That Thunderous Strike moments ago had severely depleted his Dou Qi reserves, leaving his physical strength critically exhausted. He knew he needed to leave this area quickly, or running into anyone else would spell serious trouble!
Having made up his mind, Xing Chen didn't hesitate. His form flickered slightly, and he soared high into the air, his destination remaining the East where the sun rose.
A good while later, from a nearby dune to the location of the previous battle, a battered figure emerged! It was the mysterious Daoist who had narrowly escaped death earlier!
While the recent confrontation had allowed him to survive, it had also left him seriously injured; he was barely clinging to life now! This kind of crushing defeat was a first for him!
"Damn bastard, he nearly finished this master off!" The mysterious Daoist stared with intense unwillingness in the direction where Xing Chen and Yue Ying had vanished: "Speaking of which, what kind of monster is this guy, to be able to instantly boost his own Dou Qi intensity to unleash the Thunderous Strike!"
It must be known that the Thunderous Strike was no ordinary technique achievable by mere Bio-Warriors; it was directly linked to the core capabilities of the primary subject. Only when the main subject's abilities reached a certain specific limit could this terrifying Coordinated Skill be unleashed.
Six Coordinated Skills were publicly acknowledged as the strongest circulating within Wolong Manor: Soul Severing Slash, Thunderous Strike, Fire Dragon Aura, Doomsday Judgment, Star Splitting Slash, and Soul Devouring Mire.
Only twelve Warrior and Hero combinations were capable of executing these Six Great Ultimate Techniques, even within the confines of Wolong Manor!
These twelve individuals were terrifying entities known as the "Wolong Famous Generals"!
They were also the most formidable Guardian Generals protecting Wolong Manor.
Had he not witnessed it with his own eyes, he never would have believed this fellow possessed combat power terrifying enough to rival the Wolong Famous Generals!
It seemed he needed to notify the Sector Search Teams and Headquarters immediately!
Wolong Manor Headquarters!
"Advanced civilization supersedes backward civilization," Xin Yue stated. "Superior species replaces inferior species; this is the law of natural evolution. The replacement of Mafa humanity by the Wolong Clan is the inevitable result of natural evolution."
"Sheer nonsense," Xing Zhan retorted. "If that is so, why can you still not adapt to the external environmental changes, forcing you to remain huddled within this Wolong Manor?"
"That is because the time is not yet ripe," Xin Yue replied. "However, your appearance and that of your brother indicate that the Wolong Clan is capable of producing new lifeforms adapted to external changes. This proves that the laws of nature have not abandoned us. We are destined to rule the continent, and the resurgence of Wolong civilization is an inevitable outcome."
"..." Zhan Zhan was utterly stunned, momentarily unable to find a counterargument.
"The Wolong Clan possesses civilization and technology far exceeding this era, along with a more complete social system. Compared in any aspect, we are far superior to the current Mafa civilization. What is wrong with us taking charge of the Mafa Continent?"
"I see," Zhan Zhan said in a deep voice. "But doing so requires the annihilation of the existing Mafa humans, including my own kin and the citizens of the Empire. Do you think I would agree to cooperate with you!" Zhan Zhan struggled to contain the almost burning rage: "Does possessing a more advanced civilization, technology, and superior military might grant you the moral right to wantonly destroy other races and civilizations? When stripped bare, you are nothing more than a group of ambitious and violent inferior species, masquerading your aggression with such high-sounding rhetoric."
"..." Facing Zhan Zhan's barrage of rebuttals, Xin Yue was momentarily speechless.
"I will absolutely never cooperate with you. Let me leave this place," Zhan Zhan declared righteously.
"I am afraid you cannot leave here," Xin Yue stated.
"You..." Zhan Zhan glared furiously at Xin Yue.
"Prince Zhan Zhan, you must become one of us," Xin Yue's calm tone held an undeniable certainty and persistence: "No! You must become our leader."
"Leader?" Zhan Zhan could barely believe what he was hearing.
