Chapter 123: Like a Dog

With a dull "bang," the slide of the Golden Thunder Eagle cycled, and a 13mm warhead, propelled by a high-explosive charge, shot forth. It easily pierced the exoskeleton on the black beetle-man’s face, leaving a gaping hole in the back of his skull.

The black beetle-man, who had been lunging forward, died instantly without a chance to react. His limp body slammed heavily at Gao Wu’s feet.

Black beetle-men possess immense vitality and are protected by thick carapaces, particularly around their hearts, making it difficult to kill them with a single shot. They move quickly, but their intelligence appears limited, as they fight purely on instinct.

Initially, a swarm of these creatures had lunged toward the crowd at the bridgehead, only to be taught a harsh lesson by the military’s machine-gun emplacements, losing nearly a hundred of their kind in the first exchange. Seeing Gao Wu and Song Mingyue isolated, another group had charged forward without hesitation.

Gao Wu had practiced his War Soldier Fist to a level of minor accomplishment, and combined with the formidable performance of the Golden Thunder Eagle, he could land precise headshots within two hundred meters. Dozens of the creatures were annihilated before they could even reach him.

Some of the black beetle-men managed to condense Source Power, using it to form energy fields that could deflect bullets. However, Song Mingyue’s mental power was so potent that she could easily disrupt their fields. Without the protection of these energy fields, there was no difference between a first, second, or third-tier black beetle-man in the face of the Golden Thunder Eagle.

Gao Wu’s high-efficiency slaughter did not deter the creatures. While not highly intelligent, they possessed keen combat instincts. Realizing that Gao Wu and Song Mingyue were alone, they naturally circled around to hem them in.

The leader was a third-tier beetle-man with a grayish-white carapace, indicating he had condensed his Source Power. He was followed by over a dozen first-tier beetle-men with dark, shallow-colored shells.

Raised in an alien realm rich in Source Power, sensing this energy was not difficult for them. However, limited by their life stage and low intelligence, their grasp of Source Power remained primitive. Yet, they held a massive advantage: a rigid organizational system based on clear hierarchy. Furthermore, they possessed inherited knowledge, their own language, and a stable social structure. Leveraging this, they had swept away surrounding beasts and established a vast population. To them, their God-Lord favored slaughter and death; hunting other species was both a survival necessity and a path to divine favor.

Though Gao Wu appeared formidable, there were only two of them. The swarm regrouped and launched another charge.

Thousands of meters away at the bridgehead, a group of military elites watched the pair from afar. With the devastating firepower of the heavy machine-gun positions, they could easily destroy any beetle-man lacking long-range capabilities. After repelling several waves, silence had returned to the bridgehead. The military experts had time to observe; several martial arts masters were fighting in another space, completely out of sight. They could only watch Gao Wu and Song Mingyue, these two fearless teenagers.

Seeing the beetle-men coordinate their assault, several military officers frowned. "Should we provide support?" one asked. He recognized Gao Wu, who was highly famous in the North Province and valued by several martial arts masters; it would be difficult to explain if something happened to him.

All eyes turned to Chief of Staff Song Yunfeng. With the commander, Song Chunqiu, stationed at the command center, Song Yunfeng was the one making decisions on the ground. He was a man of ordinary appearance and thin build; as a peripheral member of the Song family, his connection to Song Xuetao was distant, and he had reached his position primarily through his own competence.

Through specialized goggles, Song Yunfeng could see the radiant Source Power of the beetle-men and gauge their approximate level. "There is a third-tier alien," he noted, feeling it was tricky; they were too far away to intervene effectively.

Song Yunfeng disliked Gao Wu’s tendency to act independently; he believed people should be responsible for their own actions. The military had retreated to the bridgehead, yet Gao Wu had chosen to stand his ground—he was looking for trouble. If he got into trouble, he would expect others to help. Still, he couldn't just ignore them. Setting aside Song Mingyue’s status, the military had a duty to protect civilians. Though their behavior was foolish, they were, after all, just teenagers. Moreover, Gao Wu deserved great credit for finding the spatial entrance. Regardless, they had to try to keep them alive.

Song Yunfeng ordered his subordinates: "Have the sniper team prepare, and you take a squad to bring them back." In truth, at such a distance, sniper rifles were of limited use and prone to friendly fire. The spatial rift severely interfered with electronic technology; drones, mechanical hounds, and satellite positioning were all unusable, forcing combat equipment levels back by decades.

Before he could finish, Song Yunfeng saw Gao Wu draw his sword and charge forward.

A cold flash of light swept out, and the three leading beetle-men were severed at the waist. Another flash, and three more on the other side were cut down. With five thousand kilograms of force behind the swing, the kinetic energy alone was more than flesh and blood could withstand, not to mention the keenness of the Destiny Sword. Two first-tier beetle-men attempted to manifest their energy fields, but they failed to resist the blade's terrifying power.

