109: Chapter 109 First "Assassination Warning": Anonymous Email

Uninvited Guests After the Exclusive Interview

As the moonlight over the Xingyi Sect branch hall washed over the interview hall, Chen Wu's tactical bracelet suddenly emitted a piercing alarm.

A pale red "Danger Alert" flashed on the holographic interface, identical in frequency to the alarm from when Grey Shadow invaded.

Lin Mo's tablet instantly synchronized and received the signal, and an email with no sender label popped up on the virtual screen.

The subject line contained only three cold characters: "Don't go to the underground palace," and the body of the text was a paragraph tainted with black Qi Energy: "Chen Wu, although Yijin Energy is strong, it cannot block 'Spirit-Devouring Armor-Piercing Shells.' On August 15th (the day of departure for the underground palace), we will 'send you off' on the way to meet your Chen Wus Great-grandfather."

"It was sent via a 'Darknet Encrypted Channel'!" Lin Mo's fingertips flew across the virtual keyboard, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the touchpad, code scrolling down the screen like a waterfall.

"The Technical Department detected residual Qi Energy in the email attachment, which is identical to the mixed characteristics of Grey Shadow's 'Spirit-Devouring Energy' and the Qijue Sect's 'Snake Form Energy'!

The sender's address is on the 'Qijue Remnants' forum on the Darknet. The IP went through 12 jumps; currently, it has only been traced to an abandoned mine near Mount Song!"

The tablet suddenly popped up the email's hidden attachment. After decompressing it, it revealed a blurry satellite image: "Black Stone Canyon," the only route for Chen Wu's team to the underground palace, was circled in red, with labels next to it reading "Ambush Point," "3 Spirit-Devouring Armor-Piercing Shells," and "10-person Sniper Team."

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe tapped out a rapid, muffled sound in the hall.

The old man dug out the "Tomb Guardian Crisis Records" left behind by his grandfather. Tucked into the yellowed pages was a warning letter from 1943—an assassination notice from the Qijue Sect targeting Chen Wus Great-grandfather. It was 70% identical in format to the current email, only the threat back then used "poison arrows," while today it had been replaced with "Spirit-Devouring Armor-Piercing Shells."

"This is the Qijue Sect's 'Death Notice' format!" The pipe bowl pointed at the handwriting on the warning letter. "They send a notice before every assassination. It's not arrogance; they want to break the opponent's psychological defense!"

A bronze heart protector suddenly flew out of a camphor wood chest. Engraved on it were "Anti-Spirit-Devourer" patterns. Pale golden Qi Energy spread along the mirror surface, drawing the trajectory of a "Qi Energy Defense Layer" on Chen Wu's tactical suit.

In the Flower Girl's basket, the eight-colored petals of the inheritance grass suddenly glowed red.

Dewdrops rolled on the surface of the leaves, reflecting the hidden Qi Energy in the email attachment—beside the red mark on the satellite image, there was a faint streak of "Snake Form" Qi Energy, identical to the poison from the Qijue Sect's "Snake Form Array" previously encountered, and after mixing with Grey Shadow's "Spirit-Devouring Energy," its toxicity increased by 30%.

The young girl mixed the red and black liquid. When the dark red "Early Warning Dew" dripped onto the petal, it suddenly trembled violently.

"Elder Zhou says this is a 'Killing Intent Detector,'" she said, her fingertips lightly touching the dewdrop. "The Qi Energy in the email carries 'Death Intent.' It's not a prank; they really want to assassinate Brother Chen!"

The Section Chief of the Special Incident Response Department rushed in holding a thermal imager. The screen showed a real-time view of the abandoned mine near Mount Song: three blurry figures were assembling "Spirit-Devouring Armor-Piercing Shells." The shells glowed with black Qi Energy, perfectly matching the email's description.

"The threat has been confirmed as real!" The Section Chief's voice was urgent yet maintained composure.

"The Enforcement Division has already dispatched drones for reconnaissance. Zhang Hao and Love's armored vehicle is being fitted with 'Qi Energy Shielding Plates,' and we have adjusted the route for the underground palace departure, preparing to bypass Black Stone Canyon—but the Technical Department predicts that the enemy may have set ambushes on other routes as well."

The tablet showed that A-Mings younger sister's ward had been reinforced with triple the number of special police, and Elder Zhou also sent a message from his place of seclusion, saying, "The Qijue Sect remnants are skilled at 'making a feint to the east while attacking in the west'; be careful of their diversion tactics."