"The remaining members of the Wolong Clan have only survived due to intentional interference with their genetic sequencing," Xin Yue explained. "Although in some respects we are still Wolong Clan humans, we are fundamentally different from true humans because we have lost the ability to evolve naturally. The most dreadful consequence of artificially altering the gene sequence is the loss of the most basic ability of any living being: reproduction. If this continues, our species will eventually face complete extinction. As the surviving Wolong Clan humans, you and your brother have the obligation and duty to undertake the historical mission of rebuilding Wolong civilization."
"........................" Even the usually straightforward Zhan Zhan was astonished by this almost fantastical event.
Just as Zhan Zhan was trying to formulate a more suitable reason to refute her, a flurry of hurried footsteps heralded the entrance of an armored female warrior into the grand hall.
"Report, Colonel Xin Yue," the female warrior snapped to attention, executing a crisp military salute: "Intruders have been discovered in the Ninth Western Defense Sector."
An intruder! A flash of wild delight crossed Zhan Zhan's eyes—could his father have arrived?!
Xin Yue, however, remained completely calm, seemingly unconcerned by such matters: "What is the situation? Have the intruders been apprehended?"
"No," the female warrior hesitated slightly: "Because..."
"What happened?" A hint of dissatisfaction briefly crossed Xin Yue's composed face.
"In fact, something incredible has occurred," the warrior quickly reported: "The intruders defeated the defending general of the sector, Major Feng Yun, and even slew Feng Yun's Guardian Hero on the spot! Following that, the intruder is advancing toward Headquarters."
"What? Even Feng Yun was defeated?" Xin Yue's composure finally fractured into a flicker of panic: "Order a city-wide alert! Deploy the search teams! You must find the intruder!"
In the Desert!
The Feng Yun Squad, dispatched upon orders to search the Western Sector, consisted of twelve members—all composed of high-caliber Thunder-level Bio-Warriors and their Guardian Heroes.
While their individual combat capability might not match a top-tier general like Feng Yun, they excelled at coordinated group offense and defense, capable of contending even with a Phoenix-level General whose strength far surpassed their own.
After Feng Yun was defeated by Xing Chen, they immediately received orders to track the intruder's movements.
Utilizing the precise sensing capabilities of their biological radar, they quickly caught up to Xing Chen and Yue Ying.
"We still have pursuers," Xing Chen expressed surprise at the dozen figures rapidly approaching them.
"Biological radar indicates twelve targets, with an average combat power of 60 points, totaling over seventy thousand combat power. Tactical computer probability analysis suggests a twenty-two percent chance of victory given our current condition. Recommendation: immediate withdrawal."
"Only a twenty percent chance?" Xing Chen frowned. Unleashing the ultimate Thunderous Strike earlier had consumed too much Dou Qi and magic, and his physical stamina was severely overdrawn. Neither Xing Chen nor Yue Ying had time to recover; they were currently at their most vulnerable.
"It seems we can only flee," Xing Chen and Yue Ying simultaneously accelerated their flight speed.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
In an instant, in the wind-swept Great Desert, a dozen blurred figures streaked past like bolts of lightning.
"Haha, they want to run," the excited Thunder-level Warriors exclaimed upon spotting their targets. "It seems they were heavily wounded in the previous fight too."
"I really want to see who this fellow who defeated our Captain is."
"Hurry up, don't let them escape!"
"But didn't the Captain say we should just report the target's location immediately?"
"Yes, he's a terrifying expert who even defeated the Captain!"
"Idiot, can't you see their current life force fields are only 40 and 24 points respectively? They are practically defenseless. How can we pass up an opportunity like this?"
"Right! Capturing them is a huge merit!"
Everyone simultaneously flapped the Thunder Wings on their backs!
Boom! Crash! Their flight speed surged again, and in the blink of an eye, they closed in on the rapidly fleeing Yue Ying and Xing Chen!
"Entering effective attack range."
"Great Fireball."
"Lightning Bolt."
Long-range magic spells shot towards the targets with astonishing speed, like guided missiles!
Magic attacks! Xing Chen's expression shifted slightly! But quickly, he found a solution!
Have Yue Ying fly ahead, and I will block the magic attacks from behind!
"Yes!" Yue Ying accelerated abruptly, flying in front of Xing Chen, the two forming a perfectly straight line. This maneuver meant that any attack from behind wishing to hit Yue Ying would first have to destroy Xing Chen's defense.
