Chapter 275 - 153: Bloody Slaughter

Having already received their orders, the City Defense Bureau guards didn't hesitate for a second. They immediately abandoned their current positions and retreated at top speed toward the preset second line of bunkers. The more severely injured or immobile were helped by their comrades or carried away on simple stretchers.

Yang Wenqing was the last to leave Platform Seven. As he departed, he glanced back at the still-surging tide of Water Race Demon Soldiers.

A dozen or so seconds later…

The "roaring" from behind the ridge reached its peak.

Then came a terrifying screech, a fusion of hundreds, if not thousands, of high-pitched sounds so sharp it threatened to tear their eardrums.

On the mountain ridges flanking them, dozens of astonishingly thick, pitch-black metal barrels extended from hidden fortifications, like the fangs of a ravenous beast. The runes engraved on their surfaces simultaneously lit up with a piercing crimson glow, and complex energy circuits spread from breech to muzzle at a visible speed.

And then—

"DAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKA..."

The sound of gunfire, so rapid the individual shots blurred into one, erupted with a deafening roar!

Each projectile leaving the barrel trailed a streamer of interwoven crimson and dark-gold light. Miniaturized armor-piercing, scorching, and purification runes on the bullets' surfaces flickered violently in the air. Stranger still, when these special projectiles hit the sea, they didn't create a splash or meet any resistance. It was as if they were passing through air, completely ignoring the water's physical density and drag, maintaining nearly all of their kinetic energy and trajectory as they plunged deep beneath the surface.

In an instant, the sea at the front of the battlefield became a true hell on earth.

The Water Race Demon Soldiers, who had been relying on the sea for cover, were now completely exposed to this devastating storm of metal!

Their thick shells? Torn apart as easily as paper-mâché before the specialized armor-piercing runes!

Their vast numbers? Under the dense barrage, there was no room to dodge!

"SQUELCH SQUELCH SQUELCH..."

The dull, ceaseless sound of tearing flesh was faintly audible even through the water and the deafening gunfire.

From beneath the surface, murky clouds of blood, shattered shells, and severed limbs churned upwards as if the sea were boiling, rapidly dyeing a vast expanse of water dark red.

The charging tide of Demon Soldiers was visibly cut down, layer after layer. A sea breeze blew past, carrying a nauseating stench of blood that assaulted the senses. The smell almost overwhelmed Yang Wenqing, and a wave of sickness churned in his stomach.

"Blegh—"

Some of the younger guards were already dry-heaving.

Yang Wenqing stood behind the bunker, trying to dispel the stench of blood he had just inhaled. He stared at the blood-soaked sea, his gaze deep and unreadable. The muzzle of the rune rifle in his hand dipped unconsciously.

…

The Government Soldiers' large-caliber machine guns roared for a full fifteen minutes.

When the teeth-grinding screeching finally ceased, bloody filth covered the surface of the water as far as the eye could see. Broken shells, shredded flesh, and shattered weapons floated on top, bobbing gently with the waves.

The Water Race Demon Soldiers' assault had long since stopped. The survivors had already begun a panicked retreat during the latter half of the metal storm's onslaught. By now, they had withdrawn beyond the horizon, leaving behind only this ravaged sea of death.

As a clear, pleasant-sounding echo faintly drifted in from the deep sea, all the remaining Water Race stragglers who were still struggling or lingering seemed to receive a final command, disappearing completely into the waves.

The battlefield fell completely silent.

Two auspicious clouds descended rapidly from beneath the cloud layer. Inspector Fang Sui and Inspector Lei Kang, both at the Foundation Establishment realm, revealed themselves, landing near the second line of bunkers where Platform Seven was located.

Inspector Fang Sui cultivated a wood-attribute Spiritual Vein. After landing, he formed a hand seal, and a soft, jade-green light enveloped him. As he executed the Spell, specks of green light, brimming with vitality, materialized from thin air and rained down upon the injured City Defense Bureau guards behind the bunkers.

Yang Wenqing also felt a gentle warmth wash over him, dispelling the muscle soreness from the prolonged battle and the subtle stagnation in his Spiritual Vein. He quickly said, "Thank you, Inspector."

Fang Sui gave a slight nod and was about to speak when—

"BOOM!!!"

From deep in the sky to the northwest, an incredibly deep boom sounded without any warning, shaking the spirit of every Cultivator present.

Immediately after, the northwestern sky visibly dimmed. It was as if the light itself was being devoured and twisted by some invisible force, casting that part of the sky in an eerie, gray hue.

