"Xing Jinglei's team has no issues."
"Yiluoxi's team... also has no issues."
"Qianmian's team..."
Qianmian, along with graduating students like Yue Qiwu Xiang and many personnel from the intelligence department, arrived in Sakura Country.
Resisting the rift to the eerie world was only one part of the mission.
Sakura Country was an economic powerhouse, but since the arrival of the mysterious era, it hadn't just suffered; it had suffered immensely.
Despite its small territory, the frequency of rifts to the eerie world and powerful eerie beings was quite high.
In the beginning, Sakura Country's mysterious forces had managed to organize several defenses, even employing unique 'divine' methods.
However, after several defeats, Sakura Country's mysterious departments had given up.
Currently, their resistance strength was less than one or two, with multiple factions in conflict. Many areas were plagued by powerful eerie beings, including the very gods Sakura Country once worshipped.
This intelligence was gathered by Qianmian and Xiao Huan.
"Sakura Country's method of worshipping gods is quite novel, I must say."
"It's not necessarily that the method is bad; it's just that the people are too weak."
For countries like Sunsetting Country and White Bear Country, which were powerful and could maintain domestic order, Xin Huo's current approach was cooperation and support.
There was no need to deploy much of their own strength.
They could also develop these countries into 'workers,' earning mysterious materials, eerie crystals, and other items passively.
However, this model wouldn't work for Sakura Country.
He planned to pilot a second model, with Qianmian making arrangements secretly and Yue Qiwu Xiang taking center stage.
But all this would have to wait until the rift to the eerie world was dealt with.
He cast his gaze.
At this moment,
A young girl with a cold expression and intense killing intent, wielding a sword, cut through the ranks of eerie beings.
She had only just entered the Three Awakenings, nothing worth noting. Fang You was searching for another figure.
Qianmian's figure.
As a result,
He truly couldn't find him!
Unless he specifically focused his attention on Qianmian, he simply couldn't locate the intelligence chief. Instead, he saw, at some unknown time, nearly invisible threads, like a vast net, enveloping and shrouding the entire world.
Then, hazily, the Calamity-class eerie being that had just emerged from the rift fell.
It crashed to the ground.
And he still couldn't find Qianmian.
"Well, in any case, there are no major issues here."
...
North of Lindong City.
Gray mist surged, eerie beings roared, and terrifying colossal shadows enveloped the sky.
The battle here had entered its most intense phase. The explosions of lightning talismans and fire pearls continued, and the awakened abilities of investigators and special forces members added splashes of brilliant color to the entire battlefield.
Students like Wang Fan had already retreated three to four kilometers from the core of the battlefield, watching from afar.
They clenched their fists, their bodies trembling slightly, their eyes wide.
They were both tense and felt as if their blood was boiling.
"When can we participate in such a battle? I wish I could rush up and slay a couple of eerie beings to calm my nerves."
"Dream on. You'd only end up feeding the eerie beings with a slide tackle."
"Hey, hey, with our fire pearls, lightning talismans, or awakened weapons, we can still deal with ordinary eerie beings among the one-star ones!"
"Yeah, yeah, we can deal with creatures like 'Knock-Knock Boys,' but what use would that be on a battlefield like this? It's not as good as our instructors casually throwing a few fire pearls."
Yet, even the students' instructors appeared insignificant on this battlefield. Only a very few figures managed to emit dazzling light.
One student had his face pressed against the telescope, his excitement palpable.
"See that one flying in the air with energy wings? That's one of the three great captains of the special forces, the absolute top powerhouse of our Donghuang Nation—Rakshasa!"
"Ooh ooh ooh ooh~!"
"Brother, brother, introduce a few more."
Investigators appeared on screens quite often, but their appearances were merely for public education. Investigators were not celebrities and had no intention of seeking fame.
These new students knew very little about the renowned powerhouses within the Investigation Bureau, let alone the much more mysterious special forces.
Many students only learned today that such a mysterious department as the special forces existed.
However, there were also 'second-generation awakeners' among the students.
Those whose family members or relatives worked in the Investigation Bureau or the special forces knew much more about Donghuang's famous powerhouses. It wasn't something that needed to be kept secret anyway.
Seeing many people gather around to ask, the young boy with a tender face became even more animated. After observing for a while, he said,
"See the firebird emerging in the distance? That's the ultimate move of another great captain, 'Crimson Flame.' Captain Crimson Flame's awakened ability is related to fire, and he developed this method of transforming fire into a bird, establishing his formidable reputation as a top Donghuang powerhouse."
