The man prying open the beast trap was no ordinary member of the Black Dragon Society. Although he wore the same uniform and carried the same equipment as the others, he was a full size larger.
More importantly, the protective suit on him appeared bulging, as if there was a layer of armor beneath his skin.
Indeed, this man was a God-Blessed Warrior, and his body was implanted with snake genes.
The Japanese discovered during the research and creation of these wicked God-Blessed Warriors, that implanting snake genes yielded the greatest benefits.
This was likely due to snakes being cold-blooded animals, their genes fused more easily with the God-Blessed Warriors' own, resulting in much less severe rejection reactions compared to other gene implants.
Conversely, while implanting mammalian genes was not impossible, it led to extreme instability in the God-Blessed Warriors' genes, causing severe rejection that could directly cause them to collapse.
Having learned from numerous lessons, the Japanese primarily implanted reptilian genes into these God-Blessed Warriors, with snake and crocodile genes being the most frequently used!
This man had snake genes, granting him superhuman strength.
Take this beast trap for instance. Without tools to pry it open, it would require at least four adult men exerting their full strength to force it apart from the outside.
Yet, this fellow managed to open it by himself. His strength was truly terrifying!
The unlucky individual caught in the trap was pulled free by others, and someone immediately stepped forward to tend to his wound.
Fortunately, the boots he wore were also made of Kevlar nylon, a material with very high tensile strength, primarily used in bulletproof vests.
These boots offered excellent protection, preventing the man's leg from being directly crushed. Although his bone sustained some damage, it hadn't snapped. His companion took out a first-aid kit and began treating his wound.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted from one direction of the team. Someone shouted, "Hey, what's wrong with you... Enemy attack!"
At this shout, everyone present immediately tensed up. They drew their weapons and formed a defensive formation, maintaining a cautious guard. Kurofuji Souma, along with a few trusted subordinates, rushed over.
When they arrived, they discovered a corpse lying on the ground – a member of the Black Dragon Society. A deep gash marked his throat, blood still gushing out, and he was clearly dead.
His companion stated that he had been only three to four meters away from the deceased. He hadn't heard any unusual sounds, only a thud, and then felt the rope he was holding suddenly tighten. When he came to investigate, he found his comrade already dead!
"Maintain vigilance," Kurofuji Souma said with a grave expression. Although visibility was not low, they still couldn't detect anything unusual.
Just then, from another direction, someone else suddenly shouted, "Enemy attack!"
Kurofuji Souma dashed over. Upon arrival, he found a Black Dragon Society member lying on the ground, an arrow lodged in his throat!
It was evident this man had been ambushed. Despite his protective suit, his throat was a vulnerable spot.
The attacker had expertly exploited this weakness, firing a crossbow bolt and achieving a fatal blow!
The one responsible for these swift attacks was none other than Ling Tian's fourth master, the King of Assassins, Xiang Yuntian.
His movements were incredibly swift. He arrived at the scene immediately, taking advantage of someone stepping on a trap and the cover of darkness, he directly used his hand crossbow to eliminate a Black Dragon Society member without hesitation.
After a successful strike, Xiang Yuntian immediately vanished and repositioned himself for another attack. However, this time, his crossbow bolt was deflected by a samurai sword wielded by a Black Dragon Society member!
Furthermore, Xiang Yuntian realized that this individual had locked onto his position!
Xiang Yuntian did not engage further and fled into the forest. The jade pendant he wore around his neck prevented him from being affected by the maze formation.
Unexpectedly, the target he had just ambushed dropped his rope and pursued Xiang Yuntian.
Xiang Yuntian was somewhat surprised. His Qinggong was excellent, and he was very familiar with the terrain. Yet, the pursuer was incredibly fast. More terrifyingly, he could accurately track him in the darkness!
Even the maze formation didn't seem to affect this person significantly!
It wasn't surprising for a God-Blessed Warrior to possess such abilities. The God-Blessed Warrior pursuing Xiang Yuntian had also fused with snake genes. Snakes possess a special structure called a loreal pit.
This organ, located on the snake's head, could sensitively detect minute changes in air temperature, essentially a biological infrared detector.
While snakes have poor eyesight, their evolution of the loreal pit made their sensory and detection abilities comparable to other animals.
God-Blessed Warriors who had fused with snake genes retained human eyesight. Similarly, their faces had evolved organs similar to loreal pits, and these were enhanced versions compared to ordinary snakes!
Xiang Yuntian had run over 200 meters in an instant, with the God-Blessed Warrior close behind. Suddenly, the God-Blessed Warrior stepped on a rope loop lying on the ground. The loop tightened rapidly, and the warrior, caught off guard, stumbled forward and fell face-first!
At this moment, Xiang Yuntian turned and lunged forward, thrusting his dagger fiercely towards the back of the God-Blessed Warrior's head!
In a flash, the God-Blessed Warrior turned and blocked Xiang Yuntian's dagger with his arm.
"Chii..."
The dagger scraped across the God-Blessed Warrior's arm, emitting a sound like metal being cut.
Although his protective suit was formidable, the King of Assassins' dagger was no ordinary weapon. It was crafted from special materials and was incredibly sharp. Xiang Yuntian had eliminated countless targets with this very knife!
However, while the blade easily sliced through the God-Blessed Warrior's protective suit, it was stopped by his skin!