The middle-aged man remained motionless, so Lincoln Faulkner hadn’t noticed him at first. But as soon as he took a step, Lincoln Faulkner was shocked to realize that the man hadn’t touched the surface of the highway at all. Instead, he was floating ever so slightly above the ground, just a fraction away from making contact.

Stepping on air—this discovery instantly weakened Lincoln Faulkner’s momentum. His original plan to help Hugh King was now abandoned; he didn’t dare make a move.

Lincoln Faulkner still couldn’t grasp the difference here. But Hugh King knew very well the distinction between standing on the ground and not. It meant the middle-aged man’s cultivation had reached the realm of traversing the void.

Hugh King didn’t dare take the man’s seemingly casual punch head-on. He quickly retreated, gritting his teeth, as dozens of fireballs spun through the air, trying to use the backward momentum to dissipate and redirect the force. In an instant, he switched from defense to offense.

After a series of crackling, explosive sounds, the middle-aged man, caught off guard, took the first hit. After a brief, fierce exchange, the two separated again. Hugh King didn’t dare get close, rapidly retreating to widen the distance.

In this round, although he’d gained a slight advantage, the opponent showed no sign of injury—not even a few extra tears in his clothes. The shock in Hugh King’s heart was beyond words.

He blurted out in astonishment, shouting, “Bear Rampage Hundredfold Steel!”

Only then did the middle-aged man reveal a hint of pride, saying in a deep voice, “At least you have some knowledge. I spent six months in seclusion to perfect the Bear Rampage technique. Today, I’ll use you to test my skills. Let’s see what’s so special about your fireballs.”

Hugh King snorted coldly, his previously calm expression turning serious. King Brown didn’t recognize him, but he knew exactly how powerful King Brown was. He estimated he had at most a seventy percent chance of winning—assuming the hidden King Clifford didn’t intervene.

As the Bear Spirit Steel surged, the middle-aged man’s true form was about to be revealed. He was originally a thousand-year-old bear who roamed the Northeast, and after achieving mastery, he called himself King Brown. He was one of the six leaders of the Chifeng Army, one of China’s most famous local powers in the Northeast. This time, the Chifeng Army had received a request from an international monster organization to seize an important item from these so-called nobodies.

What puzzled King Brown was that these nobodies were not only strong, but seemed to know every move his comrades made. As soon as they got the intel, the Chifeng Army set out, but only now had they managed to intercept the target.

Intending to assert his dominance, King Brown pushed the Bear Spirit Steel to its limit. The jet-black energy swirled rapidly, and under the wild outburst, the dust within twenty meters was blown away by the powerful force.

Hugh King knew King Brown intended to end the fight quickly. Although he believed his own strength was slightly superior, a direct clash would be unwise, so he dared not get entangled. When King Brown’s Bear Spirit Steel deflected his flames again, Hugh King used the force to spin and retreat. He shouted loudly, “Kid, run for your life! I can’t protect you anymore. Remember, you’ll be safe if you make it to the airport.” At this, Lincoln Faulkner didn’t dare hesitate, knowing he couldn’t help Hugh King anyway. He quickly turned and fled, disappearing down the distant bridge in just a few leaps.

King Brown knew that the hidden King Clifford wouldn’t let Lincoln Faulkner escape, so he didn’t bother chasing him. Instead, he gave a sinister smile and strolled after them at a leisurely pace, slightly relaxing the Bear Spirit Steel, preparing to face Hugh King head-on.

Without even glancing in the direction Lincoln Faulkner had fled, King Brown showed a look of absolute confidence and muttered to himself, “If you think your companion can escape, and that I’m the only one from the Chifeng Army here, aren’t you underestimating everyone’s intelligence?”

Hugh King smiled faintly and said, “Didn’t you only score eighty-five on the last international monster IQ test? That’s not even a passing grade! What right do you have to talk about intelligence?”

Mocked like this by Hugh King, King Brown was instantly furious, his aura plummeting.

King Brown was deeply puzzled as to how his private affairs could be known so clearly by the other side. But he believed that actions spoke louder than words...

Having already fled, Lincoln Faulkner naturally couldn’t hear King Brown’s words, but even without his reminder, he sensed something was wrong. Ever since leaving the highway, he’d felt someone chasing him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake his pursuer. This immediately made him think of the other expert from the Northeast Chifeng Army that Hugh King, Eli Quinn, and the others had repeatedly mentioned—King Clifford.

He could feel the ancient scroll in his chest constantly sending waves of heat, filling his limbs and bones with tremendous power. Lincoln Faulkner leapt forward with graceful speed, pushing himself even faster in hopes of shaking off his tail. He didn’t even dare think about turning back to fight. King Brown was already this formidable, and judging by Eli Quinn and the others’ attitudes, King Clifford was clearly even stronger.

The human visual system requires an object to remain on the retina for 0.3 seconds to register a response. Once an object’s speed exceeds this threshold, people become blind to what passes before their eyes. As Lincoln Faulkner sprinted at full speed, passersby only saw a blur, completely unable to catch his figure.