Gao Wu: A centenarian old man, many children and good fortune! Chapter 056

Xiao Yan comforted the agitated and shy Su Wan’er, telling her to rest well, then immediately went to Zhang Jingyao’s room.

Zhang Jingyao’s temperament was the most stable, and the previous guidance had already allowed her to touch the threshold of a breakthrough. Xiao Yan did not interfere much with her own insights, only guiding her with his spiritual power when she encountered key difficulties, helping her to sort out the flow of energy and comprehend the profound mystery of that final push. The entire process was more like a meditative discussion, peaceful and focused.

Lastly, there was Liu Feiyan. This lively and vibrant woman had reined herself in significantly after the previous chastisement and guidance, and she now cultivated more diligently. Targeting her weakness of having ample speed but insufficient strength, Xiao Yan focused on instructing her on how to convert speed into penetrative power, and how to condense a fatal blow while moving at high speeds. He even conducted several short but extremely dangerous “combat sparring” sessions, allowing her to hone her skills on the brink of life and death.

Over the course of the night, Xiao Yan was like the most dedicated mentor, imparting all his experience and insights. Although the system did not prompt him again about Zhang Jingyao and Liu Feiyan conceiving, Xiao Yan did not force it. He knew that such matters depended on fate and… physique.

…

The one-week rest period, like a brief calm before a storm, passed in a flash.

Aside from Su Wan’er, the other two women still hadn’t conceived. Xiao Yan felt that they were still missing a bit of luck.

The order to depart was finally given. The Hunter Squad reassembled. This time, the atmosphere was noticeably more somber than before. The warriors’ eyes held less of the initial curiosity of a first expedition and more of the composure and vigilance that came from having experienced life-and-death trials. Several specially reinforced and modified assault vehicles, like silent black phantoms, once again drove into the ominous southern isolation zone.

This time, the target was deeper. The vehicles carefully advanced along the safe path left by the First Division during their retreat, heading towards the area reported to have the most abnormal energy fluctuations. The Abyss Energy Detector’s needle inside the vehicles twitched more violently than last time, and the faint, nauseating Abyss aura in the air grew thicker.

The area was still utterly silent; even the wind seemed to wail. Withered trees twisted towards the sky, and collapsed buildings stood like silent tombstones, silently recounting past disasters. Xiao Yan sat upright in the command vehicle, his formidable Transcendent Rank 7 perception fully unleashed, like an invisible spiderweb, covering several kilometers around him, capturing any hint of abnormality.

…

“Beep! Beep! Warning! Three hundred meters ahead, abandoned commercial district, multiple abnormal biological energy signals detected! Intensity… Warrior Rank 6 to 8! Movement pattern… stiff, consistent with preliminary infected characteristics!” The detector’s alarm rang out urgently again.

“Stop! Prepare for battle!” Lin Wei immediately ordered, her voice much steadier. Having experienced the previous ambush, she had matured significantly.

The convoy quickly stopped, forming a defensive formation. This time, before the enemies could rush out, Xiao Yan’s cold voice rang out: “Five targets, suspected low-level dreadworm-parasitized soldiers. Third squad, heavy firepower clear!”

“Understood!” The third squad leader immediately responded, giving the order to fire without hesitation!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Several high-explosive armor-piercing shells shrieked as they accurately landed at the entrance of the abandoned commercial district! The violent explosions instantly engulfed the area! Bricks and stones flew, and dust billowed! In the shockwave of the explosion, several fragmented limbs could vaguely be seen being thrown high into the air!

Preemptive strike! Giving no chance for close combat!

However, the trouble was not over.

“Report! Left flank! Two o’clock on the left flank, high energy reaction! It’s a mutated… Ironclad Rhino! Rank 7 strength! It’s charging!”

“Right flank! Right flank too! It’s a… damn it! It’s a Two-headed Demon Hound! Peak Rank 8!”

Alarms rang out one after another! It seemed that they were either startled by the previous explosion, or simply being commanded by some entity, the powerful parasitic demonic beasts lurking in the surroundings began to emerge!