When Chen Wu's fingertips touched the bronze heart protector, the pale golden Yijin Energy suddenly resonated with the mirror surface.

The black Qi Energy in the email manifested on the mirror, forming a complete "Snake-Form Spirit-Devourer" totem—the emergency channel for the global live broadcast suddenly opened.

The bullet comments from 46 billion viewers instantly changed from "Looking forward to the underground palace" to "Watch out for safety." That Auntie Zhang Guilan from Beijing sent a video; she and her old sisters were patrolling the neighborhood, holding signs that read "Report suspicious persons immediately."

Nurse Emily in London organized her colleagues at the hospital to use the "Mystic Water Breathing Method" to perceive anomalies in the surrounding Qi Energy, promising to "notify you the first moment there is a situation."

"Don't be afraid," Chen Wu suddenly gripped the heart protector tightly. Pale golden Qi Energy formed a layer of transparent defensive shield around his body.

"They want to break our confidence, but we will show them that the power of traditional martial arts is not so easily shaken."

His gaze swept over the Elders of the eight major schools. Li Xuantong's Five Elements Energy, Zhao Lie's Baji Energy, and Su Chen's Mystic Water Energy lit up simultaneously, forming a rotating "Defense Array" in the center of the interview hall, echoing the Qi Energy of the global audience's bullet comments.

Hidden Clues in the Email

Lin Mo's tablet suddenly popped up the results of the "Qi Energy Analysis": In the satellite image attached to the email, next to the "Ambush Point" marked in red, there was a faint trace of "Earth Form Energy"—completely homologous to the Earth Form Energy around the Xingyi Sect branch, clearly a "misleading clue" left intentionally by the enemy.

"They want us to think the ambush is at Black Stone Canyon," the youth's fingertips slid across the virtual sand table, overlapping the satellite image with the route to the underground palace.

"But according to the flow of the 'Earth Form Energy,' the real ambush point should be at 'Huangtu Slope'—that is the old site of the Xingyi Sect. The enemy might be using the ruins of the 'Earth Form Array' from back then to set a trap!"

Su Chen's Mystic Water Energy suddenly injected into the tablet. Pale blue Qi Energy spread across the screen, magnifying the hidden pixels of the satellite image—at the location of Huangtu Slope, there were three black traces of "Spirit-Devouring Energy," which perfectly matched the Qi Energy of the armor-piercing shells being assembled by the figures in the mine.

"It's the Qi Energy of 'Spirit-Devouring Landmines'!" Su Chen's voice carried a chill. He pointed to the intersection of the traces.

"That is the eye of the 'Earth Form Array' at Huangtu Slope. The enemy wants to detonate the landmines and the armor-piercing shells simultaneously when we enter the range of the array eye, leaving us unable to attend to both ends!"

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe suddenly tapped the camphor wood chest, and a "Huangtu Slope Topographic Map" from 1950 flew out—the "Earth Form Array" flaw marked by Chen Wus Great-grandfather was exactly near the location where the enemy had buried the landmines.

"Back then, your Great-grandfather broke the Qijue Sect's 'Earth Mine Array' at Huangtu Slope," the pipe bowl pointed to the "Water Vein Node" on the map.

"The underground water veins there can counter Earth Energy. As long as we use Mystic Water Energy to trigger the water veins, we can make the Qi Energy of the Spirit-Devouring Landmines ineffective!"

The pale blue Mystic Water Energy and the pale brown Earth Form Energy intertwined on the map, forming a "Water Overcomes Earth" cracking trajectory that perfectly overlapped with Su Chen's analysis.

In the Flower Girl's basket, the red petals of the inheritance grass suddenly pointed toward Huangtu Slope.

Dewdrops rolled on the surface of the leaves, reflecting the internal structure of the landmines—inside the shell, besides Spirit-Devouring Energy, it was also mixed with "Qijue Poison." Once detonated, the Qi Energy contamination range would cover half a kilometer, capable of penetrating even the armor of the armored vehicles.

The young girl mixed the "Early Warning Dew" with the "Silt-Clearing Dew." When the dark red "Antidote Dew" dripped onto the petal, it suddenly unfolded, revealing the seeds inside.

"Elder Zhou says this is a 'Poison Energy Neutralizer,'" she said, her fingertips lightly touching the seeds.

