As soon as Chen Jie heard the sound, combined with what the old man had said earlier, he immediately guessed who was coming.
It was none other than the puppet that had imprisoned the old man.
Even from the aura alone, Chen Jie sensed that this puppet was no ordinary foe.
Something that had lived for over a thousand years wasn't easy to deal with.
Chen Jie didn't have time to hesitate. He secured the treasure box left by the old man, then made a hole in the part of the cave where light shone in and charged straight out.
If that puppet caught him, it would be disastrous.
No sooner had Chen Jie left than a humanoid monster appeared inside the cave. It had green skin and wore a steel helmet.
This was the puppet the old man had been talking about.
The puppet approached the old man, checking his breathing with its filthy hands.
Seeing that the old man was dead, the puppet ground its teeth in fury.
It slammed its dirt-covered hands against the cave walls, causing the entire cavern to crumble.
Suddenly…
It smelled a scent—one it hadn't encountered in over a thousand years.
It was Chen Jie's aura.
The puppet instantly fixed on this new target.
Following the scent, it dashed out of the cave with incredible speed.
…
Chen Jie, carrying the treasure box, ran eastward through the secret realm.
The sun had just risen.
Chen Jie ran toward the sunlight, weaving through the forest like a shadow.
Shortly after leaving the cave, he sensed a terrifying aura approaching from behind.
The opponent's strength was at least a sixth-tier awakened.
Even with his talent, Chen Jie knew it was unwise to clash directly with such a creature.
To prevent the puppet from tracking him by scent, he killed several animals along the way, masking his aura with their blood.
Meanwhile, the humanoid puppet stopped at a river, losing the trail of Chen Jie's scent.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
The puppet roared in frustration.
It turned back and slaughtered the animals it had just passed, venting its anger.
But it had memorized Chen Jie's scent completely. Next time it encountered him in the secret realm, it would attack without hesitation.
Chen Jie, the intruder, had disrupted its mission.
Meanwhile, outside the secret realm, news of the two Lin Clan awakened dying and Lin Yao joining Chen Jie had already reached the company headquarters.
"So these are your Lin Clan awakened? Two dead, and one has defected!"
Huang Yan glared at the man in the tall hat in fury.
He had thought sending three awakened would be enough to avenge his son.
Yet not only was revenge unfulfilled, but he had also handed Chen Jie an awakened ally.
The man in the tall hat hadn't expected this either. He lowered his head, too afraid to respond.
"What now? Are we just going to let Chen Jie get away with this?"
Huang Yan had no solution. He scanned the room, hoping the board members could offer some ideas.
After thirty seconds of silence, a chubby supervisor spoke up.
"Director Huang, why don't we invite the Black Snake Group from the White Eagle Empire to assist us…"
"The White Eagle Empire? That's our enemy! Are you suggesting collusion?"
Huang Yan's gaze sharpened on the chubby supervisor.
"Everything's in chaos now. Who cares about enemy lines? Choosing the White Eagle Empire is the best option to avenge the young master.
"I've learned that their special organization, the Black Group, has already gathered a large number of super-awakened warriors. Their overall strength is formidable, with some even reaching sixth-tier!"
The supervisor extolled the White Eagle Empire loudly.
Anyone with a brain could tell he had already colluded with them long ago.
Normally, he would have been reported for this.
But in this apocalypse, who would even think to report him?
Moreover, the people he knew in the White Eagle Empire's organization were not to be offended.
In this end-of-world scenario, the strongest fists dictated the law.
"Then… we'll go with your plan. Contact the White Eagle Empire!"
Huang Yan exhaled, agreeing to the chubby supervisor's proposal for vengeance.
Clap! Clap!
The supervisor clapped his hands in approval.
Soon, at the entrance to the boardroom, a tall, slender man in a black suit appeared, with golden hair.
It was immediately clear he was from the White Eagle Empire.
His aura was overwhelming; the moment he appeared, the entire boardroom straightened involuntarily.
Some weaker members were pressed directly against the table by his presence.
With such strong protection, the White Eagle Empire was barely affected by mutated creatures, and almost no negative news reached them.
"Oh! Lord Laws, welcome!"
The chubby supervisor immediately fawned and ran forward.
"You Eastern people are still so weak!"
Laws sneered, pleased to see the board members cowed by his presence.
He didn't even glance at the chubby supervisor.
He kicked a board member aside and sat at the table, resting his feet on it.
"So, you're a board member of this company? You want my help?"
"Yes… yes!"
Huang Yan answered with difficulty, feeling the overwhelming power of the White Eagle Empire man and sensing hope to avenge his son.
"OK! Give me the target's information. After I kill him, your company will be unconditionally under the White Eagle Empire's control. Can you accept that?"
Laws was frank. His purpose in Long Kingdom was to seize large companies, preparing for White Eagle Empire's domination.
Huang Yan, smart as he was, understood clearly.
He gritted his teeth, making a painfully reluctant decision.
Finally…
"Agreed! As long as you kill him!"
Using a remote, Huang Yan sent Chen Jie's photo.
"Oh, just a kid! You Long Kingdom people are hilarious. You can't even handle a child. Give me his location! I'll kill him in three days!"
Laws looked at Chen Jie's youthful, handsome face, completely dismissive.
"Three days? Why—"
Bang!
Before Huang Yan could finish, Laws slammed his head onto the table.
"When a noble White Eagle Empire member deals with lowly Long Kingdom people, no explanations are needed. Understand?"
Laws disdainfully released Huang Yan, pulled out a white handkerchief, and carefully wiped his hand after pressing it onto Huang Yan.
"…Fine."
Even humiliated, Huang Yan nodded and provided Laws with the hospital location where Chen Jie had been.