The self-destruct device activated, and all spaces within the entire underground base began to burn fiercely!
Guterres never imagined that the self-destruct device he meticulously set up would fall into Ling Tian's hands. His underground base, built over decades of hard work, was reduced to ashes!
Ling Tian followed the underground passage downwards. The passage was not wide, and Ling Tian saw some pipes along the walls on both sides.
He quickly realized the purpose of these pipes. They were water pipes, supplying water for the entire base, which was drawn from underground. Additionally, some equipment in the base required water for cooling, also relying on these pipes.
Ling Tian sped up. After more than ten minutes, Ling Tian reached the bottom of the passage, where Ah Li was waiting for him.
It turned out that at the end of the passage was an underground river!
Although they were in a desert, many deserts, despite their barren appearance on the surface, possessed abundant underground water resources.
The underground river before them was over ten meters wide and three to four meters deep, with a swift current.
On the bank of the underground river, they also saw some traces, the marks of a small boat. It was evident that Guterres had prepared a boat here, intending to escape. This truly showed his cunning, having multiple escape routes.
"It's just a small boat, we have one too!"
As a thought flashed through Ling Tian's mind, a small motorboat appeared in the water. Ling Tian jumped onto it directly, and Ah Li followed, clinging to Ling Tian's back, her paws resting on his waist.
"Ah Li, hold on tight, we're going to rescue that stray dog!"
"Okay, okay, Ah Li can't wait. Go this way..."
Ah Li pointed in a direction, which surprised Ling Tian for a moment before he understood. Ah Li was pointing upstream.
Following a typical person's logic, one would usually escape downstream on a river with such a swift current, using the rapid flow to travel very quickly.
Unexpectedly, Guterres was also a clever person, choosing an unconventional route and heading upstream.
If one followed conventional thinking, this would be a complete misdirection.
So, Ling Tian turned the motorboat, started the engine, and the motorboat roared upstream along the underground river.
Although the underground river was pitch black, making it impossible to see anything, Ling Tian possessed his Heavenly Eye ability. The darkness could not hinder him at all. He could even clearly see where stones and reefs were located at the bottom of the water.
Ling Tian's motorboat was incredibly powerful. It managed to travel upstream in the underground river at a speed of over 50 kilometers per hour.
Half an hour later, the surroundings suddenly opened up, revealing a vast underground cave. Within the cave was an underground lake covering several hectares.
On the shore of the underground lake, a small boat was moored. A man wearing a special backpack was looking at Ling Tian and them with astonishment!
This man was none other than the leader of the Swarm Killer organization, the Bee King, Guterres!
Guterres was very cunning. Sensing that things were not going well, he had sent his brother, Martin, to lead a group of subordinates to block Ling Tian.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, he retrieved a backpack. This backpack was specially made, about 1.5 meters long and cylindrical, looking like three water barrels joined together with some pouches attached.
In reality, this water barrel-like backpack held a secret: it was a beehive.
Guterres went to a room next to his bedroom, took out a queen bee from a container, and carefully placed it in the backpack. Then, Guterres issued commands to the killer bees, and they quickly entered his backpack.
Years ago, Guterres discovered his awakened ability to control hornets and was overjoyed. To maximize the power of his abilities, he spent a fortune searching for large and powerful hornets worldwide.
His efforts paid off, and he eventually found the type of hornets he now used. These killer bees were not only large but also extremely venomous. Even a single sting, without immediate injection of an antidote, carried a chance of death from an allergic reaction.
Now, Guterres was fleeing for his life. He didn't care about money or possessions. After all, as a top assassin, he had safe houses all over the United States, and the wealth in these safe houses was enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life.
But these bees were his lifeline!
Guterres's bedroom had a slide that led directly to the lowest level of the underground space. He slid down and entered the tunnel.
After a frantic run, he reached the bank of the underground river and pushed the prepared small boat into the water.
He had even gone to great lengths to design the route for pushing this small boat, making it appear to unsuspecting observers that he intended to sail downstream.
However, he never expected to encounter a pervert like Ling Tian, who carried a motorboat with him. Guterres couldn't fathom where Ling Tian had obtained his motorboat.
Although he had escaped nearly half an hour earlier, Ling Tian's motorboat's superior performance compensated for the time difference, ultimately catching up to Guterres!
As a top assassin, Guterres quickly recovered from his panic. He immediately turned off his headlamp and put on a pair of night-vision goggles.
Then, he drew his pistol from his waist, quickly found a rock to use as cover, and simultaneously opened the specially made backpack he had placed on the ground. Hundreds of hornets flew out densely and swarmed towards Ling Tian and Ah Li.
Guterres raised his hand and fired two shots in the direction of Ling Tian and Ah Li. His marksmanship was very accurate, but it posed no danger to Ling Tian and Ah Li. The man and the cat instantly entered the Spirit Realm space, and Ling Tian casually collected the motorboat.
Guterres rubbed his eyes, thinking he was mistaken. At a distance of dozens of meters, with his shooting skills, it should have been an easy task.
But in reality, the two figures opposite him were unharmed. Guterres was filled with regret, wishing he hadn't accepted this contract and provoked Aurora Quoit.
However, he continued to fire, trying to create an opportunity for his bees to approach Ling Tian and the others!
It had to be said that the idea of using hornets for a surprise attack in the dark of night was truly ingenious!
Many species of hornets are active at night. One could imagine that a sudden attack by bees in the pitch-black night would leave one severely injured, if not dead!