Gao Wu: A centenarian old man, many children and good fortune! Chapter 081

Having just finished clearing out the core area of the energy station, Xiao Yan was about to order the surviving soldiers to consolidate their defenses and reconstruct their fortifications.

Suddenly, from the northwest corner of the energy station, in the direction of a tall but partially collapsed cooling tower, came urgent and fierce sounds of battle, mixed with cries of terror and despair!

“Support! Requesting support! Coordinates B 7 Cooling Tower! We’re surrounded! Repeat! Requesting support!” A voice, trembling with fear, exhaustion, and the suppression of evil energy, came through the communicator. “Monsters! So many monsters! And Bloodfiend cultists! We… we can’t hold on much longer! Ah—!!”

After a shrill scream, the communication abruptly ceased!

Xiao Yan’s face darkened! B 7 Cooling Tower! That was a critical node for the energy station’s backup cooling system! If it were destroyed, the safe operation of the entire energy station would be severely threatened! Moreover, a small team of engineers responsible for maintaining critical equipment and a guard squad protecting them should still be stationed there!

He immediately projected his perception in that direction!

Around the ruins of the collapsed cooling tower, more than a dozen figures were huddled with their backs against the remaining walls, forming a precarious small defensive circle. Most of them were technicians in engineer uniforms; although they were equipped with basic self-defense weapons, they clearly lacked combat experience and were now huddled in terror at the center of the defense circle.

The main defensive force consisted of only five or six soldiers in city defense force guard uniforms. Their strength was at most Rank Seven, and at this moment, all of them were injured, panting, and their eyes were filled with despair. Under the evil energy suppression that enveloped the entire city, their strength was severely weakened, unable to even exert fifty percent of their usual combat power!

However, the enemies besieging them were exceptionally ferocious!

Three of them! Three enormous mutated parasitic beasts, as large as rhinos, covered in viscous black slime and twisted bone spurs, emitting a strong abyssal aura and the peculiar stench of Zerg! Their strength had astonishingly reached Transcendent Rank One or even Two! They were furiously charging the fragile defensive circle, each impact causing the remaining walls to shake violently and debris to fly!

Even more deadly, behind the parasitic beasts was a squad of about ten Bloodfiend cultists! They wore blood-colored runic armor, wielded dripping scimitars or bone whips, and their faces bore cruel, bloodthirsty smiles! Leading them was a tall, thin man with a sinister aura, whose strength had astonishingly reached Transcendent Rank Five! He was not in a hurry to attack, but like a cat playing with a mouse, he commanded his subordinates and the parasitic beasts, continuously tightening the encirclement, enjoying the final struggles of his prey!

Although other friendly soldiers in the surrounding area also heard the cries for help and saw the tragic situation there, they themselves were dragged down by the continuous influx of low-level infected creatures and their own weakened state, making it impossible to organize effective rescue forces. They could only watch helplessly as their comrades in the direction of B 7 Cooling Tower fell into desperation, unable to offer any aid!

…

Just then, the Transcendent Rank Five Bloodfiend cultist captain also noticed Xiao Yan, who had just finished the battle in the energy station’s core area and was rushing towards them.

He narrowed his eyes, sensed the aura emanating from Xiao Yan, which, though restrained, could still be identified as Transcendent Rank Nine, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, immediately replaced by deep disdain and cruelty.

He licked his chapped lips, a ferocious smile spreading across his face. In his opinion, what if he was Transcendent Rank Nine? Under the great “Flesh Veil” (their name for the evil energy sky curtain), any heretic who did not believe in the Blood God would have their power greatly suppressed! A Rank Nine general would be lucky to exert Rank Seven strength at best! And they, the believers bathed in the Blood God’s glory, were not only unaffected but would become even more excited and powerful due to this bloody and desperate aura!

Furthermore, he had three powerful parasitic beasts comparable to Transcendent Rank One or Two, and ten fearless elite subordinates! Taking down this lone Rank Nine general was simply a great merit delivered to their doorstep!

“Heheheh…” He let out a chilling laugh and issued orders to the parasitic beasts and his subordinates beside him, his voice filled with greed and murderous intent: “Little ones! Luck is on our side! First, kill that Rank Nine general who delivered himself to us! His flesh and soul are excellent sacrifices! Then, we’ll slowly enjoy those poor wretches inside!”

“Roar!”

“For the Blood God!”

Upon receiving the order, the three parasitic beasts let out bloodthirsty roars, their massive bodies bringing a腥风 (literally ‘bloody wind’, implying a stench of blood) as they lunged towards Xiao Yan! The ten Bloodfiend cultists followed closely behind, brandishing their weapons, their eyes gleaming with fanaticism, pouncing on Xiao Yan like hungry wolves!

…

Seeing this scene, the trapped engineers and guards beneath B 7 Cooling Tower, as well as friendly soldiers nearby who could see what was happening, cried out in terror and despair!

“Watch out!!”

“General! Retreat quickly! They have too many people! And powerful monsters!”

