The group was first met with a barrage of gunfire, a storm of bullets. Fortunately, the members of the Dark Division wore specially made clothing, so the initial volley caused no fatalities, though several sustained injuries to their arms and legs, forcing them to take cover behind the ironwood trees.
"Damn it! Fire the magnetic bombs!"
In such a situation, if they allowed both sides to engage with firearms, the Dark Division would be at a severe disadvantage. Magnetic bombs could alter the surrounding magnetic field. Combined with the inherent properties of the ironwood forest, a single magnetic bomb could disable all firearms in a given area.
However, at that moment, a piece of news that brought despair reached them.
"Boss, we're out of magnetic bombs! They're all used up!"
The members of the Dark Division were currently divided into six groups, hiding behind the ironwood trees, while the Light Division clustered together, suppressing them with their firepower. This left Yi Long and his companions, already low on ammunition, unable to even peek out.
"Withdraw! I'll cover the rear, everyone else retreat!"
Yi Long gritted his teeth. He first tossed a satchel of explosives to the left to draw their fire, then swiftly rolled to the front of his men. Without exposing himself, he raised his gun and unleashed a rapid burst of shots.
"Squads two, three, and four, retreat first. Squad one, stay with me and the boss to hold them off!"
At this moment, another man stood up and unleashed a furious barrage of gunfire at the Light Division. This suicidal tactic managed to suppress the Light Division's assault for a moment, and the others, without any hesitation, seized the brief lull in fire to retreat.
Meanwhile, Li Zhonglou, who had been observing from a distance, was spotted by the Light Division. Seeing his distinct attire, which clashed with that of the Dark Division, a man beside Jin Long shouted.
"Damn, the other side has contestants too!"
Upon hearing this, the faces of the Light Division members changed. According to the rules of Ironwood, if both hunting teams had contestants, the contestants had to duel first before the battle could continue.
Although this wasn't a game, and there were no observers, rules were rules. If either side was discovered to have violated the rules, the entire hunting team would lose their eligibility for Ironwood.
This meant that if Jin Long and his team continued their suppression, they risked the entire Light Division being barred from entering Ironwood ever again.
The shout from the opposing man also served as a reminder to Yi Long and his team, especially those who had witnessed Li Zhonglou's strength. Their faces lit up with joy, and they immediately yelled.
"Boss, we have a newcomer! Let the newcomer handle it!"
Yi Long did not hesitate. He directly called out to his men, "Xiao Guang! Is the recording device still there?"
From the middle of the retreating group, a man responded, "Boss, it's still here! We can turn it on!"
The heavy burden in the hearts of the Dark Division members immediately lifted.
"Quick, turn it on."
After speaking, Yi Long shouted towards the Light Division, "Jin Long, I know it's you. Don't play any tricks, we have a newcomer too!"
The Light Division immediately ceased firing, their faces contorted with gloomy expressions.
"Boss, what do we do now?" a man beside Jin Long asked.
"Damn it, what else can we do? Let the newcomer handle it, goddammit!"
Both sides ceased firing. The two hunting teams were now only about a hundred meters apart. Li Zhonglou was further away, about three to four hundred meters, and his figure was hidden within the ironwood trees. The Light Division had not seen Li Zhonglou's true face.
The effeminate man felt his strength recovering considerably, and he became filled with confidence. He stepped forward to Jin Long and said, "Let me handle it. I guarantee I'll take him down within three rounds."
Jin Long looked at him with doubt. "Are you sure you can do it? You know you're carrying a Sacred Beast, you can't die, at least not until the Sacred Beast completes its mission."
The effeminate man chuckled and stretched his limbs.
"If it weren't for that darn ice bomb earlier, I would have taken him down in one round."
Seeing the effeminate man's confident demeanor, Jin Long and the others felt a sense of relief.
He then responded to Yi Long, "You know the rules. Don't try any sneak attacks. This is a Sacred Beast contestant!"
Jin Long warned him once more. However, Yi Long scoffed upon hearing this.
"You think you're the only one with a Sacred Beast? I have one too! Go on, rookie, don't shame the Dark Division."
Li Zhonglou, watching Yi Long's stubborn defiance, felt a moment of speechlessness.
If it weren't for me, you'd probably all be dead. And even now, you're still speaking like this.
Li Zhonglou shook his head, thinking, and decided not to argue with him. He slowly emerged from behind the ironwood tree.
This was the rule of Ironwood. To pass its trials, one had to abide by its rules. Moreover, even if they hadn't demanded it, Li Zhonglou would have found a way to kill the opposing man.
This was because his Heaven's Eye's X-ray vision had already detected the effeminate man, who was the same man who had insulted him earlier.
As they say, enemies often cross paths, and he hadn't expected to encounter the man so soon.
When Li Zhonglou emerged, the effeminate man recognized him, and his cold smile intensified.
"I thought it was someone else, but it's you, you piece of trash. Captain, if I'm not mistaken, I'll take him down for you in one round."
After saying this, the effeminate man also walked towards Li Zhonglou. Jin Long and the others were stunned by his words.
What a coincidence, running into an enemy like this?
However, hearing the effeminate man's words, the Light Division members all felt a surge of excitement. It seemed these two had a history, otherwise, why would he be so confident?
"Good job, rookie. If you can really take him down, from today onwards, you'll be officially recognized as a newcomer, and no one will call you a rookie anymore!"
A member of the Light Division encouraged the effeminate man.
In stark contrast to the excited anticipation of the Light Division, the Dark Division was shrouded in gloom.
In the eyes of Yi Long and the others, Li Zhonglou was a typical rookie. Although his comprehension was good, and he had kept pace with the others in a short period, seeing him hiding in the distance, appearing cowardly, few had any expectations of him.
Except for the two who had realized Li Zhonglou's true strength.
However, they couldn't say much at this moment, as it was merely a gut feeling that was difficult to articulate. Nevertheless, one of them still walked up to Li Zhonglou and quietly instructed him.
"If possible, try to stall for time. We need to rest and adjust, otherwise, even if you win, we're unlikely to escape."
Li Zhonglou narrowed his eyes, surprised by the presence of a discerning individual. However, he had some doubts about his words.
"Aren't you worried about other ironclad robots catching up?"
Ironclad robots? The man was momentarily confused. After a while, he finally understood that Li Zhonglou was referring to the robots.