"Applying this to the armored vehicles and tactical suits can temporarily resist the erosion of the Qijue Poison, just like installing an anti-poison layer on the equipment!"

The Section Chief of the Special Incident Response Department walked over holding the "Ambush Response Plan." The screen displayed a triple defense: First, drones would conduct reconnaissance on Huangtu Slope in advance, using "Qi Energy Interference Shells" to destroy the landmine fuses.

Second, Zhang Hao's armored vehicle would be fitted with "Mystic Water Energy Defense Plates," with Su Chen using Mystic Water Energy to trigger the water veins throughout the process.

Third, Chen Wu, Zhao Lie, and Li Xuantong would form a "Hard-Soft Defense Group," with Xingji Fist responsible for blocking the armor-piercing shells, and Five Elements Energy responsible for reinforcing the defense of the array eye.

"The Technical Department has also prepared an 'Anti-Sniper System,'" the Section Chief suddenly handed a micro-device to Chen Wu. "This 'Qi Energy Detector' can monitor the surrounding 500 meters of Spirit-Devouring Energy in real-time. As long as the enemy's sniper rifle has Qi Energy fluctuations, it will sound an alarm immediately."

When Lin Mo's tablet cracked the last layer of the email's encryption, a voice message from the enemy suddenly popped up: "Chen Wu, don't think you are safe just because you have the support of the people in the traditional martial arts craze."

The voice had been modulated, yet it carried the "Snake Form Energy" fluctuations unique to the Qijue Sect. "On August 15th, we will bury you together with the 'Muscle Tendon Change Classic' at Huangtu Slope, and let the Tomb Guardian's Legacy be completely severed!"

The global live broadcast's bullet comments exploded instantly. 46 billion viewers simultaneously spammed "We will watch out for you."

That migrant worker brother's ID popped up a message: "Teacher Chen, I am working near Huangtu Slope. I will go help you keep an eye on suspicious people!"

Within ten minutes, 100,000 viewers spontaneously organized an "Online Early Warning Team," promising to report abnormal situations around Huangtu Slope in real-time.

Chen Wu suddenly raised the "Qi Energy Detector" to the live stream camera: "Thank you everyone, but there is no need to take risks," his voice was firm. "We have already found the enemy's ambush point and the method to break it. On August 15th, we will not only arrive at the underground palace safely, but we will also make those who destroy the Legacy pay the price."

The pale golden Yijin Energy resonated with the detector, and the warning range on the screen suddenly expanded to 1 kilometer, forming a massive "warning net" with the Qi Energy from the global audience's comments, enveloping Huangtu Slope.

Combat Preparation and Probing Attacks

Early the next morning, before the morning mist on Huangtu Slope had dissipated, Chen Wu's team's drone was already in the air.

Covered in pale blue Mystic Water Energy, Su Chen controlled it in real-time via a tablet, precisely deploying "Qi Energy Interference Shells" onto the landmine placement points—slow-motion footage showed that the moment the interference shells exploded, the pale blue water energy seeped along the cracks in the soil.

The black Spirit-Devouring Energy dissipated rapidly like ink meeting clear water, and the landmine fuse indicator lights turned from red to green, becoming completely useless.

"Success!" Lin Mo's cheer was filled with excitement.

The Qi Energy analysis on the tablet showed that after the water vein was triggered, the Earth Form Energy of Huangtu Slope was completely suppressed, and 60% of the enemy's traps had failed.

Zhang Hao's armored vehicle drove slowly along the outskirts of Huangtu Slope, the "Mystic Water Energy Defense Plate" on its body glowing with a pale blue light.

When the vehicle reached the vicinity of the sniper point, Chen Wu's "Qi Energy Detector" suddenly sounded an alarm—on a hillside 500 meters away, a wave of black Qi Energy flashed; it was the enemy's sniper rifle testing its aim.

"It's here!" Zhao Lie suddenly jumped off the vehicle, Baji Energy condensing in his palm.

The pale black rigid energy blasted toward the source of the Qi Energy like a cannonball—the bushes on the hillside suddenly exploded, a sniper rifle infused with Spirit-Devouring Energy was blown away, and a figure dressed in night-crawling clothes scrambled to escape, only to have their ankles ensnared by Love's Taiji Power, causing them to crash heavily to the ground.

