Operating abroad was unlike acting within their homeland. The logistics alone demanded vast amounts of manpower and resources. Their passenger plane landed at a regular civilian airport. As soon as they disembarked, an airport service vehicle came to pick them up. The aircraft itself immediately began "unloading cargo" as a disguise. They were driven straight to the outskirts of the airport, where they transferred into a familiar-looking van. The van then rolled out onto the endless grasslands. By the latter half of the night, the group had already crossed south of the equator. The grassland winds had cooled, yet they still could not sweep away the suffocating gloom that had long been building. While the fair-skinned beauty in the back seat could not resist sleep, the other four remained wide awake, still watching the scenery with interest. They had no reason to be nervous. In truth, the mission hardly made them tense. From the moment Wang Sheng had called them out for the task, the three had instinctively treated it as a journey abroad, closer to a trip than a mission. All they had to do was strike at the right moment, beat down defeated foes or cut off fleeing enemies, and then raise the banner of "six-six-six" in proper fashion. Wang Sheng received a battle plan on his phone, a document thousands of words long. As the squad leader, he began studying the plan with earnest focus. Shi Qianzhang clicked his tongue in amazement. "The density of primal qi here is several times lower than in an ordinary village back home. Their cultivation seems to rely mostly on inherited witchcraft, though. Primal qi doesn't really matter to them, does it?" Liu Yunzhi replied, "You shouldn't speak so carelessly. Any method of cultivation deserves respect, including theirs." Shi Qianzhang made a series of exaggerated winks. "You're becoming sentimental, huh, Little Liu? Wait, what's this? You put on mascara?" Liu Yunzhi silently pulled out a talisman. "I never wear makeup. Say one more word and see what happens." Shi Qianzhang rolled his eyes. "All you ever do is pull out talismans and cast spells. Can't we just talk things over for once?" Huai Jing chuckled. "Don't quarrel, or you'll disturb Fei Yu. He's reviewing the battle plan." Wang Sheng closed his phone. "It's fine. The plan is pretty straightforward, anyway, and these are just recommendations. We'll hold a meeting later. Let the lady sleep a little longer." The group exchanged knowing smiles. Huai Jing raised his hand, Buddhist light blooming from his palm and covering Dale's head. Sleeping posture was a pretty good test of looks. The delicate-faced Western beauty had no bad angles at all. Wang Sheng began his explanation. "Our first target is one of the devilish swords, currently in the hands of a tribal warrior amid a feud between two small clans. This is the usual method that the Jialington Group employs. "Considering the warrior has already used the sword to slaughter more than a hundred foes, it is now considered one of the most developed among the devilish swords. Regardless, the plan is simple. The sword is inside a military base, our first destination. To be safe, I will infiltrate it alone." Shi Qianzhang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Brother Sheng, you're already at the Nascent Soul Realm, yet you still plan to assassinate men who have never even practiced a proper cultivation technique? If word spreads, it will tarnish your reputation as The Heavenly Tribulation Executor." Unconcerned, Wang Sheng shrugged. Liu Yunzhi sneered. "What do you suggest then? Descend from the sky, thunderbolts crashing everywhere?" "Isn't that the proper way?" Shi Qianzhang retorted, brimming with righteous indignation. "If one reaches high cultivation yet does not pursue the supreme realm of style, then what meaning is there in all the grueling breakthroughs?" Wang Sheng extended his hand toward Liu Yunzhi. The latter immediately understood and passed over several "special-use talismans" that were designed solely for dealing with Shi Qianzhang. Shi Qianzhang grinned sheepishly. "Hahaha… I was just joking. Do you not need our help, Brother Sheng?" "Even a hawk uses its full strength to attack a rabbit. To be safe, let me go in alone." The three could only nod in agreement. Wang Sheng added, "Tonight, we're aiming to destroy five devilish swords. Once we're done with one location, we move to the next immediately. We have to avoid letting them know we're behind this for as long as possible." After their conversation, the vehicle slowed and steered toward a roadside gas station. The driver from the investigation unit also gave them the signal to proceed. Before the vehicle even came to a stop, Wang Sheng had opened the door and leaped into the night. With Spiritless on his back, he vanished into the darkness. Shi Qianzhang sighed. "Even in this day and age, these nations still can't develop properly? The slaves who were once sold to Dami gained freedom and even some advanced technology. Why didn't they come back to help rebuild this grassland?" Wiping his devil-subduing staff, Huai Jing smiled faintly. "That is a complicated historical matter, but it's mainly because the civilizational