These demonic beasts not only retained their formidable physical bodies and some abilities from before death, but their movements also showed a fearless madness! The Ironclad Rhino charged like a moving fortress, roaring, making the ground tremble! The Two-headed Demon Hound, on the other hand, was extremely fast, spitting corrosive saliva from its mouths, harassing from both sides!

The battle instantly became intense! Each squad, relying on the vehicles, formed a network of fire, energy beams intertwined with the roars and impacts of the demonic beasts!

However, this time the enemies were clearly stronger and more difficult to deal with than last time! The Ironclad Rhino’s defense was astonishing; ordinary energy weapons were like tickles against it! The Two-headed Demon Hound was extremely cunning, constantly changing positions with its speed, specifically targeting weak defensive points!

Soon, some warriors were injured by the demon hound’s surprise attacks! One warrior’s shield was directly knocked away by the Ironclad Rhino’s brute force, and he spat blood and fell to the ground!

The squad began to suffer casualties!

…

“Something’s wrong!” Xiao Yan frowned tightly, looking at the constantly flashing red dots on the tactical screen and the slightly chaotic responses of the warriors!

The appearance of these parasitic demonic beasts and soldiers was too “coincidental”! They were precisely positioned on their path forward, and their strength was just right to cause them trouble, but not enough to make them immediately collapse and retreat! This was more like a… attrition! An诱引！

Just then, Xiao Yan’s heart suddenly leaped! An invisible, cold and obscure mental fluctuation, like a tide, silently spread out, attempting to invade his sea of consciousness!

Buzz! Xiao Yan’s spiritual power in his sea of consciousness, like a provoked giant dragon, spontaneously formed a solid barrier, easily blocking that cold mental fluctuation!

But the other warriors were not so lucky!

“Ugh!”

“My head hurts!”

“Hold on! It’s mental interference!”

Many warriors groaned in pain, their eyes began to lose focus, and their movements became sluggish and hesitant! Several warriors with weaker wills even showed fear and confusion in their eyes, and their weapons began to tremble slightly!

Panic, like a plague, began to spread through the team!

“Trap!” Xiao Yan’s eyes flared with cold light! As expected! The enemy was not just using cannon fodder to wear them down, but also had a high-level parasite behind the scenes who knew how to use tactics and mental interference!

“Lin Wei!” Xiao Yan’s voice was like a clap of thunder, instantly resounding in the minds of all team members, forcibly dispelling the negative effects of the mental interference!

“Here!” Lin Wei jolted, instantly regaining her clarity, her face pale. She had almost fallen for it too!

“Command squad, stabilize your positions! Contract your defenses! Use firepower to divide the battlefield, prioritize clearing the Two-headed Demon Hounds! I’ll go deal with the source!” Xiao Yan’s voice was cold and powerful, carrying an undeniable command!

“Understood!” Lin Wei dared not hesitate, immediately began to loudly command, mobilizing each squad to stabilize their formation, concentrate their firepower, and try to regain control of the battlefield rhythm.

As for Xiao Yan, his gaze had already locked onto the source of that mental fluctuation like the most precise radar—located about five hundred meters ahead, on the top floor of a half-collapsed department store!

There, a figure emitting a cold and powerful energy fluctuation far surpassing all the surrounding infected, was vaguely visible!

…

“Evil creature! Die!” Xiao Yan roared, no longer suppressing the power within him!

Boom!!!

The ground beneath his feet instantly exploded into a deep crater as if struck by a meteor! He himself transformed into a black meteor, disregarding the chaotic battlefield below, and charged directly towards the department store with a brutal and overbearing stance!

The Mountain-Shaking Blade was already in his hand, its heavy blade humming from the infusion of majestic Emperor-rank True Essence, emitting a terrifying pressure that made one’s heart palpitate!

On the top floor of the building, the figure finally revealed itself.

It was an… extremely bizarre existence!

Its main body could vaguely be seen as a human outline wearing a tattered general’s uniform, but its body had undergone terrifying distortion! Half of its body was covered in black carapace, one arm had mutated into a giant praying mantis-like scythe, and the other arm was as thick as an elephant’s leg, covered in twisted muscles! Its head was only half-left, the other half replaced by a constantly wriggling, faintly glowing green, giant compound eye-like insect organ!

