Chapter 187: The Master

……

At noon, the demonic tide within the chemical plant had subsided. The people in the workshop had already begun cleaning up on their own, clearing away all traces.

At this moment, one could see the immense damage the 'Heaven-Devouring, Meridian-Swallowing, Origin-Returning Rebirth Art' had inflicted on the surrounding environment. The two-meter-thick concrete floor beneath the workshop was now decayed beyond recognition, crumbling at the slightest touch.

—This was not due to pressure, but because the demonic energy within the concrete had been forcibly drained by the formation.

The earth veins deeper below had also fallen into a state of depletion, affecting an area with a diameter of three kilometers. For a long time afterward, nothing would grow in the vicinity.

"BOSS, this is the ring left by that Shadow. I think this ruby should be the so-called Blood Crown Stone."

Li Tailai, holding several relics of the demonic Shadow, came before Li Mochen: "And this pistol is a modified 'Despairing Gaze' at level fourteen."

Li Mochen glanced at these items, then looked at Sampson Brut: "Sampson, you pick first. I must thank you; if not for your shot earlier, I would certainly have been seriously injured this time. I must say, your marksmanship is excellent. The 15S rating underestimates you."

"That was just luck."

Sampson shook his head and picked out the 'Despairing Gaze' from the spoils: "I was just gambling on our luck. If I had to do it a second time, I definitely couldn't."

He had noticed that Li Mochen only mentioned 'would certainly have been seriously injured,' implying that his BOSS still had strength to spare at the time.

Li Mochen could tell that there was no trace of modesty in the man's words; this former lieutenant colonel genuinely believed what he said.

Li Mochen knew that this was likely due to his wish made with the 'Divine Fortune Purple Gold Pagoda.' If not for Sampson's shot today, he wouldn't have been able to complete the 'Heaven-Devouring, Meridian-Swallowing, Origin-Returning Rebirth Art' so smoothly.

"But without masterful marksmanship, you wouldn't have been able to gamble on luck, would you?"

Li Mochen said as he tossed the Blood Crown Stone ring to Kermit Collinson.

The Blood Crown Stone originated from the Blood Clan, an energy crystal left behind by Blood Clan members above the Crown level after death.

The Blood Crown Stone on this ring was level nineteen. After special processing, it could generate a layer of Blood Source Armor. This item was extremely powerful; the demonic Shadow had relied on it to withstand gunfire from dozens of people inside the workshop for several seconds!

However, it was a one-time consumable with little Blood Source remaining. After use, it could probably withstand an attack of that magnitude for about five or six seconds.

This item was just right for Kermit Collinson. He was one of the ten who had advanced in rank today. For a Berserker who had yet to master 'Source Armor,' this could serve as a transitional item.

Then Li Mochen tossed the remaining two scrolls to Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei's men had contributed the least in the battle against the demonic Shadow, but Li Mochen still had to show some recognition.

"You make me feel unworthy, BOSS."

Though Zhang Wei said this, he still accepted the two level-fifteen demonic scrolls, knowing Li Mochen didn't care about them.

"In fact, I should be thanking you. It's hard to believe that at forty-seven, I could still break through to level fourteen. My current physical condition is also excellent; your secret art helped repair some internal injuries and deficiencies in my body."

Any demonic professionist approaching fifty would gradually see their vitality decline. Although they advanced much faster than Eastern cultivators, their bodies would also become overburdened.

The life essence Li Mochen had extracted from the monster materials yesterday had been somewhat beneficial to them.

But the cost was high; Zhang Wei had witnessed the various demonic materials worth nearly twenty million being ground to powder by Li Mochen's formation.

"If you're truly grateful, then help me handle the follow-up recruitment and the integration of the security team. The Xuri Company needs to have defensive capabilities as soon as possible, but I won't have much time to attend to this in the next few days. I trust your abilities, Old Zhang. And Sampson, the same goes for you—"

Li Mochen fixed his gaze on Sampson Brut: "Remember you told me earlier that you only needed thirty-six hours? Can you do it?"

"Of course!"

Sampson Brut showed no sign of difficulty: "In thirty-six hours, I guarantee that my fourteen combat teams and I will be ready for battle. I won't let BOSS fight alone after Wednesday's early morning."

"Then I leave it to you!"

Li Mochen retrieved the Yin-Yang Life-and-Death Mirror buried at his feet, then walked toward Howard Eisenhower.

"You're quite dishonest, Mr. Eisenhower. Were you planning to watch me die just now?"

"Why do you say that?"

Howard Eisenhower looked innocent and bewildered: "You saw, I was focusing on healing my injuries."

His face had regained color, and the aura of decay emanating from his body had vanished. His injuries had clearly recovered considerably, perhaps even fully.

"You're being evasive, Mr. Eisenhower."

Li Mochen shook his head: "Before this, you were the only one who sensed his presence, weren't you? You couldn't do anything about it then, but you could have informed me in advance. Mr. Eisenhower, do you think I'm someone you can deceive?"

Eisenhower frowned: "BOSS, if you insist on thinking that, you should provide evidence, not just rely on speculation—"

But before Eisenhower could finish, his body began to convulse violently, and he involuntarily let out screams of agony.

The sound lasted for a full three minutes, his body trembling continuously. In the end, he even knelt and banged his head against the ground, as if trying to shatter his skull.

The scene left everyone around exchanging glances, their eyes filled with horror.

They believed that Howard Eisenhower, as a level-seventeen Sharpshooter, should have strong willpower.

So what kind of pain could drive him to such an extent?

Only when Eisenhower's clothes were soaked through with cold sweat did Li Mochen stop the hand seal he was making with his right hand. He leaned down to look at Eisenhower, who was gasping for breath.

"Lord Sky Eye, I think you've misunderstood something. If I suspect you, I don't need evidence. So remember this: if you don't want to experience what you just went through again, or something even more painful, be sure to remember today's lesson, OK?"

Eisenhower's lips were bleeding from nearly biting through his teeth. He glared at Li Mochen and replied in a voice from his throat: "I remember, Mr. Wiltonshire. You are truly a demon."

"Whoa, that's a serious accusation."

Li Mochen straightened the other's collar: "I consider myself a fair master. As long as you make sufficient contributions, I won't be stingy with rewards. But if you insist on seeing me as a demon, then I'd like to say: thanks for the compliment!"