Many students had brought their own telescopes, and their exclamations filled the air.
Even watching from afar, they could feel the aura of a powerful being.
As expected of Donghuang's elite!
But suddenly, someone weakly said, "Look into the distance, through the gray mist. Isn't there a colossal shadow, and it looks like someone is fighting it?"
That colossal shadow was very far away, its form indistinct through the gray mist, but its aura was far more terrifying than a three-star eerie being.
However, someone was fighting it?
That would make them stronger than Captain Rakshasa and Captain Crimson Flame. Was that even possible?
The second-generation awakener's eyes widened.
...
Boom—
The four-star Calamity-class eerie being, the Black Armored Demon Dragon, crashed to the ground, bearing a crimson wound that stretched dozens of meters long.
It almost pierced its entire body.
This single strike had eliminated the terrifying eerie being.
Captain Rakshasa, flying in mid-air, gasped, "Is this the strength of Xin Huo's Grand Instructor Black Blade? Hiss~ But he's truly reliable!"
He had been thinking of helping, but this Black Blade fellow was too fierce.
He erupted on the spot.
He killed the eerie being on the spot.
Another great captain, Crimson Flame, was even more astonished.
This was his first time seeing Black Blade in action, and he had to admit defeat.
This was the true strength of Grand Instructor Black Blade! Capable of slaying Calamities!
"The greatest crisis is averted. This rift to the eerie world should be ending soon."
"Not yet."
Black Blade said calmly, his gaze fixed on the distance with a hint of solemnity.
Over there, near the sea, the dense gray mist churned violently again, converging, dispersing, converging, dispersing!
This time, the gray mist's breathing was exceptionally fierce, yet within the gray mist's coverage, the eerie beings that had appeared before did not materialize.
Rakshasa also felt something was wrong. He ordered the soldiers to retreat, increasing the distance from the core of the rift to the eerie world.
At this moment,
Boom—
The ground shook, and the sea surged with waves tens of meters high. Fierce winds blew in all directions, overturning trees and rocks.
A colossal creature appeared in Rakshasa's field of vision.
It resembled a mountain, shrouded in faint gray clouds. Half of its body rested on the ground, and the other half remained on the sea.
The tens-of-meters-high waves that surged only reached its midsection.
With the appearance of this colossal monster, the entire sea began to churn!
At this moment,
The gray mist rapidly receded, and the colossal creature became even clearer.
It was indeed a mountain, with legs like sharp blades. The upper part of the mountain was intensely red, with thick columns of fire erupting from its peak.
Rumble!
Rumble!
Flames rained down like meteor showers, brilliant and filled with destruction.
This was a five-star Hell-class eerie being, the 'Mountainous Behemoth'! And it was a monster that excelled in size even among Hell-class eerie beings!
Humans were no longer merely small in its presence.
They were like grains of sand!
Like fireflies, like ants!
A black figure stepped forward at this moment, "Leave this to me."
He was Four Awakenings; the eerie being was Five Stars.
But Black Blade's charge was never hesitant! He ascended into the air, cold killing intent enveloping him, coalescing into a suit of black armor that encased his entire body.
Ability usage—Killing Intent Armament!
He charged upward, emerging from the torrential flames. The black armor showed slight signs of scorching, but it didn't affect him in the slightest.
Black Blade landed on the Mountainous Behemoth and brought down his Demon Slaying Greatsword, trailing a crimson blade aura over forty meters long.
The red aura shattered, creating a shallow mark.
The Mountainous Behemoth didn't seem to notice, as if a fly had landed on it. It continued to walk forward.
With a gentle step.
Boom—
Cracks spread for hundreds of meters, and the entire ground trembled violently as if an earthquake had occurred.
Black Blade, as if deaf to it, continuously swung his Demon Slaying Greatsword, as if attempting to move a mountain.
One strike, two strikes, ten strikes, twenty-eight strikes!
Twenty-eight layers of 'sharpness' encircled the Demon Slaying Greatsword. From mere scratches initially, the blade aura now left marks dozens of meters long and several meters deep on the Mountainous Behemoth.
Flung away countless rocks and soil.
Although still insignificant to the Behemoth's body, it had finally attracted the giant beast's attention.
