Chapter 200.1: Bring in the Tech! Part 1

It was as if an invisible whip had lashed the earth.

From the place where the sharp cap of the flagpole touched down, tens of thousands of cracks abruptly spread outward. In that moment of contact, invisible force poured into the ground, raging through it like an unstoppable flood.

High above, beneath the crimson burning star that covered the sky, countless strange fissures appeared, unable to withstand the power being gathered within this reenactment of recorded events. Calamity power converged into a single strike, causing the enormous thing hidden deep beneath the Ninefold Earth to tremble frantically, shrieking and wailing. Massive amounts of foul-smelling blood sprayed out from the cracks in the ground, along with chunks of torn flesh.

It was on its last breath.

The soil churned, as though some soft-bodied creature was writhing in terror beneath, trying to flee. Yet in the end, it couldn’t suppress the power spreading through its body. It had barely crawled out onto the surface before it exploded into a cloud of blood.

With the monster’s death, the illusion powerful enough to cover reality could no longer be sustained. Those bustling scenes rapidly fell apart before everyone’s eyes.

The heavily guarded walls and barriers vanished without a trace. All that remained were broken walls, ruined structures, rolling smoke, patches of scarlet that had long since seeped into the soil, and countless scorch marks.

The permanent investigation team’s base had been reduced to nothing but ruins.

Countless crisscrossing, translucent crystals still remained where they were, like shattered fragments of weapons. Even now, they had yet to dissipate.

Lou Feng’s face turned deathly pale as he murmured in shock, “That’s my aunt’s Spirit Morph...”

Even after being out of control for so long, they still retained their shape and terrifying sharpness. Fragments blown over by the wind landed on the cracks, only to be sliced cleanly in two. The killing intent and fury within the spirit matter had taken solid form, and even now, there was no sign of it fading.

Compared to that, what Ji Jue cared about more was the enormous site directly ahead, which had collapsed completely the moment the earth split open. That was where “Mr. Tian” had been trying to lead them.

A plethora of runes and spirit circuits spread across the ground, rising and sketching out faint outlines. Together with the offerings placed all around and the many arranged objects, they formed an intricate, massive lock.

It was a cage woven from esoterism. And now, the cage was collapsing under the crushing force from outside and was rapidly dissipating.

Ji Jue’s eyelids twitched wildly as he looked at it. Part of it was due to lingering fear, the rest was due to sheer anguish.

There were so many materials, so many damn materials! And they were all extremely versatile, extravagant, and expensive. If there had been any chance to salvage them, Ji Jue would already have thrown himself at the wreckage.

Unfortunately, there was no longer any chance of that. As Tong Shan broke the trap, flames erupted from the wreckage all around, even from under Ji Jue and his companions. Numerous shards of steel rose with them, and bullets flew in from the distance. It was practically as if an entire powder magazine had been laid out beneath their feet.

They had clearly prepared to blow them sky-high at the first sign of things going wrong, or rather, the moment the capture failed. Except now, under Tong Shan’s telekinetic suppression, every flame and explosion was completely sealed, suppressed, or expelled the instant it began to form. All that could be heard were muffled thuds, or the occasional weak sizzle of white smoke and faint flicker of fire.

Among the many manifestations Tong Shan commanded, the Burning Star Manifestation was not the strongest in either attack or defense, but it was the technique with the greatest mastery and the fewest blind spots. Not only did it grant an extraordinarily powerful continuous boost, but it also provided unparalleled battlefield control. Under the overwhelming distortion of gravity, every attack that entered his domain was suppressed, repelled, and hurled away.

“Come out.” As the flag swept outward, the cap of the pole struck once more into the empty air before him, stirring up another storm that blew away every disguise and concealment. Tong Shan’s gaze turned toward the distant ruins. This was the direction where “Mr. Tian” had been hurled. “Heh. As expected of Haizhou’s towering mountain at the edge of the cliffs...”

With a slight sneer, a vague figure slowly pushed himself up from beneath the buried ruins. He didn’t care that he was covered in dust and filth. His shattered limbs rapidly knitted themselves back together.

After the illusion faded, an entirely different face was revealed. The man was covered in tattoos, and his sinister, ferocious aura was almost overflowing. He broke into applause, openly admiring that decisive attack and counterattack.

Normally speaking, even if someone sensed that something was wrong or abnormal, they should begin by probing. The one thing he had not expected was that Tong Shan would attack without the slightest hesitation, showing not even a trace of reluctance over possible collateral damage.

He flashed a mocking grin.“You really don’t care one bit if you accidentally hurt your teammates or damage the base?” “If your teammates knew that, I wonder how sad they’d be.”