Almost simultaneously with the change in their positions!
Boom! Crash! A continuous barrage of Lightning Bolts and Great Fireballs slammed directly into Xing Chen!
"Agh! That hurts!" Although Xing Chen, as a Soul Devouring Body, did not fear magical attacks, the sheer impact force of the magical explosions still shook him to the point of nearly spitting blood.
"This can't go on," although he could withstand their attacks thanks to the Soul Devouring Body, simply running away was not a sustainable solution!
"Yue Ying's magic will need another two minutes to recover," Lan Ye reported. "If we can hold out until Yue Ying's magic is fully restored, our chances of victory will increase significantly."
"Two minutes?" Xing Chen said, "Alright. For these two minutes, I will cover Yue Ying."
As he spoke, another wave of overwhelming magic descended from behind!
Xing Chen had no choice but to forcibly mobilize the remaining residual Dou Qi energy within his body, raising a Dou Qi Shield while frantically utilizing the miraculous cultivation technique Nine Dragons Body Protection to rapidly restore his internal Dou Qi energy.
Boom! Crash!
Another series of dull roars followed. Although many of the incredibly fast lightning bolts and fireballs were skillfully dodged by Xing Chen and Yue Ying, several slammed hard into Xing Chen's back.
These successive explosions and impacts caused Xing Chen immense suffering!
Yet, even so, this continuous assault failed to knock Xing Chen and Yue Ying from the sky!
"What terrifying defense," the pursuing Feng Yun Squad members' faces changed drastically!
"Even Qing Cheng, known for the strongest defense, couldn't possibly remain completely unharmed against such dense magical attacks."
"What kind of monster is that guy?"
"Damn it, take this—my strongest Heaven Extinguishing Fire!" The leading Blazing God of Fire and his Mage Hero simultaneously launched their ultimate magical attack.
Whoosh! Two scarlet flames collided violently before merging into a roaring, clawed Fire Dragon! It shot straight toward Xing Chen with astonishing speed!
Ah! Such powerful magic fluctuations! Worse still was the terrifying area of effect—if he dodged, Yue Ying would surely perish.
Damn it, I have to tank this!
Boom! Crash! This Heaven Extinguishing Fire Dragon, whose speed and power were both monstrous, slammed into Xing Chen's back.
The resulting explosion shockwave sent Xing Chen flying forward like a kite with a broken string, propelling him a great distance!
It hurt terribly! Even the Soul Devouring Body, struck by such a Heaven Extinguishing Fire Dragon, felt its very guts churn from the powerful blast impact! He could barely maintain his flight posture!
"Is Yue Ying ready yet?" Xing Chen asked in exasperation.
"Twenty seconds remaining," Lan Ye replied.
"Twenty seconds, damn it, I'm going all out!" Xing Chen began once more to squeeze the meager Dou Qi energy remaining in his body to endure this difficult moment!
Ninth Western Defense Sector!
In the Bio-Healing Chamber! Feng Yun, lying in the bio-medical pod, finally opened his eyes!
He sensed that a small amount of power had returned to his body. Although his head was still dizzy and his whole body ached fiercely, at least his life had been spared!
"It seems your bodily functions have recovered," the female Daoist wearing a luminous Daoist robe, responsible for the bio-healing, stated: "However, achieving a fully recovered state will require three more days of recovery. Please rest quietly until then."
"What about Yun Feng?" Yun Feng was Feng Yun's Guardian Hero, killed instantly by Xing Chen while protecting him. Recalling that terrifying scene still left Feng Yun with lingering fear.
"Rest assured," the female Daoist said: "Although the body was completely destroyed, fortunately, the memory chip is intact. A new bio-mechanical body can be fabricated to resurrect Yun Feng."
"That was close," Feng Yun finally let out a long sigh of relief. "What about the intruder? Has the search team found anything?"
"The search team has located the intruder's whereabouts," the female Daoist reported. "According to the transmitted intelligence, the search team has engaged the intruder!"
"What!" Feng Yun's face drastically changed: "Didn't I tell those idiots not to engage in combat, just report his location?"