Heavenly fire rained down furiously. Black Blade dodged constantly like a phantom. When he couldn't dodge the occasional full-screen attack, he endured it.
Finally, he accumulated full sharpness.
He paused slightly. His armor was now somewhat damaged, but Black Blade's killing intent and will were even stronger, as if breaking through the heavens.
He raised his Demon Slaying Greatsword high. The twenty-eight layers of sharpness encircling it erupted, infused with cold killing intent. His unwavering will unleashed a golden light that could cleave through everything!
His Non-Human Mode also activated at the previous moment. This was the ultimate strike, converging all his strength!
This strike fell!
It seemed to cleave through the heavens and earth. All sounds and storms dissipated, as if time had stopped at this instant.
After a long, long time,
The sea no longer churned, the gray mist slowly dissipated, and the surrounding eerie beings had all been slain.
Only the mountain-like colossal beast remained, still standing between heaven and earth, but now lifeless, its terror extinguished.
And on one side of the beast's mountain body, there was a massive gash, piercing its core.
Also piercing through was the cloud void at the end of the sky, which had not closed for a long time.
...
The rift to the eerie world in Lindong City was arguably one of the most troublesome.
By the time this battlefield concluded, the vast majority of the other 74 battlefields had also ended.
"Faster, faster!"
"There's only one last disaster for us to handle!"
"Charge, charge, charge!"
"Awooo~!"
On the military helicopter, Yiluoxi's wine-red, shoulder-length hair was tied up, her spirit high.
Her gaze occasionally flickered towards the strategic map in her mind and the few 'limited-time urgent missions' remaining on the list. These missions, varying in difficulty, offered different rewards.
Her eyes immediately locked onto the highest-value mission.
The rift to the eerie world in the Shattered Lands!
This mission was not within the scope of tasks assigned to her by her mentor, but it had not been claimed by anyone else.
This was an 'unclaimed' mission.
It was also not far from her defense zone. Yiluoxi had planned her route long ago, and after dealing with a few rifts, she had led the elites of her sisterhood straight here.
The mission was hers!
The contribution points were also hers!
Hahahahahaha—!
But she couldn't be careless, couldn't end up as support like last time.
Hmm, she had to be careful about that detestable An Jianyou in this regard.
The military helicopter soon arrived at the Shattered Lands. This area was currently shrouded in gray mist, within which were rows of writhing, grotesque figures.
The sheer number was terrifying! Yiluoxi even spotted two Calamity-class eerie beings.
Instead of worrying, she rejoiced.
This meant An Jianyou hadn't arrived yet, and she would have this mission all to herself, wahahahaha~!
"Sisters, here we go~!"
Crowd control was Yiluoxi's forte.
If she had to fight a Calamity-class eerie being one-on-one, she might have to put in considerable effort, but now it was simple. She unleashed fission lightning, combined with her innate spell torrent, and in an instant, blue lightning filled the sky and earth.
It devoured everything at an extremely rapid pace.
Even the Calamity-class eerie beings couldn't last more than a few seconds before being submerged in the vast sea of lightning.
Yiluoxi put her hands on her hips, "Your president is invincible, ahahahaha—!"
Behind her, the elite members of the Witch Sisterhood also had eyes filled with admiration, respect, and worship. A few of them had recently joined the Sisterhood and hadn't been entirely convinced by the young Yiluoxi, but at this very moment, they were all won over.
"President Yiluoxi, invincible!"
"Big Sis is invincible in this world!"
Yiluoxi waved her hand, her chin slightly raised. As soon as she saw another colossal shadow appear in the gray mist, she instantly raised her hand and unleashed fission lightning. After annihilating countless eerie beings, thousands of lightning bolts converged and struck that colossal shadow.
Rumble—
An energy storm roared, clearing a thousand to two thousand meters.
The gray mist drifting in the sky and on the earth seemed to gradually thin.
The appearance of that colossal shadow gradually became clear to Yiluoxi and the others.
Its body was like a mountain, with only slight charring on its surface from the flames and lightning strikes.
A pair of indescribable eyes gazed at them.
The pressure washed over them like a tsunami, and sweat trickled down Yiluoxi's forehead.
She immediately activated 'Non-Human Mode.' Fire dragons circled, and thunder and lightning flashed, making her appear like an invincible demon god standing between heaven and earth.
"Mentor, save me!"