"Speak! Where are your accomplices?"

Zhao Lie's fist pressed against the person's chest, the pale black Baji Energy preventing the opponent's Spirit-Devouring Energy from condensing.

Black blood spilled from the corner of the man's mouth, but he gritted his teeth and said nothing, attempting to commit suicide using Qijue Poison—Chen Wu's Yijin Energy suddenly injected into his Dantian, the pale golden Qi Energy instantly freezing the spread of the toxin.

"Don't think about suicide," Chen Wu's voice carried a cold chill.

"The debt for destroying traditional martial arts Legacy and harming ordinary people has not been settled yet."

Lin Mo's tablet suddenly popped up the person's identity information: "Snake Shadow," a remnant of the Qijue Sect, who had participated in the manufacture of Grey Shadow's "Spirit-Devouring Bomb" and had the lives of three Martial Artists on his hands.

"There are contact records of his accomplices in his phone!"

The young man's fingertips flew across the virtual keyboard, cracking an encrypted message: "August 15th, 9:00 AM, Huangtu Slope array eye. After detonating the bombs, the sniper team will attack from the east and west sides; you must seize the Muscle Tendon Change Classic."

The tablet also showed that the enemy's sniper team had 10 members, each equipped with "Spirit-Devouring Armor-Piercing Rounds" with a range of up to 1000 meters, which ordinary Qi Energy defenses could not withstand.

Li Xuantong suddenly walked to the array eye, Five Elements Energy condensing into a rotating Five Elements Wheel in his palm: "I have a plan."

Pale brown Qi Energy spread along the array eye, drawing an "anti-ambush" trajectory on the ground.

"We will pretend we don't know the traps have been destroyed and proceed through Huangtu Slope as normal on August 15th. Once the enemy detonates the ineffective landmines, we will use the Five Elements Energy and Xingji Fist to attack from the front and back, catching them all in one fell swoop!"

Zhao Lie immediately echoed: "Great idea! My Baji Energy can withstand the first wave of attacks from the armor-piercing rounds, Chen's Xingji Fist will be responsible for the surprise attack, and Su Chen's Mystic Water Energy will be responsible for freezing the enemy's Qi Energy!"

From the Flower Girl's basket, the seeds of the inheritance grass suddenly flew toward the armored vehicle.

Dewdrops rolled on the seeds, evenly coating the vehicle body and tactical suits with "Antidote Dew"—the pale red light merged with the Mystic Water Energy Defense Plate, forming a dual protection of "anti-poison + anti-Qi Energy."

"Elder Zhou said this is a 'dual protective layer'," she pointed lightly at the armored vehicle, "Even if the enemy's armor-piercing rounds break through the Mystic Water Energy, the Antidote Dew can neutralize the Qijue Poison inside, ensuring everyone won't get hurt."

As the sunset illuminated Huangtu Slope, the Chen Wu team's field exercise officially began.

Chen Wu's Xingji Fist and Zhao Lie's Baji Fist coordinated, with hard and soft energy erupting alternately, easily blocking the simulated armor-piercing round attacks; Su Chen's Mystic Water Energy triggered the water veins, neutralizing all the Qi Energy of the simulated landmines; Li Xuantong's Five Elements Energy reinforced the array eye to prevent the enemy from launching a sneak attack from underground.

In the global live stream comments, 460 billion viewers simultaneously flooded the screen with "So cool," and the ID of that cerebral palsy student popped up a message: "Teacher Chen, I can feel the Qi Energy around me when I practice breathing exercises. If I notice anything unusual, I will tell you immediately!"

The Night Before Departure, Protecting the Legacy

On the night of August 14th, the martial arts training ground of the Xingyi Sect branch was brightly lit.

The Chen Wu team's equipment was fully tuned: Chen Wu's tactical suit was coated with "Antidote Dew," and his bronze heart-guard mirror was fused with Yijin Energy, capable of withstanding an 1800 kg armor-piercing round attack; Zhang Hao's armored vehicle was equipped with a "Mystic Water Energy Defense Plate" and an "Anti-Sniper System"; Love's Taiji Shield was infused with the rigid energy of Xingji Fist, expanding its defense range by 30%.

The Elders of the eight major schools gathered around the sand table to confirm the ambush response plan one last time.

Pale brown, pale black, and pale blue Qi Energy intertwined on the sand table, clearly marking every corner of Huangtu Slope.

