"What is that?"Everyone looked up. A streak of bright blue light shot across the sky, and their expressions changed at once. Shock and disbelief filled their faces.The young man and woman were especially stunned, staring at the blue light without blinking. Within that glow, a faint human figure appeared, and their eyes widened in fear."Is that Superman?" The woman's beautiful eyes flickered as she whispered softly without thinking.As for Torre and the others, after their brief shock, a memory suddenly surfaced in their minds....Back at the Stormcairn River, a figure wrapped in blue light had killed the arrogant elder of the Tarlyn Guild in one decisive strike. And now, the figure in the sky overlapped completely with that memory."It's the chief instructor. It's definitely him!"The blue light came closer and closer. When it was only several feet away, they spotted Leander's face clearly.Leander had rushed all the way from Dechor, flying at full speed. After an hour of pushing himself to the limit, he finally reached the border of Ivoria.At a glance, he spotted Torre and the others hiding in the town below. His eyes narrowed slightly as he prepared to land and take them away from here.But right at that moment, the sound of artillery suddenly exploded in the air.Boom!The rocket armored vehicle lifted its rear cannon slightly. Out of its twenty-four rockets, one fired straight into the sky. It was an anti-air missile, and its destructive power was terrifying.The rocket tore through the air with a piercing scream and shot directly toward Leander's chest."What?"Leander paused for a brief instant, then his body shifted. He moved sideways, pulling himself about a hundred feet away. The rocket narrowly brushed past his chest, and the shockwave made his clothes flutter wildly.This scene made Leander's expression tighten slightly. At the same time, everyone hiding in the town also saw what happened."Did they just attack him?"Torre's face went pale as a horrifying thought flashed across his mind."All this time while we were hiding here, they never made a move or attacked us atall. But the moment the chief instructor arrived, they immediately used an armored rocket vehicle and anti-air missiles. Could it be..."Before he finished, Skylar spoke in a deep voice. "Their real target is the chief instructor!""What?" Vane, Boomer, Brute, and the others all felt their hearts drop. Their expressions changed instantly."Did they use us as bait to lure the chief instructor here?"Boomer looked at the others. Even though he wasn't the smartest one among them, he still understood what was happening now.Vane, meticulous and calm, spoke up in a low voice, "These people are highly- trained elites. Their weapons and equipment are far above the average level of any country in the world. They've come prepared.""But I don't understand," Torre said, his eyes murky and fists trembling. "How did they know the chief instructor would come if they used us as bait?""Someone must've hired them," Skyler replied, his voice grave. "And the person who hired them must know the chief instructor's movements like the back of their hand.""Only a few major powers have the resources to do so," Torre responded.Skyler's face paled, and he tilted his head. "Are you saying that a major nation is targeting the chief instructor?"Torre didn't answer.He simply stared at the blue light in the sky, his expression growing heavier.Whoosh!The rocket missiles narrowly skimmed past Leander's chest. As they passed, Leander's body recoiled, then he struck with a palm.His Primordial Energy surged outward, forming a thin strand that collided with the tail of the rocket. The missile exploded midair in a shower of sparks.His mind raced. In an instant, he realized what was happening. These armed forces had been waiting for him."A major nation of this era?" Leander clenched his fingers, a deadly gleam flashing across his eyes....Below, inside an armored vehicle, the leading middle-aged man waved his hand, issuing the attack command."Target acquired! Open fire and engage!"At his order, the remaining twenty-two anti-air missiles were launched simultaneously.Nearly three thousand armed personnel lifted their rifles, aiming at the sky and firing. Sixteen Gatling guns locked onto Leander, spinning their barrels into action.In an instant, all three thousand soldiers focused on their target.The young man and woman standing beside Torre froze in shock.Leander had just flown in, a blue aura surrounding him like Superman.Now, facing the combined firepower of three thousand armed soldiers, the scene was as thrilling as a modern weapons battle against a superhero.A scenario that could only appear in a Hollywood blockbuster was unfolding right before their eyes."This is bad. We've put the chief instructor in danger!" Torre slammed his fist against the wall, his face full of guilt.They knew Leander was strong, but even the strongest warrior could not possibly withstand a modern military force.Here were armored vehicles and tanks, all kinds of modern weapons, and three thousand soldiers. How could Leander fight against such overwhelming firepower alone?All of them looked grim, but at this moment, all they could do was watch helplessly as every weapon pointed toward Leander.Inside an underground intelligence base in Novaterra, a large screen displayed a live feed of Leander facing the three thousand strong armed force. Nearly every camera angle focused squarely on him. "I can't believe Jeff Ashcroft is here. This time, we must eliminate this huge threat completely!""Deploy the X10A squadron. Do everything you can to make sure he's neutralized in Ivoria."Below, the personnel responded in unison and immediately began strategic deployment.Whoosh!From the sky, twenty-two rockets streaked toward Leander. His location had already been locked."Hmph!" Leander's eyes shifted slightly as his body surged backward, trying to create distance from the incoming missiles.His speed had already surpassed the sound barrier, but the rockets traveled at twice the speed of sound, closing the gap in an instant.Leander's eyes widened. Instantly, his Primordial Energy surged outward, forming a defensive barrier in front of him.Boom! All twenty-four rockets detonated in front of him, the force striking directly against his protective Primordial Energy.The explosions roared endlessly. The shockwaves spread outward in violent ripples,and Leander let out a muffled grunt as he was blasted backward, tumbling throughthe air.His protective Primordial Energy could withstand direct rifle fire, butnoveldramathe power of these rockets was devastating In fact the explosion could destroy a single armored vehicle. With twenty-two rockets striking simultaneously, the impact was twenty-two times greater. Even with his immense cultivation, Leander could not block the full force.His protective Primordial Energy shattered from the frontal impact.His clothes were burned and torn bythe explosions, leaving a charred patch across his chest. The force sent him flying backward dozens of feet. "Ah, the power of modern weaponry!"Leander's expression shifted. At that moment, he finally understood why the kings who once ruled the world had relied on hidden defenses.