Super Soldier in the City-Chapter 1266 - 1316: The Arrival of the Expert

"Clan Leader Li, this isn’t right of you." A sinister voice emerged from a man’s mouth—the voice of the Grand Elder.

The other three people didn’t say a word at this moment.

Xu Shanshan was startled upon seeing these figures. She knew very well how powerful the Grand Elder was—his strength was on par with Murong Yuanqing’s. Even if she teamed up with Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang, they might still not be his match. And this time, the Grand Elder had brought three allies, whose presence she hadn’t even noticed when they entered, a testament to their formidable power. Even if they were slightly weaker than the Grand Elder, they wouldn’t be too far off.

Standing protectively behind Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang, Xu Shanshan said in a deep voice, "Grand Elder, your timing is impeccable."

The Grand Elder chuckled lightly and said, "This cave was discovered by us, and we brought our sincerity to cooperate with Clan Leader Li. Yet Clan Leader Li came here on his own and opened the cave. If I hadn’t been here, would Clan Leader Li have pocketed the treasure inside all by himself?"

This was the kind of situation where Li Yifei should normally step forward to speak, but he and Jiang Ningxiang remained motionless, leaving Xu Shanshan frustrated. Her heart was anxious, yet she had no choice but to hold her ground, saying, "Grand Elder, you’re overthinking this. We came here merely to try—who would’ve thought this attempt would actually succeed in opening the cave? Didn’t you try many times as well? Who could’ve guessed that we’d just stumble upon the correct method this time? Now that you’re here, it’s perfect; we can explore the cave together and see what treasures lie inside."

A man beside the Grand Elder scoffed impatiently, "Hmph, smooth talker. Grand Elder, why waste words with them? Let’s just kill them."

Xu Shanshan grew more anxious but tried her best to stay composed. She said, "Grand Elder, we’ve always been partners, haven’t we? And this cave was opened by us without using any of your people. Sharing it with you now should prove our sincerity, shouldn’t it?"

The man burst into laughter and said, "Ha! Sharing? You speak as if you have any say in the matter now."

As he spoke, the man stepped forward, raising a palm to strike Xu Shanshan.

This sudden move made Xu Shanshan panic. The force contained in this palm completely enveloped her. If she tried to withstand it, there was no guarantee she could take the hit. Retreating would be the safest move, but doing so would expose Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang to the attack, undoubtedly leaving them severely injured.

The man’s strength was formidable, nearly as powerful as the Grand Elder’s.

Xu Shanshan gritted her teeth, rotating her True Qi within her body and channeling it toward her palm. She thrust her hand forward resolutely, determined to buy Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang some time. Their strength had greatly increased recently, and if they regained consciousness, they might have a chance to escape. Facing these four adversaries was not something she dared to even consider.

"Little girl, courting death!" the man sneered, his palm colliding fiercely with Xu Shanshan’s double palms.

A muffled sound echoed as a massive force surged through Xu Shanshan’s hands, so overwhelming that she could barely endure it. If she retreated at this moment and used the momentum to deflect the impact, she might mitigate her injuries. But retreating would endanger Li Yifei and Jiang Ningxiang behind her, so she stood her ground as if her legs were rooted, enduring the force head-on.

"Urgh!" A mouthful of blood sprayed from Xu Shanshan’s lips, yet she remained steadfast, unmoving.

With her face pale and her body trembling, it was evident she had suffered serious internal injuries.

"You’re a grown man bullying a young girl... what kind of skill is that?" Xu Shanshan wiped the blood from her mouth and stared at the man with disdain.

The man was visibly stunned by her response. Xu Shanshan knew retreating would’ve spared her from significant injuries, yet she chose not to. Such courage left him deeply impressed.

"Little girl, I admire your bravery, but the treasures within this cave are ours to claim. My apologies." With no trace of pity, he raised his hand for another strike.

Xu Shanshan shouted fiercely, gathering her True Qi once more to block the attack. She knew there was little chance she could withstand this strike but refused to back down—retreat was simply not an option.

"Shanshan!" a voice cried out, piercing the silence. Suddenly, Li Yifei, who had been motionless, turned and struck directly at the attacker’s palm.