The energy fluctuation it emitted had clearly reached the peak of Transcendent Rank 6! Infinitely close to Rank 7!

This was the high-level parasite hidden behind the scenes, meticulously setting up the trap!

Seeing Xiao Yan charging like a demon god, a hint of human-like surprise flashed in the high-level parasite’s giant compound eye, immediately replaced by cold killing intent! It let out a sharp shriek, its mutated scythe arm slashing down towards Xiao Yan with a sound that tore through the air! At the same time, its thick arm swung violently, and several bone spurs condensed with Abyss energy shot towards Xiao Yan like arrows!

Facing this violent and bizarre attack, Xiao Yan did not dodge! His eyes were cold!

“Nine Waves of Startling Thunder” – First Wave!

The Mountain-Shaking Blade, like a mountain-splitting axe, met the attack head-on with an unstoppable, heavy force!

Clang!!!

A deafening clang! The scythe arm collided with the Mountain-Shaking Blade, splashing blinding sparks! That seemingly indestructible scythe was actually forcefully knocked away by the Mountain-Shaking Blade! At the same time, several incoming bone spurs were directly shattered by the powerful True Essence erupting from the blade!

The high-level parasite was clearly stunned, seemingly not expecting its opponent’s strength to be so terrifying!

But Xiao Yan’s attack was like a violent storm, relentless!

Second Wave! Borrowing momentum to stack force!

The blade’s momentum was fiercer! The force was heavier! The Mountain-Shaking Blade carved out a simple yet destructive trajectory, once again slashing towards the parasite’s carapace-covered chest!

The parasite shrieked, hastily blocking with its thick arm!

Crack!!!

A bone-chilling sound of bone cracking! That thick arm, comparable to an elephant’s leg, along with the carapace covering it, was actually directly severed by this force-stacked blow from the Mountain-Shaking Blade! Black-green, foul-smelling blood gushed out!

“Hiss—!!!” The parasite let out an agonizing shriek, its giant compound eye filled with terror!

It wanted to escape! But it was too late!

Xiao Yan’s eyes were cold, filled with murderous intent! The Emperor-rank True Essence within him erupted without reservation!

Third Wave! Condensing momentum into power!

On the edge of the Mountain-Shaking Blade, it seemed as if all the “momentum” and “force” of the previous attacks had condensed into a single, ultimate point of destructive cold light, as if it could cut through anything!

Puff!!!

The blade light flashed and was gone!

The high-level parasite’s grotesque head, along with the giant compound eye that continuously emitted mental fluctuations, was cleanly severed into two halves by the Mountain-Shaking Blade!

The massive headless body froze in place, then, as if all its strength had been drained, it collapsed heavily onto the rooftop, black-green blood flowing all over the ground, emitting a pungent, foul odor.

…

With the death of the high-level parasite, the mental interference that had enveloped the battlefield instantly disappeared. The warriors, who had been in chaos and panic, were as if splashed with cold water, quickly regaining their clarity. Under Lin Wei’s command, they swiftly stabilized their positions and cooperatively cleared out the remaining parasitic demonic beasts and soldiers one by one.

Xiao Yan did not immediately leave the rooftop. He walked to the headless parasite’s corpse and carefully scanned it with his powerful spiritual energy.

Soon, within the shattered remains of its head, he found some residual insect fragments!

Combining this with the remnants of gnawed demonic beast bones and energy left at the scene, Xiao Yan’s heart sank, and his expression became incredibly grim.

“Lin Wei!” he called through the communicator.

“Captain!” Lin Wei’s voice quickly came through, filled with the relief of surviving and awe for Xiao Yan.

“Immediately seal this high-level parasite sample with the highest security! Also, record these coordinates…” Xiao Yan reported several suspicious location coordinates he had captured. “Inform all team members to be on high alert! The situation is worse than we anticipated! These adult insects not only possess intelligence and know how to set ambushes and command, but also…”

He paused, his voice becoming incredibly solemn: “Their maturation speed is likely much faster than what headquarters estimated… We must act quickly!”

On the other end of the communication, Lin Wei felt a chill rise from the bottom of her heart again upon hearing these words. Her heart, which had just settled, instantly leaped to her throat!

Faster maturation speed?!

Threat level, soaring again!