Wielding the Destiny Sword, Gao Wu pushed his Wandering Dragon Sword art to the level of great accomplishment, completely overwhelming the crudely skilled beetle-men. The ferocity of his swordplay caused the surrounding swarm to hesitate. As intelligent beings, while they loved to kill, they also feared death.

Gao Wu seized the opportunity, his feet driving him forward like a dragon into the heart of the swarm. The Destiny Sword slashed left and right, and in a flurry of light, beetle-men were torn apart. In the process, Gao Wu was struck twice by the curved blades that shot out from the creatures' arms, but these were insufficient to pierce his Profound Armor, leaving only shallow scratches on his outer garment. He hadn't even activated the armor’s full combat mode; it was unnecessary to waste Source Power on low-level fodder.

With only five strikes, he slaughtered all seventeen beetle-men that had closed in. Meanwhile, another group had reached Song Mingyue. Catching his breath, Gao Wu surged forward again, his sword transforming into a straight beam of light as he dove back into the fray.

The Destiny Sword pierced three beetle-men in succession. As he reached the fourth—the white-shelled third-tier leader—the creature accelerated, its three-foot-long folding blades glistening with a sinister, icy light.

As they crossed paths, electric sparks flashed in Gao Wu’s eyes as he triggered the Triple Gale-Thunder Transformation. The Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation surged to the level of perfection, greatly amplifying his power. Invisible lightning from the transformation struck the creature’s mental center, and electrical arcs shimmered in the beetle-man's eyes. Deprived of conscious control, the Source Power field surrounding the third-tier creature dissipated silently. Gao Wu thrust and twisted his blade, shredding the creature on the spot.

Without their leader, the remaining creatures panicked and scattered. Gao Wu charged forward, killed seven more, and then calmly sheathed his sword and pulled his gun. In a rhythmic series of low-pitched shots, every fleeing beetle-man collapsed with a shattered skull.

In less than ten seconds, Gao Wu had wiped out the entire attacking swarm.

Song Yunfeng and his officers were too far to see the details, but they witnessed every creature drop dead. "Quite impressive!" an officer remarked in surprise. He knew Gao Wu was the Kirin Cup champion, a young warrior, but the battlefield was vastly different from the arena. The sheer number of enemies, including a third-tier elite, had been swept aside as if Gao Wu were mowing grass.

Even Song Yunfeng looked astonished. These were not the skills of a novice warrior. Gao Wu’s blade work was sharp and ruthless, his every move lethal, and his coordination between gun and sword was seasoned and masterful. Such proficiency in slaughter resembled that of a battle-hardened veteran; for an eighteen-year-old, it was simply hyperbolic. "Indeed, a capable youth," he sighed.

The officers nodded in agreement. Gao Wu’s ability saved them effort and worry. But the most critical issue remained the battle between the masters; if the likes of Bai Yan were defeated, the consequences would be dire. The beetle-men were a minor nuisance.

Song Yunfeng and the others turned their gaze toward the collapsed hotel. Separated by the spatial entrance, they could see nothing. Ten minutes had passed; even with the vast reserves of martial arts masters, it was difficult to maintain such intense combat for long. Why couldn't four masters combined take down Wan Canglong? What was happening inside?

The officers grew anxious. Gao Wu, too, was unsure of the situation inside and dared not risk his spirit-body again; such a level of combat was too dangerous for him. Taking advantage of the lull, he silently recited the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation, adjusting his body to its peak state and preparing for whatever came next.

Suddenly, Gao Wu sensed something, and Song Mingyue looked startled. Without a word, they both retreated rapidly.

They hadn't moved back a hundred meters when the collapsed hotel exploded. The immense shockwave sent countless bricks, concrete, and dust into the sky. Several figures were blasted out by the roar. Among them, Wan Canglong, clad in crimson armor, was in the most wretched state. His left arm was severed, half his face was a bloody mess, and his left eye had been blown out.

Wan Canglong stumbled as he landed, intending to turn and flee, but his eyes locked onto Gao Wu and Song Mingyue, standing a few dozen meters away. Seeing the Scarlet Eye still on Gao Wu’s face, Wan Canglong was consumed by rage. He realized then that Gao Wu had discovered the entrance, feigned a retreat to lead the others away, and then directed the artillery fire—this boy was both sinister and ruthless.

His grand blood sacrifice, on the verge of success, had been ruined by this brat. He was in this predicament because of him. The more he thought, the more he hated. They were only a few dozen meters away; he could kill this boy before making his escape.

Gao Wu was saying to Song Mingyue: "Look at Wan Canglong, he looks like a dog! A stray dog..."

The brutal battle had left Wan Canglong in a state of extreme misery, and having lost his sanity, he roared in fury at the remark.

"You little brat, you're looking for death!" Wan Canglong growled, accelerating instantly as he lunged straight toward Gao Wu.