Chapter 41: Chaos

"Warning! Warning! Output overload! Output overload!"

Dazzling red light flooded the monitor, where over a dozen barrier generators all displayed a disconnected status. Above the highway, fragments of the white barrier drifted about, flickering on and off like broken light bulbs.

The entire barrier had been completely shattered, and the sparking emitters tumbled in the gale. Technical specialists, braving the flying debris and gravel, threw themselves beside the equipment, their hands trembling as they attempted emergency recalibrations. Behind them, smoke and flames erupted in tangled bursts, accompanied by continuous shouting and the roar of artillery.

Amidst the swirling dust and stones, Lu Zhenhai, escorted by several specialists, sprinted across the highway. He brushed past other agents who were either clutching their rifle barrels or reaching for paper talismans, eventually arriving at a corner surrounded by a crowd.

At the center of the throng, several medics were providing emergency treatment to the wounded. Lu Zhenhai’s gaze shifted, and he immediately caught sight of a familiar figure among them.

"Deacon Jiang!"

Where he looked, Jiang Ruifeng was sitting propped up on the ground. The Daoist robe on his chest bore a shocking scorch mark, and traces of blood stained his nose and mouth. Lu Zhenhai had worked with him for years, yet this was the first time he had ever seen him in such a wretched state.

Around him, a dozen or so Jiuli cultivators, including the Seventh Elder, were in identical condition.

The Demon-Suppressing Grand Array had been forcibly breached. The backlash on the cultivators controlling the formation was immense, enough to render everyone within it combat-ineffective on the spot. Had the spiritual barrier at the center not shielded them from the residual shockwave, this single strike alone would have been fatal.

This was merely a microcosm of the current situation.

Those who had been standing on the front lines were, without exception, masters who primarily cultivated spiritual power. Under this wave of impact, at least eighty percent of their combat-ready personnel had been wiped out. Now, the gunners in the rear, who had been less affected, were retaliating; countless bullets poured out in a desperate flood to cover their teammates as they rushed to rescue the wounded.

"Director Lu..." The Seventh Elder spoke with a raspy voice upon seeing Lu Zhenhai arrive. "That thing... it is not simply at the Nascent Soul stage..."

He had barely managed two sentences before he broke into a fit of coughing, blood foam bubbling at the corners of his mouth. Clearly, his internal injuries were severe.

The surrounding specialists were secretly horrified. In everyone’s impression, wherever the Jiuli elite went, they only ever dealt in "suppression." Yet, these dozens of elites had been defeated by the enemy in a single strike—a shock to them no less than the shattering of a myth.

As if to confirm their dread, the Elder’s coughing had not yet subsided when it was swept away by a sudden gust of wind.

Within that wind, there was a faint scent of flowers.

Points of light began to ignite in the air—they were peach blossom petals composed of pure spiritual energy.

***

Countless petals converged toward the figure in the center. Under the terrified gaze of the crowd, the Dharma form, which had been dimmed by the Demon-Suppressing Grand Array, lit up once more. In just a few breaths, its aura had returned to its peak!

What kind of power is this?!

Before anyone could process the question, the white Dharma form rose from the mountains, its blurred eyes cast downward like a god looking upon the mortal world.

An intangible pressure flowed across the entire battlefield. It felt as if a chill wind blew through the area, and everyone shuddered in unison.

With the barrier gone, the unique aura of a peerless powerhouse struck them directly in the face, the immense pressure making it nearly impossible to breathe.

Icy fear surged from their bone marrow. Even though everyone present was battle-hardened, they felt their hands and feet go cold before that pressure. Those with weaker cultivation or those already wounded simply collapsed to the ground, as if their very strength to stand had been drained in an instant.

Under the crushing weight, Lu Zhenhai clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, using the sharp pain to keep himself lucid. He raised his hand and brought the radio to his lips.

Orders were transmitted through the radio to the surrounding areas. Commanders of various squads followed suit, and every remaining firearm on the scene opened fire. Artillery rained down like madness, the formation clearly no longer aiming for effective damage, but merely trying to obstruct the entity’s movements to prevent it from gathering strength for another eruption.

The roar of gunfire turned their eyes bloodshot, yet the figure in the mountains remained indifferent.

He waved his hand gently, brushing aside the incoming bullets as if sweeping away dust. He showed no intention of slaughtering everyone present; instead, he turned and drifted upward toward a certain direction.

Observing the direction he turned, Lu Zhenhai recalled the reports from the specialists and instantly realized his target.

"He is heading for the nearby Zhouzhi County!"

It was the closest county to their location; while not as large as Liangzhou City, it still had a permanent population of over half a million. Letting such an existence enter that place was no different from throwing a wolf into a sheep pen.

The barrage of gunfire continued unabated. No one cared about the cost anymore; bullets, techniques, artillery... everything that could be called firepower was poured toward that figure in a desperate attempt to contain him within this zone.

"Transmit the coordinates to all nearby combat units and tell them to provide immediate support!" Lu Zhenhai shouted to the communications officer beside him.

"We’ve been sending them since the start; everyone who could come is already here."

The communications officer’s voice stuttered. "Except for the specialists on the scene, the closest squad is still 15 kilometers away... at full speed, it will take another five minutes."

***

Five minutes—in ordinary times, that was the time it took to eat half a meal. Now, it felt like an insurmountable chasm.

Lu Zhenhai’s lips moved, but no sound came out. He simply turned his head to watch the shadow wreathed in peach blossoms ahead.

As the Jiuli Elder had said, the entity’s spiritual level was strong enough to breach their protective barrier; it was definitely not the level of a standard Nascent Soul.

Even if they could hold out for another five minutes, it remained a question whether reinforcements would be effective. Among the cultivators he knew, the only one capable of suppressing a scene like this would be the Jiuli Sect Master herself, or perhaps...

A name flashed through his mind. With that fleeting thought, an uncharacteristic, lingering sense of regret stirred in his heart.

"Director Lu... Director Lu!"

The call of a specialist beside him snapped him back to reality. Lu Zhenhai reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose and took a long, deep breath.

"Is the satellite phone still working? Connect me to the Launch Center."

It was too late for regrets now. Faced with such a situation, he had no choice but to go all in.

"Report an SOS command and request military support."

Lu Zhenhai said in a hoarse voice, gripping the monitor tightly. His gaze darted between the screen and the battlefield, his palms slick with sweat.

At that very moment, on the mountain peak a hundred meters opposite him, a figure landed silently.

The man stood at the summit, quietly observing the smoke-filled battlefield before him. He reached out, plucked a half-yellowed leaf from a branch at his side, and held it between his fingers.

There was no wind blowing, yet the leaf between his fingertips suddenly began to tremble slightly. A subtle trace of spiritual light flowed from the stem, traveling along the veins to cover the entire leaf. The light flashed and vanished; if one did not look closely, it would be impossible to tell what had changed.

He looked at the god-like Dharma form amidst the mountains, released his fingers, and the leaf drifted down, floating leisurely toward the front before instantly vanishing into the heavens and earth.