Inevitably, I had no choice but to instantly unleash my full fighting energy, and a formidable Dou Qi shield flared up! Immediately after, I swept out a crescent moon aimed at the furiously approaching whirlwind!
Clang! Rumble! The crescent moon was shredded the moment it was unleashed, and I was instantly swept up into the vortex, utterly against my will. Damn it! I didn't have time to adjust my posture; all I could do was desperately slash out a strike toward the core—the physical embodiment of Yue Ying—of the whirlwind!
Boom crash! Another deafening roar! The Long Ying Sword failed to strike Yue Ying's body; instead, it collided head-on with the immense Kai Tian Great Sword! The terrifying force nearly wrenched the Long Ying Sword from my grasp.
The impact threw my entire body violently backward! Seizing the momentum, I pushed off hard with both legs, rocketing away like a projectile! Yet, the instant I retreated, I distinctly heard a sharp cracking sound resonate from deep within my body!
Following that, the chaotic Dou Qi inside me began surging erratically, shaking me so violently I felt like I was spitting blood on the spot! Years of campaigning instantly made me realize the truth: that collision had gravely injured me!
If I hadn't channeled protective Dou Qi beforehand, that single impact would have surely pulverized me into dust!
Though somewhat battered, I had finally broken free from the ferocious confines of Yue Ying's whirlwind!
But before I could regain my balance!
A calm voice, Lan Ye's, echoed once more in my mind!
"Seventh move: Sweeping Blade!"
Yue Ying's spinning form showed absolutely no hesitation or pause! Following me like a phantom, she closed the distance rapidly. Her two-handed sword grip had shifted to a single hand, and stranger still, the Kai Tian Great Sword, which had previously felt thick and steady, began to vibrate violently!
Screeeech! A bizarre noise instantly erupted!
The sound hammered into my head, causing intense pain and making my eardrums throb!
I barely registered Yue Ying's movements!
The wildly vibrating Kai Tian Great Sword instantly manifested countless hazy afterimages that surged toward me!
Front, back, left, right, above, below—everywhere was filled with those indistinct phantom shapes!
Making evasion utterly impossible!
The surrounding space itself seemed on the verge of being torn to shreds by the impact of the wildly oscillating afterimages of the Sweeping Blade!
Could this be the true application of the Sweeping Blade technique!
The scene before me far exceeded my expectations! There was no conceivable way to dodge it, and currently, injured as I was, I couldn't evade this encirclement of Sweeping Blade phantoms either!
Was I truly going to lose! Could I not even withstand Yue Ying's most fundamental, basic swordsmanship!
Never before had any opponent, any single foe, dealt me such a crushing blow! Although I knew Yue Ying, as a Hero, possessed undeniable strength, her level of monstrous power was something I found impossible to accept!
No! I absolutely cannot give up!
Final gambit!
Instant Invincibility!
Forcing back the near-explosive turbulence of Dou Qi within me, I finally activated my ultimate trump card of speed: Instant Invincibility!
The blurred, distorted afterimages instantly snapped into clarity! I could even clearly discern the tiny gaps between each residual image! And Yue Ying's flaws in the Sweeping Blade technique became utterly transparent at this moment!
Even Yue Ying's lightning-fast movements appeared extraordinarily slow! This was the moment! I had finally found the opportunity to counterattack! The Dou Qi within me erupted almost instinctively, the powerful fluctuations instantly condensing within the Long Ying Sword!
Single Star Shot!
To execute the Single Star Shot under the state of Instant Invincibility—I couldn't imagine what realm that represented! Likewise, a golden streak of light, comparable to a laser beam, shot forth!
Even in the state of Instant Invincibility, I couldn't visually track that beam!
But I was certain that at this speed, Yue Ying could not possibly dodge it!
Whoosh whoosh!
"Residual Image of Yue Ying!" Lan Ye's calm voice sounded in my mind.
Whoosh! The golden stream pierced through Yue Ying's hazy figure in an instant! However, strangely, the figure showed no change. After only a moment, the hazy shape vanished completely!
Ah! It was an afterimage!
How is that possible!
Before I could even react, I felt a chilling sensation against my neck!
Subconsciously looking down, I saw the cold edge of the Kai Tian Great Sword resting gently against my throat!
"Congratulations, you have passed the combat assessment." Lan Ye's gentle voice echoed in my mind.
Yue Ying's icy eyes remained devoid of any emotional fluctuation, but the Kai Tian Great Sword resting against my neck was retracted and then stood silently to the side!
"Combat assessment concluded. Yue Ying enters follow mode," Lan Ye continued. "You have been awarded the rank of Second Lieutenant. Please input your identification ID for archiving."