process here lacked cohesion and unity." "Huai Jing, can you track Fei Yu's movements?" Liu Yunzhi asked. "I can't sense him. Fei Yu clearly has techniques to conceal his aura." Huai Jing's lips twitched. "Just imagine a Nascent Soul Realm sword cultivator who wields a celestial-grade sword and can summon heavenly tribulation appearing silently right behind you. That is terrifying." "Yep. Definitely terrifying." Shi Qianzhang and Liu Yunzhi felt their hair stand on end, a reaction as human as it could get. The driver busied himself with the pump. The three stayed hidden behind the tinted glass, avoiding attention. Soon, a young black man with a sign hanging from his neck approached, speaking in Gelan tongue to offer them various services. The driver declined politely. Shi Qianzhang whispered, "What does his sign say?" "It lists his skills," Liu Yunzhi answered, then mocked, "Can't you read even such simple Gelan words? You should at least know the racial talents of the natives here." Shi Qianzhang blinked. "Singing, dancing, rapping, basketball?" Huai Jing laughed aloud. "You're not wrong." Liu Yunzhi pressed a hand to his forehead. "Running, endurance, and strength. How did you even manage to learn Sakura Island's language?" Shi Qianzhang grinned. "Not from watching Sakura Island anime, that's for sure." Huai Jing's smile widened in sudden understanding. The two chuckled for quite some time, while Liu Yunzhi could only sigh helplessly and gaze out at the night grasslands. When the van left the station, its door opened, and someone slipped silently inside, taking an empty seat. The three instinctively gripped their weapons but quickly realized it was Wang Sheng. They exhaled in relief, then immediately stared wide-eyed. "You're done already?" Huai Jing asked in surprise. Updates are released by 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚑𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚑𝙣𝙚𝙩 "Brother Sheng, did you run into an expert?" Shi Qianzhang followed. Wang Sheng merely shrugged and handed over a small storage pouch. Inside were crystalline shards that glittered like broken glass. Wang Sheng patted the driver's seat. "Head for the next target location." "Copy, Daoist Master Wang," the driver replied at once. "We have an aircraft prepared ten kilometers ahead. I will take you there immediately." He then busied himself by sending messages on his phone. Driving across such vast grasslands carried little risk. At this hour, not one car was in sight. Huai Jing and the others exchanged glances. This mission really felt more like a trip. They had imagined some grand battle in Africa, but it was simply Wang Sheng moving in the shadows. Not long after, explosions reverberated from the west. Flames lit the horizon, and bursts of gunfire echoed. Shi Qianzhang asked, "Brother Sheng, what happened over there?" "Looks like they're fighting," Wang Sheng answered calmly. "I just planned to take the sword and leave, but I saw them torturing prisoners and committing other unspeakable things. It may not concern us directly, but giving them a little punishment along the way won't hurt, so I used the devilish sword to kill the warrior and left a trail of blood leading straight to the foreign mercenary base nearby." The four looked at each other and broke into quiet laughter. Over ten minutes later, the van pulled up beside a camouflaged aircraft hidden in the grassland woods. The four got out one after another, chatting as they boarded. Moments later, the aircraft flew straight into the sky. Halfway up, the hatch opened. Huai Jing stepped onto an alms bowl and descended carefully. Buddhist light streamed from his hands as he guided the still-sleeping Dale from the van, bringing her back aboard. This would surely go down as a night of shame for Earth's so-called gentlemen. The operation progressed smoothly. The "Sword-Smashing Squad" swept across half the grassland. Before the Jialington Group could gather intelligence, they had already destroyed three devilish swords. Huai Jing and the others never even got the chance to attack. In each location, Wang Sheng slipped in, struck swiftly, and left immediately. A Nascent Soul Realm assassin was on a completely different level of threat compared to cultivators who fought head-on. The Jialington Group still did not know what was happening, but after losing three demonic blades in a row, they were bound to deploy contingency plans. On the way to the fourth target point, the investigation unit warned the squad that nine of the ten Blood-Dissolving Divine Swords scattered worldwide had already been hidden away. The one on Sakura Island was the only one left exposed. Still, the investigation unit's network was monitoring all of the enemy's movements. "The fourth target is inside an enemy base. Prepare for combat. Huai Jing and Qianzhang, you attack from the ground," Wang Sheng instructed. "I will strike from the air. Yunzhi, intercept anyone or any vehicle trying to escape. Do not let the devilish sword slip away." "What about her?" Shi Qianzhang pointed at Dale, still lying asleep in the back seat. Wang Sheng shrugged. The others smiled. "Let her rest. Her time hasn't come yet."