“We’re all suppressed! You can’t fight them alone!”

In their view, although Xiao Yan was a powerful Rank Nine general, rushing forward rashly in such a situation, where he was completely suppressed by evil energy and facing so many powerful enemies, was simply courting death! They instinctively believed that Xiao Yan would fall into a bitter struggle, and perhaps even… perish!

…

However, what happened in the next second made everyone’s cries abruptly cease, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets!

Facing the surging, menacing “strong enemies” like a tide, Xiao Yan’s footsteps did not even move an inch!

He merely stood in place, his cold gaze sweeping over the pouncing figures, as if looking at a group of ants who didn’t know their place.

Then, he gently… snorted.

“Hmph!”

The sound was not loud, but it seemed to contain some terrifying power of spoken law!

The vast, perfectly circulating Rank Nine Imperial True Essence within him instantly erupted without any stagnation!

He raised his right hand and, with a casual press from a distance, aimed at the three enormous mutated parasitic beasts charging at the forefront!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

There was no earth-shattering roar, only three faint muffled sounds, like balloons being pricked!

Those three powerful parasitic beasts, whose strength was comparable to Transcendent Rank One or Two and whose hides were tough, didn’t even manage to get within ten meters of Xiao Yan! Their massive bodies stiffened abruptly in mid-air, then, as if struck by an invisible, monstrous hand containing terrifying power, they instantly exploded! Completely turning into a shower of foul-smelling blood and flesh fragments, with hardly any bone fragments remaining!

A press from a distance! Three Transcendent-level parasitic beasts instantly exploded under pressure!

This… what kind of divine technique was this?!

Before everyone could recover from this horrifying scene!

Xiao Yan’s figure, like a ghost, left behind a barely discernible afterimage where he stood!

In the next instant, he had already appeared before the Rank Five Bloodfiend cultist captain, who still had a ferocious grin on his face and was swinging a blood-colored battle saber to cleave him!

Fast! Extremely fast! So fast that the Rank Five captain didn’t even have time to wipe the smile off his face!

Xiao Yan ignored the opponent’s hastily swung battle saber, which carried a strong blood-fiend aura. He simply threw out a seemingly ordinary straight punch!

This punch had no superposition of Thunder Nine Waves; it merely infused a portion of his Rank Nine power and perfect control!

CRACK!!! BOOM!!!

A piercing sound of metal breaking and a dull thud of flesh rang out simultaneously!

The blood-colored battle saber, infused with Transcendent Rank Five power, was as fragile as rotten wood before Xiao Yan’s fist, directly breaking into pieces!

Immediately after, Xiao Yan’s fist, without any obstruction, solidly slammed into the captain’s chest!

Time seemed to freeze at this moment!

The captain’s ferocious grin completely froze, his eyes filled with extreme horror and disbelief! He could even clearly feel an indescribable terrifying force instantly piercing through his body, pulverizing his heart, lungs, and even his tough spine… all at once!

The next second, his body flew backward like a broken sack, losing all signs of life in mid-air, and slammed heavily onto the ground, silent.

Finally, Xiao Yan didn’t even look at the ten Bloodfiend cultists who had already rushed close but were terrified to their core and frozen by the sight before them.

He simply swung his backhand casually!

WHOOSH—!!!

An incredibly condensed, almost solid golden blade light (formed by the highly condensed Rank Nine True Essence), like the Grim Reaper’s scythe, swept across with unparalleled sharpness!

Splat, splat, splat…

Like cutting grass!

Those ten Bloodfiend cultists, all at least Rank Five or higher, didn’t even manage to put up any effective resistance! Their bodies, along with their battle armor and weapons, were cleanly cut in half at the waist by that seemingly effortless golden blade light!

Blood and severed limbs rained down, scattering all over the ground!

…

From the enemies ferociously pouncing, to all enemies, including three Transcendent parasitic beasts and a Rank Five captain, being completely annihilated, the entire process was fluid, clean, and swift, taking even… less than three seconds!

Devastating! Crushing!

The deafening shouts and explosions on the battlefield seemed to vanish instantly, leaving only a deathly silence!

Everyone who witnessed this scene—whether the engineers and guards who had narrowly escaped death beneath B 7 Cooling Tower, or the friendly soldiers struggling in nearby areas—were now as if frozen, mouths agape, eyes wide, completely silent, their faces etched with incredible shock and… ecstasy!

“Th-this… how is this possible?!”

“He… he doesn’t seem affected by that red light at all?!”

“Insta… insta-killed?! That was a Transcendent Rank Five captain and parasitic beasts comparable to Transcendent ranks!”

“My God… is this… a true general?!”

Xiao Yan’s power! Especially in this desperate situation where everyone else was suppressed by evil energy and their strength greatly reduced, the display of such almost invincible, crushing dominance gave everyone a huge visual and spiritual shock!

The dark cloud of despair seemed to be torn open, and a faint but incredibly precious spark of hope quietly ignited in everyone’s hearts!

Perhaps… they still had a chance! This city… perhaps still had hope!