"But the intel suggests that the intruder was severely wounded in the previous engagement with you, Major, and their combat power significantly reduced, which is why the search team decided to attempt apprehension." The female Daoist tried to comfort him: "Don't worry, everything will be fine."
"No, it's not that simple," Feng Yun exclaimed furiously, ignoring the needles and infusion tubes stuck all over him, struggling to sit up: "That fellow is no ordinary person; the search team is absolutely no match for him!"
"Major, please do not move. You are still undergoing medical treatment, and Yun Feng's bio-mechanical body has not yet been remanufactured. You cannot participate in combat," the female Daoist quickly rushed to support Feng Yun, dissuading him.
"You don't understand! The enemy's terror exceeds your wildest imagination! If you don't go now, the search team will be completely wiped out!" Feng Yun struggled free and rushed out of the bio-healing chamber!
Ninth Defense Sector, above the vast, boundless Great Desert!
The fierce chase continued unabated.
Endless lightning bolts, fireballs, and hailstones repeatedly slammed into Xing Chen. Yet, after the light of each explosion faded, the eerie figures remained hanging in front of the pursuers, seemingly unfazed, as if the previous attacks had absolutely no effect!
Even more astonishingly, the two who had been fleeing rapidly suddenly stopped and adopted fighting stances!
"Ah, who on earth is this guy? He's completely unharmed after being hit by so many magic attacks."
"He stopped fleeing."
"Does he want to fight?" The Deputy Captain said in a deep voice: "Be vigilant! Surround the target in an 'O' formation."
"Yes, sir."
"Magic accumulation complete," Lan Ye reported. "Yue Ying's combat power is restored to one hundred percent; current mode is Aerial Combat Mode. Suggest transferring tactical control to the tactical computer."
"Finally, I held out," Xing Chen exclaimed in great relief. However, when it came to aerial combat, it felt like his first time—he wasn't familiar with this style. Fine, let the tactical computer handle the fighting first! Xing Chen commanded: "Transfer tactical control to the tactical computer!"
"Warrior Computer activating intelligent combat protocols."
"Let them see your true power, Yue Ying."
"Yue Ying activating Aerial Combat Mode, selecting Aerial Combat Ultimate Skill: Wings of Blinding Light!"
Whoosh! A powerful magical fluctuation instantly enveloped every inch of the surrounding space. Terrifying heat erupted like a blazing volcano, filled with violent, tyrannical turbulence!
Almost simultaneously, the Phoenix Heavenly Wings behind Xing Chen and Yue Ying flashed with huge, dazzling light, resembling two massive wings made of pure light!
Their entire bodies were enveloped in layers of swirling golden radiance. Although he had possessed Yue Ying for a year, Xing Chen realized he still knew very little about the extent of the powerful combat techniques she had mastered!
The previous Thunderous Strike, and now this activated Aerial Combat Ultimate Skill called Wings of Blinding Light—because of these things, Xing Chen was completely overwhelmed by the sudden shift!
Before he could even figure out what was happening, the Phoenix Heavenly Wings on their backs flapped powerfully! Countless dazzling flames scattered like a fierce storm!
"Ah! Life Force Field rapidly soaring to 360 points!"
"No! Retreat quickly!" The Deputy Captain’s face changed drastically, crying out in alarm.
But it was too late!
In that instant, Yue Ying and Xing Chen shot toward the group of pursuers like lightning!
Boom! Crash! The Deputy Captain at the very front didn't even have time to see what happened.
Everyone felt a flash of crimson light before them, followed by a terrifying wave of heat that swept over them, turning the entire world to ash in that moment under that horrific thermal blast!
In the open sky, a large crimson bird darted up and down like lightning, slashing and weaving across the expanse. In the space of a single blink, the twelve-person aerial combat formation was shredded to pieces.
Ah! Only heart-wrenching screams could be heard mid-air!
The crimson bird dove and flipped just a few times before disappearing into the distant horizon, as if it had never been there, leaving behind only pieces of wreckage drifting down like fallen leaves! Under the scorching sunlight, they displayed an eerie, desolate beauty and starkness.