247: Chapter 242, First Clash (Test Chapter, please do not subscribe).

Time seemed to freeze at this instant. Everyone's expressions were locked in place, and the atmosphere immediately became as oppressive as an abyss and as silent as a desolate forest.

"Presumptuous!"

"Seeking death!"

"What audacity!"

The three individuals standing behind Jin Shangdong, each with a detached look and wearing distinct clothing, shouted almost simultaneously. Their voices were like claps of thunder, and the resulting sound waves seemed to explode, snapping everyone present back to their senses in shock!

Before Jin Shangdong could react, another roar, like that of a lion or tiger, erupted.

"Die for me!"

Before the words had even finished echoing, a figure lunged out fiercely from the side. In two steps, he stomped the ground and leaped into the air, adopting a 'Splitting Mount Hua' stance. His fist shadows seemed to carry wind and thunder as they smashed down toward the top of Cao Xiao's head in a flash.

Seeing the fist about to land, its momentum made it clear this person was no ordinary man. If that extraordinary power hit, it would result in death or a vegetative state. Yet, in that lightning-fast moment, Cao Xiao, who had seemed dazed, moved. Standing on one leg, his other foot kicked out diagonally upward like a spring, moving so fast it left an afterimage. He struck the man's chest at a speed far exceeding the fist, and the fist stopped dead twenty centimeters above his head.

The figure was frozen mid-air, unable to advance an inch. The massive force accompanying the strike didn't make Cao Xiao budge even slightly.

"Great Success in Hidden Power, and quite a temper too! Forgive me!"

Under the man's horrified gaze, Cao Xiao turned his hand into a palm-blade and chopped at the man's neck with unbelievable speed.

"How can it be Obvious Power! Born with divine strength?"

That was the man's last thought before he blacked out.

*Thud*

His body crashed to the ground, and the entire scene became terrifyingly quiet.

"Why must you force me to use my fists to communicate? Do you two also want to test if Cao's fists are hard enough?"

Jin Shangdong's face was stiff and his breathing heavy. His fists had clenched tightly at some point, and his eyes glared at Cao Xiao as if spitting fire. He seemed to be desperately suppressing an explosive rage, yet he remained silent.

Including those on guard outside, dozens of soldiers turned their muzzles toward Cao Xiao alone. The movements of the two men just now had been too fast for them to see clearly. Now that the dust had settled, they still didn't understand what had happened. This situation had exceeded their understanding; with the circumstances unclear, they could only maintain a high state of alert and wait for orders.

Cao Xiao coldly scrutinized the remaining two 'extraordinary individuals' who had been eager to act just a moment ago. His gaze clearly said, 'Hurry up and come at me together, I'm in a hurry.'

Faced with Cao Xiao's contemptuous and provocative gaze, the younger man took half a step back and immediately turned his head to look around, pretending he knew nothing.

The Sickly Middle-aged Man, roughly forty years old with a sallow complexion, slowly stepped forward. His expression was calm, and his eyes held only a look of dead silence.

"Great Success in Obvious Power and gifted with divine strength. I suspect no one below the level of Transforming Power is your match. Even a Transforming Power Grandmaster would suffer a great loss if they were careless against you. However, in the end, you are still but flesh and blood."

Without any warning, a ping-pong ball-sized sphere of white, semi-transparent flame appeared in the Sickly Middle-aged Man's cupped hand and shot toward Cao Xiao. The flame seemed to encounter no air resistance, reaching Cao Xiao in the blink of an eye. It didn't stop there; ball after ball of fire was continuously fired at Cao Xiao by the Sickly Middle-aged Man, covering a three-meter area in front of Cao Xiao like a meteor shower. The staggered fireballs formed a net of fire, completely sealing off Cao Xiao's room for movement.

One could tell at a glance that the white, semi-transparent flames were extremely hot, reaching at least two thousand degrees. General metal smelting couldn't even reach such ultra-high temperatures; it was enough to melt most metals. If this landed on a human body, it would instantly turn skin, muscle, and fat into charcoal, turning the person into a giant candle.

"Ah! Don't!"

The bright firelight drew everyone's attention. He Yueyou looked at the fire-filled vision in horror and screamed, trying to throw herself in front of Cao Xiao.

Without anyone noticing, an invisible and intangible ripple emanated from He Yueyou. In an instant, the thoughts of everyone present were frozen by the ripple, as if time had suddenly stopped.

This process lasted less than a second before the ripple vanished.

The sky full of flames flying from the Sickly Middle-aged Man's hand truly shocked Cao Xiao. Although he had his suspicions, seeing fantasy descend into reality and facing a supernatural person for the first time meant he had no other way to respond except to use his trump card.

But right at that moment, he felt as if a sledgehammer had slammed into his head. He lost focus for a second, followed by a bout of dizziness. His brain felt groggy, and he felt a severe sense of motion sickness and nausea.

When the things in his eyes became clear again, he found that the flames were gone, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.

Aside from the two supernatural individuals, the soldiers, Duan Hong, Li Quanshuo, Jin Shangdong, and others had all slumped to the ground, seemingly unconscious.

Seeing He Yueyou's anxious yet dazed face in front of him, Cao Xiao seemed to realize what was going on.

"A Wild Esper? It really is Soul Power! Holy crap! Consumptive, Hahaha! We're going to strike it rich!"

"No, I'm going to strike it rich. I'm the one who discovered it. You just tried to kill her lover; you've really started a massive feud now!"

"You can just wait to enjoy the rest of your miserable life. Ga ga ga!"

The young man's face was pale and he looked haggard and listless. He looked at He Yueyou with lingering fear, but then became exceptionally excited. Looking at the even more Sickly Middle-aged Man, he gloated and danced with joy.

"Humph! My Fire Control Technique has long been perfected; I can release and retract it at will. How could I strike without restraint? Do you think I would really lose my mind and violate the prohibition? We are comrades, after all. This little fellow is naturally gifted but reckless; if I don't show him how high the sky is, his lack of restraint will cause a disaster sooner or later. And you're no saint either; those old fogies spoil you and cover for your trouble-making, but we won't. You're being disrespectful. If you keep flapping your lips, don't blame me for slapping you in public! Wealth my ass, move aside, I'll handle this!"

The Sickly Middle-aged Man glared and lectured the young man threateningly. The young man immediately became as obedient as a quail, retreating to the side with a disgruntled face and muttering silently.

"Cao Xiao, control your emotions. I have no ill will toward you!"

The Sickly Middle-aged Man's tone was very gentle, and the atmosphere was no longer as tense as before.

Cao Xiao also temporarily lowered some of his guard, though he didn't believe the words. They had just been fighting, and he had no ill will? He would see what the man had to say; things hadn't reached an irreversible point yet, and there seemed to be a turn of events. Cao Xiao crossed his arms and looked at him calmly.

"Although people like us possess extraordinary abilities that ordinary people find hard to understand, the Supervision Department also has prohibitions stricter than the law to constrain our behavior. Some internal information is passed down orally and not recorded in files. The person who asked you to join the Supervision Department..."