Tong Shan glanced over indifferently, every bit of a scion from a wealthy family as he commented with contempt, “If someone is accidentally hurt, we heal them. If something is damaged, we repair it. If there are losses, we compensate for them. If they’re our own people, we can always work something out. If they aren’t our people, then naturally, there’s no need to waste words. Among you sorry creatures, there are a few who stand out. You’re a fair bit tougher than the two who died by my hand before. Unfortunately, not by much.”

The man’s expression didn’t change at all. Scarlet flames rose around him, and he made no attempt to hide his violent aura. He also grew taller bit by bit as black armor spread over him, covering even his face.

The Swarm’s divine essence and the corruption of Rampant Slaughter rose from his soul. Piercing wails echoed through the air like auditory hallucinations.

A bloodstained sword grew from his flesh. It looked as though it had been pieced together from countless broken blades and sword fragments. Its barbs were vicious and jagged, and the skull on its guard opened its mouth in a silent scream. With that soundless cry, his presence rose another level.

He was a Swarm-type of the Rebirth Realm!

That sword...

Ji Jue narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the details. After a Chosen One of the Rebirth Realm shed their mortal body, they often underwent many mutations. Changes to bone or flesh were only surface signs. In essence, they were no longer the same as ordinary beings. Just like Lawrence, whose recovery speed had been so astonishing that he could even withstand Minerva’s direct assault head-on.

The sword this opponent had drawn was most likely a mutation caused by his rebirth. Who knew what strange effects and powers it contained? Just from the way he could swing it casually and slice through telekinetic repulsion as easily as a hot knife through wax, Ji Jue knew the sword would be a serious problem.

Not to mention, on the other side of the base, the figure that had been blasted away by the direct strike of the Burning Star Manifestation had also climbed back to their feet. They were still blurred and pitch-black all over, as though forged from shadow, but their wounds had already been fully healed.

Ji Jue’s heart sank even further. Another Rebirth Realm Chosen One...

And this one was of the White Deer, the path that stood in direct opposition to Origin!

Ji Jue’s heart grew heavier and heavier. What the hell was this rotten luck of his? This was just supposed to be a high-level carry taking them through a loot run. How the hell had even the permanent investigation team been taken over? And why had two monsters like this spawned here?

What exactly was the Heretic Cult trying to do? How drunk were they? They took not even a single bite of food with their liquor, and they still dared to play this big?!

Tong Shan sneered. “Bloodblessed Yan Chong and Shadowhand Ling Zhi? So it’s you two. A pair of stray dogs who never dared show themselves openly in the Federation. Looks like joining the Heretic Cult gave you quite the backbone.”

From that growing shadow, which was gradually losing its human shape, came a cold voice. “Before I came here, someone told me you deserved better than twelfth on this generation’s Raw Stone Ranking. Unfortunately, I didn’t believe it.”

Yan Chong grinned. “I thought the same.”

Without a warning, a crimson storm rose from the ground! It was Storm Sweep, on a level far beyond anything Ji Jue had ever seen from a Chosen One of the Swarm.

Unlike the complex and bizarre powers of other paths, the blessings of the Swarm Path had always been almost outrageously plain and brutally direct, such as an increase in attack and defense stats, higher durability, or higher damage output. There were hardly any fancy mechanics. It was all raw numbers, damn it!

With the enemies’ raw stats pushed all the way to the Rebirth Realm, Ji Jue felt as if everything in sight had been swallowed by that scarlet storm. Just the charge alone stirred up a raging gale strong enough to knock ordinary people off their feet.

On the other side, Ling Zhi’s figure had vanished completely, turning into a shifting, elusive mass of darkness that swept toward Tong Shan.

Two corrupted Chosen Ones who had spent years in the Rebirth Realm, both ranking high on the Federation’s wanted list, launched a fierce assault on Tong Shan. As if that wasn’t enough, the others were already making their move.

Around the unstable ruins of the base, figures emerged from concealment, closing in from all sides. Amid the violent tremors and raging winds from the clash beneath the sky, at least two dozen corrupted Chosen Ones were now charging from every direction to attack.

“They really think they’ve got us cornered.” Ji Liu, temporarily acting as deputy captain, smiled bitterly. From the vehicle, he pulled out two weapons taller than himself, one shaped like a battle-axe and the other like a halberd. “Prepare to retreat. I’ll cover the rear. Xuan, Xue, protect Xu Guan and the craftsmen.”

There was no need for him to even say it. The moment Yan Chong appeared, Ji Jue had already pulled Jiang Xuan in front of himself like a shield. Now, with one hand dragging along the dazed Lou Feng, he said cautiously, “Xuan, you have to protect me!”