"ROAR—"

Almost simultaneously, a sudden downpour began without warning. Raindrops the size of soybeans hammered down, creating a deafening clatter on the metal bunkers. The rain was bone-chillingly cold and faintly contained the chaotic aftershocks of Spiritual Qi.

Fang Sui looked up at the eerie, gray sky to the northwest and said gravely to Yang Wenqing, "Don't be alarmed. Some powerful Cultivators are clashing with their arts far, far away."

The implication was that a battle of this level was far beyond their ability to interfere with, or even to observe clearly. They could only feel the aftershocks of the celestial phenomenon it had triggered.

Lei Kang, meanwhile, activated the Communication Array on his wrist and rapidly issued several orders. The belly of the Government Soldiers' Flying Ship in the sky opened, and dozens of faintly glowing, spherical monitoring Arrays were ejected. They scattered like dandelion seeds, flying toward the direction the Water Race Demon Soldiers had retreated and out over the wider sea.

A dozen or so seconds later, the two inspectors gave Yang Wenqing a brief nod before reboarding their auspicious clouds and ascending into the largest of the Government Soldiers' combat Flying Ships.

Yang Wenyuan came over then. Looking at the flesh and blood of the Demon Soldiers floating on the distant sea, he said to Yang Wenqing, "All that flesh and blood is good stuff. Even shot to pieces, if we gather it up, it's probably worth over a million."

Demon Soldiers were formed by absorbing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. Their flesh and blood contained natural Spiritual Attributes and Spiritual Qi, which could be refined to create energy crystals. This method was more than ten times faster than creating them through conventional Spirit Gathering.

"Organize the militia to start salvaging. Just don't get greedy over it."

Yang Wenqing was no longer just a junior guard; he didn't need to make himself look undignified over this kind of money.

Just then, the massive hull of the Government Soldiers' Flying Ship began to cautiously advance on a patrol route, heading in the direction the Water Race had retreated. At the same time, sharp, brief whooshes of displaced air sounded again from above the clouds—individual Cultivators were moving at high speed, also heading east over the sea.

Clearly, the crisis was not yet over. A higher level of alert and response was already underway.

At that moment, the badge on Yang Wenqing's chest began to flash urgently. When he answered, Liu Xin's voice came through, weary but laced with anxiety. "Director Yang, we have a problem at Black Teeth Ridge!"

Yang Wenqing's heart tightened. "Report."

"Our surveillance team outside the cave reported seeing a group emerge from deep within. There were about fifteen to twenty of them. Judging by their attire and auras, they are all Qi Cultivation practitioners. They didn't linger after coming out, heading straight into the vast primeval jungle west of Black Teeth Ridge. We've already lost their trail."

Yang Wenqing's brow furrowed. He let out a breath and asked, "Did you attempt to track them?"

"We sent two scout teams to follow for a distance, but that old forest is incredibly dense and filled with miasma. The other party was very familiar with the environment and quickly lost our people. The risk of pursuing them deeper was too great…"

Liu Xin's tone was uncertain.

"You did the right thing," Yang Wenqing said after a moment of thought. He then gave his orders:

"I need you to do two things immediately. First, dispatch reliable personnel to secretly set up monitoring Arrays and warning traps along the jungle's edge. Second, seal up that cave as quickly as possible."

"Yes, Director Yang!" Liu Xin replied.

After ending the communication, the torrential rain continued to pour. The cold raindrops striking Yang Wenqing's face couldn't wash away the thick, cloying stench of blood in the air. As far as he could see, the dark-red sea looked even more grim and oppressive under the curtain of rain.

On the reinforced metal defense walls at the front line, figures could be seen busying themselves in the rain. They were cleaning up the chaotic aftermath of the battle, inspecting the defensive Arrays for damage, and preparing for a possible re-engagement.

This was clearly all being coordinated by Gao Zhen from the command center.

Farther out, in the shallows near the docks, several temporarily requisitioned small transport ships and barges had already set out in the rain. Figures bustled about on their decks, using long poles and hooked nets to salvage the floating remains of the Demon Soldiers.

The core area of the mining zone was now enveloped in a pale golden shield. The highest-level protective isolation Array had been activated to prevent the blood fouling the seawater from contaminating the meticulously cultivated Coral Ore vein below.

"Wenqing, come to the mining zone command center," Gao Zhen's voice came through the badge, brief and direct.

Yang Wenqing wiped the rain from his face and instructed Yang Wenyuan beside him, "I'm leaving this to you. Coordinate with the Government Soldiers and the engineering teams that will be arriving. Get the defensive line functional again as soon as possible. As for the salvaging, make sure the men keep their hands clean and don't cause any trouble."