Chapter Thirty-Nine: Duel

Two hours later, Team Stone Nine assembled once more. They had bought everything they needed, strolled where they wished—it was time to return. After all, their base was still nearly half a day’s journey from Celestial Ox City.

“Captain, what did you buy? Show us your spoils, let the brothers take a look,” Mu Kui said slyly, eyeing Stone Nine with mischief.

The other team members perked up, their curiosity piqued, echoing his request.

Stone Nine grinned. “Since you’re all so eager, I’ll show you.” With that, he produced a card.

“Whoa! A Tier One Weapon Card!” Mu Kui’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“That’s worth over a hundred Tier One Source Pearls!”

“Envy +1!”

“Envy +2!”

“Can I touch it? Just to feel the aura of the Source Pearls?”

The team was brimming with envy, except for Wei Liang, whose gaze was oddly complex. A weapon card worth over a hundred Source Pearls? Was that really so impressive?

Unconsciously, he glanced at Lu Sheng, the corner of his mouth twitching. Only two hundred-some Source Pearls—so poor, unable to afford anything...

Lu Sheng caught Wei Liang’s peculiar look but remained impassive. Lu Sheng thought, Don’t look at me, I know nothing.

Stone Nine, however, basked in his teammates’ admiration, which only solidified his authority as captain.

“Let’s go—back to base!” he declared.

With cheerful strides, the group set out on their return journey. But they had barely left the city gates for five minutes before trouble found them.

A force of a hundred men blocked their path.

Shen Bao, swaggering behind a leader, jabbed a finger at Wei Liang within their ranks. “Captain, that’s the traitor from our Wolf Marauder base—the one who bullied us last time!”

The memory of his own humiliation at Wei Liang’s hands made Shen Bao burn with anger. Now, outside Celestial Ox City, with a hundred-strong squad behind him and Wei Liang’s side only numbering ten, he was sure there would be no escape this time.

Zhuang Feng signaled his men, and the hundred quickly encircled Stone Nine’s team.

Stone Nine’s expression darkened. “What’s the meaning of this, Wolf Marauder base? Planning to start a war with us of Gale base?”

Zhuang Feng shook his head. “Not quite. But you have a traitor from our base with you. Hand him over, and we’ll let you go.”

Stone Nine refused without hesitation. “Impossible. Leave now and I’ll pretend this never happened.”

Zhuang Feng’s tone turned menacing, as though battle was a mere word away. “So there’s nothing to discuss?”

In Zhuang Feng’s eyes, they held the advantage—why should Stone Nine speak to him on equal terms? Offering to spare the rest in exchange for one man was already a great concession.

As tensions mounted, Wei Liang stepped forward. “Captain Zhuang, I know this must be Shen Bao’s instigation. Otherwise, with your magnanimity, you wouldn’t trouble yourself over someone like me.”

“How about this: Let me duel Shen Bao. We’ll settle our grievance ourselves, without dragging our bases into it. What do you say?”

Wei Liang spoke shrewdly, first absolving Zhuang Feng of involvement, then presenting the matter as a personal vendetta, and finally invoking the risk of base conflict to make Zhuang Feng wary.

Indeed, if war broke out between the two bases, the result would be mutual destruction, regardless of victory.

Zhuang Feng pondered, then looked calmly at Shen Bao. “What do you think?”

Shen Bao didn’t hesitate, grinning malevolently. “No problem. But if I kill Wei Liang, don’t get upset.”

In his mind, Wei Liang had only just awakened his powers, if at all. Even if he had, so what? Shen Bao was already at late Tier One.

Zhuang Feng turned to Wei Liang. “Clever—though only a little. I’ll give you this chance.”

He cared little for Wei Liang’s veiled threats. In the apocalypse, sentiment meant nothing. If they all died here, would the leader of their base risk its safety for vengeance? Impossible. People were selfish by nature.

Wei Liang merely smiled.

Stone Nine looked at Wei Liang with concern. “Will you be all right? Our team may not be able to beat a hundred men, but we can break through if we need to.”

Everyone in the team was at peak Tier One—except perhaps Lu Sheng and the newcomer Wei Liang—so finding an opening to break out wasn’t impossible.

Wei Liang smiled confidently. “Trust me, Captain. Have faith in your team, just as we have faith in you.”

With the five red pouches given by Lu Sheng, he had already reached mid-Tier One. Together with his life-bound card, he felt he could handle any Tier One opponent with ease.

His life-bound card was not green—concealing one’s strength in the apocalypse was an art in itself.

Stone Nine made his decision. “Fall back. Be ready for battle. If Wei Liang can’t hold, we’ll rush in to save him.”

He spoke softly, so only the team could hear.

Abandoning Wei Liang was out of the question. As captain, if he had the power, he would never forsake a teammate.

The squad moved back, forming a space for the duel.

Lu Sheng was unconcerned. Should things escalate, he could teach the opposition a lesson in no time. Taking on a hundred might be tough, but grabbing their leader? Hardly a challenge. Still, his interest was piqued—Wei Liang’s life-bound card was clearly more than green, though its true grade was a mystery.

The Wolf Marauder men also pulled back, clearing a circle for the duel.

Shen Bao bared his teeth in a vicious grin. “Wei Liang, are you here to die?”

Wei Liang said nothing, launching a straight thrust at Shen Bao with his long blade.

Shen Bao had no time for taunts—battle was no child’s play, a single misstep could cost him his life.

His life-bound card was a hunting hound, granting him increased speed, stamina, and agility. In single combat, it was a formidable advantage—one reason he agreed to the duel without hesitation.

As Wei Liang’s blade came at him, Shen Bao parried upward, blocking the attack. Yet, in the instant their blades met, Shen Bao’s expression changed—Wei Liang’s strength was startling.

Fortunately, it was still within bearable limits.

He immediately focused all his attention on the fight.

In moments, the two exchanged several blows, the quiet air ringing with the clash of steel, the scent of bloodlust thickening.

But the longer the fight dragged on, the darker Shen Bao’s expression became. Wei Liang’s strength was truly immense. With every clash, he felt the skin between his thumb and forefinger tearing.

Already, blood streaked his hands.

Both sides began to realize something was wrong.

Zhuang Feng grew impatient. “What’s wrong with him? So confident at first, and now after all this time he’s on the back foot?”

He felt utterly humiliated.