"How is this possible, Yue Ying broke through my Instant Invincibility combined with Single Star Shot!"
I stared blankly at the indifferent, lifeless Yue Ying before me, my mind a complete blank! I completely ignored whatever Lan Ye was saying!
One had to remember that under the effect of Instant Invincibility, speed, reaction time, and Dou Qi energy all increased by more than tenfold! Moreover, coupled with this state was the Single Star Shot, the fastest and most powerful strike! Yet, I couldn't even perceive how Yue Ying managed to evade it! How fast was her actual speed! What level of velocity was required to dodge my Single Star Shot!
"Bio-Warrior Yue Ying is equipped with the Yue Ying Residual Image Extreme Speed System! This grants her reaction nerves and instantaneous burst speed over one hundred times that of a human. Although you momentarily increased your power and speed by nearly ten times, you still couldn't contend with Yue Ying!"
"One hundred times!" I was utterly stunned: "Is this Yue Ying's true strength? Good heavens, what exactly is this so-called Yue Ying Residual Image?"
"Yue Ying Residual Image is a special biological modification belonging to the Bio-Warrior Yue Ying," Lan Ye explained. "An electronic fly's eye, capable of speed decomposition, is installed inside Yue Ying, allowing her to distinguish extremely fast-moving objects. Furthermore, her specialized biological mechanics grant her reaction nerves and movement speed exceeding that of an ordinary person by a factor of one hundred. This constitutes the Yue Ying Residual Image Combat System, the defining characteristic that separates Yue Ying from other Bio-Warriors."
"So, Yue Ying is a speed-type Bio-Warrior," I realized instantly!
"Affirmative." Among all Bio-Warriors, Yue Ying, possessing the Yue Ying Residual Image Combat System, is the fastest! This is the fundamental reason she was named Yue Ying (Crescent Moon).
"Then it seems the other Bio-Warriors each have their own strengths," I remarked, considerably surprised.
"Indeed. There are seven models of Bio-Warriors, each possessing distinct characteristics," Lan Ye stated.
"Introduce me to the features of all the Bio-Warriors," I asked curiously.
"Yes!" Lan Ye continued. "The Bio-Warriors are divided into seven models, named after the seven famous heroes of the Holy War Era. They are:"
"Qingcheng (Main System: Black Tortoise System)! Warrior Hero, Strongest Defense! Possessing the supreme Black Tortoise System, she has the strongest defense among all Bio-Warriors."
"Yufeng (Green, Main System: Vermillion Bird System)! Mage Hero, Strongest Ranged! The Bio-Warrior equipped with the strongest primal force, coupled with the supreme Eagle Eye Sniper, capable of eliminating opponents from extreme distances; a ranged assault type Bio-Warrior."
"Xinyue (Purple, Main System: Crescent Moon System)! Daoist Hero, Strongest Support! Equipped with the most advanced medical system, also known as the Crescent Moon Regeneration System, and various close and long-range support systems; the strongest supporter among all Bio-Warriors and the most survivable on the battlefield!"
"Zhanlang (Yellow, Main System: White Tiger System)! Warrior Hero, Strongest Melee! Possessing the most ferocious bio-weaponry, combined with the strongest attack: the White Tiger War God System; boasts the strongest melee power among all Bio-Warriors!"
"Fengyun (Orange, Main System: Azure Dragon System)! Daoist Hero, Stealth Assassination! Equipped with special optical camouflage and the Azure Dragon Illusion; a terrifying assassin specializing in stealth and infiltration!"
"Feihong (Red, Main System: Enhanced White Tiger)! Warrior Hero, Power-Type All-Rounder Bio-Warrior! Can freely transform between the three combat forms of Holy War God, Heavenly Venerable, and Saint War Mage; a versatile Bio-Warrior! Due to being equipped with the Enhanced White Tiger System, it is renowned for its formidable destructive power in any state; thus, it is hailed as the Power-Type All-Rounder Warrior!"
"Yueying (Blue, Main System: Yueying System)! Mage Hero (Default form: Saint War Mage System), Speed-Type All-Rounder Bio-Warrior! Can freely transform between the three combat forms of Holy War God, Heavenly Venerable, and Saint War Mage! Unlike Feihong, Yueying's Yueying System leans more heavily toward agility and speed exploitation, thus Yueying is also dubbed the Speed-Type All-Rounder Warrior!"
Good heavens, these are all formidable entities! After hearing Lan Ye's introductions, I finally gained a preliminary understanding of the seven different Heroes!
"You have already acquired the rank of Second Lieutenant and gained control over Base XY080. Do you wish to leave the base?" Lan Ye inquired next.
"Yes," I stated with gravity.