"Boom!" The collision between Li Yifei’s palm and the man’s shook the cave, causing dust and debris to rain down from the ceiling. Li Yifei, clutching Xu Shanshan tightly, fell backward into a pile of stone powder, stirring up a cloud of dust in the smoke-filled cave.

Remarkably, even the attacker was forced to retreat several steps by Li Yifei’s strike.

The Grand Elder and his companions were visibly astonished. They were somewhat familiar with Li Yifei’s abilities and knew he was strong, but they didn’t expect him to possess enough power to force one of their number to recoil.

Li Yifei, along with Jiang Ningxiang, had only just recovered from the overwhelming infusion of Innate Vital Energy, which had been altering their meridians and rendering them immobile. Although aware of the danger upon the Grand Elder’s arrival, they had been powerless to act until now.

Seeing Xu Shanshan injured spurred Li Yifei into action. As the man prepared to strike again, Li Yifei finally regained control over the True Qi within himself, launching a decisive counterattack.

He hadn’t anticipated that his strike would be able to force the attacker back. As he made the move, he had already prepared to retreat while shielding Xu Shanshan.

The palm strike was nine parts offense and one part leverage to retreat, intending to brace for injury. To his surprise, he suffered no harm from the encounter, and the excess force pushed him hard enough to land in the stone powder.

However, upon observing the four adversaries, Li Yifei knew that despite his newfound strength, he could only handle one of them. Jiang Ningxiang might manage another, but with Xu Shanshan gravely wounded, a direct clash was out of the question.

"Into the cave!" Li Yifei shouted decisively, kicking up clouds of stone dust toward the Grand Elder and his allies, filling the cave with smoke and limiting visibility.

The Grand Elder’s group surged forward despite the dust, relying on their keen senses and reactions rather than sight. Their primary goal was to prevent Li Yifei’s group from entering the cave.

But Li Yifei had no intention of entering the cave. Uncertain of its interior, he wasn’t willing to risk being trapped if it turned out to be a sealed space. Instead, he used the confusion to give them a false impression. He quickly grabbed Xu Shanshan and Jiang Ningxiang’s arm, pulling them toward the cave’s exit.

This was Li Yifei’s wisest decision, but the Grand Elder’s group weren’t fools. Upon realizing the deception, they immediately turned and charged after him.

Li Yifei and his companions reached the sunlight at the cave entrance within moments, while the four experts emerged from the smoke behind them.

The Grand Elder sneered coldly, saying, "Kid, you’re clever, but this time you’re as good as dead."

Li Yifei met their eyes with a frosty gaze and said, "Grand Elder, we no longer want the treasures inside the cave—they’re yours. Would you still pursue us?"

The Grand Elder replied indifferently, "Clan Leader Li, if you were truly committed to this partnership, we wouldn’t harm you. But coming here on your own is not a gesture of sincere collaboration. Traitors to the organization have only one fate—death!"

Li Yifei snorted and said, "You want us dead? Then let’s see if you have the skill to make that happen."

"It appears Clan Leader Li’s strength has grown significantly—for that reason alone, we cannot let you live." As he spoke, the Grand Elder suddenly stepped forward. Though it was just one simple step, he instantly appeared before Li Yifei and launched a palm strike.

Li Yifei roared, spinning his palms and shifting his body. He stepped forward in turn, aiming a sharp blow with his elbow.

In the past, when confronting the Grand Elder, Li Yifei hadn’t even been able to put up a fight. Now, he struck back directly, feeling far less pressure than before. While he could still sense the Grand Elder’s superior strength, he was no longer without means of retaliation.

This newfound sensation was exhilarating. With it, Li Yifei’s combat abilities surged, revitalizing his confidence. His prior experience in the Flying Hawk Squad had taught him to face stronger foes with sharp judgment and calm strategies. His fear vanished entirely.

"Impressive, kid! I didn’t expect you to possess such strength." The Grand Elder was startled, clearly surprised by Li Yifei’s ability to hold his ground against him.

Li Yifei didn’t respond, focusing solely on his duel with the Grand Elder. The thrill of engaging a master-level opponent was indescribable, consuming all his energy and thoughts. In his mind, only one objective remained: to bring his adversary to his knees.