful of blood. He felt as if ten thousand alpacas were galloping through his chest, and his internal organs were all out of place.
Stars were flashing before his eyes, and his ears were ringing incessantly, as if hundreds of mutated bumblebees were holding a heavy metal rock concert in his head, with the drumbeats being incredibly powerful!
My vision barely cleared a little, and all I could see were flames shooting into the sky and thick smoke billowing out, making my eyes and nose water.
The air was filled with a pungent smell of gunpowder, the burnt smell of something burning, and a faint, almost imperceptible scent of Sister Hong's cheap perfume. All of these combined to create an olfactory attack akin to a biological weapon.
Waves of heat washed over him, making his exposed skin burn.
"Damn it, this crazy woman, if she can't handle it, she'll just flip the table!" Lu Zhaoming shook his still dazed head, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were like a cold pool in the depths of winter, so cold that ice shards could be scraped off.
He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and growled in a low voice, the sound seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth: "Looks like the real main course is only just about to be served!"
Visibility was pitifully low amidst the billowing smoke and dust, with only the flickering flames at the epicenter of the explosion providing a sliver of light.
Lu Zhaoming took a deep breath of the air, which was filled with dust, gunpowder smoke, and the smell of blood. The pungent smell actually cleared his muddled mind a bit.
His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a sharp dagger, instantly piercing through the chaos: "Blacksmith! Xiao Mei!"
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