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe made a crisp, muffled sound as he tapped it against the sand table.

The old man handed the "Tomb Guardian Crisis Records" to Chen Wu: "This contains all the experience your Great-grandfather had in dealing with assassinations."

He pointed the pipe bowl at one of the pages, "Back then, he used the 'feigning weakness to lure the enemy' method to lead the Qijue Sect people into an ambush. Today, your plan is exactly the same as his was back then!"

Pale golden Qi Energy surged from the pages, resonating with Chen Wu's Yijin Energy, condensing into a "Tomb Guardian" totem in his palm, symbolizing the protection of the Legacy.

In the Flower Girl's basket, the eight-colored petals of the inheritance grass suddenly all faced the direction of the underground palace.

Dewdrops rolled on the leaves, reflecting the real-time footage of the global "Online Warning Team": viewers near Huangtu Slope spontaneously organized patrols.

Some held "Qi Energy Detectors" (simplified versions), some used mobile phones to film suspicious vehicles, and others planted "traditional martial arts Protection" flags all over the hillside, forming a visible "human wall."

The little girl sprinkled the last drop of "Warning Dew" into the air.

The eight-colored light merged with the Qi Energy from the global audience's comments, forming a huge "Protection" totem in the center of the training ground: "Elder Zhou said this is 'Heart Qi Energy of the People'," she tapped the totem lightly with her fingertip, "It's stronger than any Qi Energy defense. When the enemy sees so many people supporting us, they will definitely be scared!"

The Section Chief of the Special Incident Response Department walked over, holding a holographic report.

The tablet showed that the enemy's sniper team had all entered the ambush point at Huangtu Slope and were making final preparations, unaware that their landmines and armor-piercing rounds had already been broken by Chen Wu's team.

"The SWAT team from the Enforcement Division is already on standby on the outskirts of Huangtu Slope," the Section Chief's voice was filled with excitement, "As soon as the enemy makes a move, we can immediately surround them and capture them all!"

The tablet also showed good news from A-Ming's younger sister's hospital room: her body, nourished by the inheritance grass, was now able to sit up and practice basic breathing exercises.

The little girl had also drawn a picture that said "Go Brother Chen Wu," which was transmitted to Chen Wu via the live stream.

When Chen Wu's team boarded the armored vehicle, the global live stream camera focused on them.

The "Come back safely" messages sent by 460 billion viewers simultaneously formed a wall of light in the virtual space.

Aunt Zhang Guilan led her old friends in performing the "Xingji Lean" stance to see them off, Nurse Emily held up a sign saying "We are waiting for you to teach us new moves," and the migrant worker brothers laid out the word "Safety" using cement bags on the roadside of Huangtu Slope.

Chen Wu suddenly waved at the camera, his pale golden Yijin Energy resonating with the Qi Energy of the global audience: "Thank you everyone, we will return safely, and we will make those who destroy the Legacy pay the price, because we are not fighting alone; we have the support of 460 billion traditional martial arts practitioners!"

The armored vehicle slowly drove away from the Xingyi Sect branch, heading toward Huangtu Slope.

Moonlight shone on the vehicle body, the Mystic Water Energy Defense Plate glowing with a pale blue light, intertwining with the eight-colored light of the inheritance grass, like a band of light protecting the Legacy.

Chen Wu gripped the bronze heart-guard mirror in his hand, feeling the resonance between the totem in his palm and the global Qi Energy, and suddenly realized: this assassination threat was not a crisis, but a test—a test of the unity of traditional martial arts practitioners, a test of the responsibility of the Tomb Guardian, and a test of the original intention of Martial Artists worldwide.

As the armored vehicle approached Huangtu Slope, Chen Wu's "Qi Energy Detector" suddenly emitted a slight alarm; the enemy's sniper rifle had begun to aim.

But there was not a trace of tension on Chen Wu's face; instead, he revealed a firm smile—he knew that with the support of 460 billion people behind him, the most reliable comrades by his side, and the power of the Legacy in his hands, they would definitely win this ambush.

In the global live stream comments, a final row of neat text flooded the screen: "traditional martial arts practitioners are of one mind, their strength can cut through metal; Go Chen Wu, we are waiting for you!"

This message was lit up by 460 billion viewers simultaneously, like an eternal river of light, illuminating the night sky of Huangtu Slope and the future of traditional martial arts Legacy.