Chapter 159: Coolness is a Vibe

Having received the instruction of the Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon from Lu Yuan, Gao Wu’s martial arts cultivation had truly advanced by leaps and bounds during this period. Naturally, this was also thanks to the enhancement of his foundational vessel.

Even though his physical attributes had not changed much, Gao Wu knew that he had become much, much stronger.

Simply put, with the exact same amount of strength, he could now exert tenfold efficiency.

The group of white-furred werewolves was not weak; the leaders among them could circulate Origin Power, and their sinews and bones were robust. Their fur was as tough as body armor, capable of not only withstanding the bitter cold but also effectively resisting external attacks.

According to the intelligence data, these werewolves were presumably the vanished Rakshas, who had been modified by the White Crow King in the alien realm for a century, transforming from humans into werewolf sub-humans covered in white fur.

This destiny was identical to that of those black-armored insectoids, save for the different modifying demon god.

Gao Wu cared little for the history of the white-furred werewolves; right now, both sides were irreconcilable enemies, and whatever happened in the past was entirely meaningless.

He only cared about the combat power of the white-furred werewolves. This pack of white-furred werewolves lacked weapons, acting as savagely as beasts, swarming chaotically upon encountering an enemy, proving even less intelligent than a genuine wolf pack.

Perhaps due to their formidable combat prowess and the absence of any notable opponents in the past, they had developed such a casual combat style.

Facing these uncoordinated werewolves, Gao Wu struck with slaps, jabs, and cuts; whenever a werewolf was hit, it perished on the spot.

Gao Wu’s highly efficient and exquisite application of force turned this battle into a one-sided slaughter.

Having slain over a dozen werewolves in a row, Gao Wu still felt a lingering sense of unfulfillment.

Through the wireless earpiece in his helmet came Bai Yuzhen’s voice: "How are you holding up?"

"Condition is optimal." Gao Wu’s reply was transmitted through the wireless earpiece to everyone, including the battalion headquarters and the military command; all heard his response.

As the commander of the Second Army, Bai Tiejun happened to be free, so he patched into the signal of Sector 341. Despite some latency, he managed to get a rough view of the entire battle.

Chief of Staff Yue Yi remarked from the side, "No wonder Grandmaster Lu pays him so much attention; there is certainly substance to him."

Slashing through a pack of undisciplined and brainless werewolves was not difficult. What was difficult was how Gao Wu’s combat resembled water flowing through a dense forest—whether fast or slow, it remained poised and fluid, displaying an exquisite mastery of combat.

To see the leopard through a tube is to spot a single leopard spot; a glimpse reveals the whole!

Yue Yi was also a martial master, so he could naturally tell that Gao Wu’s martial cultivation far surpassed what was shown in the video by tenfold. With such innate talent, becoming a grandmaster in the future was by no means a delusion.

Bai Tiejun nodded in agreement; Gao Wu’s performance was indeed exceptional. In his view, he belonged securely at the apex of the younger generation in Northern Province.

There were a few experts in their twenties within the military who had already achieved the rank of martial master at a young age. However, having endured prolonged trials in the military, their killing intent was far too intense. In the long run, this proved rather detrimental to their martial cultivation.

From his perspective, time was running short for these young geniuses.

Bai Tiejun said to Yue Yi, "Coordinate with Xiling and ensure Gao Wu receives as much care as possible within our capacity. After all, he is a genius with upright character; perhaps one day he might become the hope of the human race..."

Regardless of what achievements Gao Wu might attain in the future, extending a helping hand now was the right course of action. At this juncture, Bai Tiejun hoped countless geniuses would emerge among the human race, without worrying about matters of competition for the time being.

When the destructive giant wave swept over, it remained unknown how many people would survive.

Gao Wu, stationed at the very front lines, naturally remained unaware that his footage had reached the military command, nor did he concern himself with it.

Having guarded the Aurora Ice Field for decades, the military held the firmest and most unyielding attitude toward the demon gods. On this point, there was no doubt.

Lu Yuan handled matters reliably; he would never rashly cast him into a dangerous location.

Bai Ying’s somewhat strained voice came through the helmet: "The drones have detected a large swarm of white-furred werewolves closing in on your position, numbering around one hundred... I suggest retreating as soon as possible."

"Received."

Gao Wu turned around, gazing at the massive horde of white-furred werewolves leaping out from the buildings on both sides of the long street.

Just under half of this newly charging wave of werewolves wielded weapons—heavy wooden clubs or long blades cast from metal. They all appeared crude in craftsmanship, yet their sheer bulk gave them a substantial, heavy feel.

Observing with his spiritual perception, Gao Wu could discern that a tall werewolf trailing in the rear, clutching a black long blade, had three acupoints shining across his body. He was a senior martial warrior.

The tall werewolf’s azure-blue eyes were serene, entirely devoid of the fierce, malevolent aura exhibited by the other werewolves. Based on this sole distinction, it was evident he possessed the intelligence to master his emotions—he was an expert!

Among the chaotic horde of werewolves, there were also four intermediate martial warriors and eleven junior martial warriors. Naturally, having merely reached that tier of Origin Power, even though they could harness it, they struggled to control their fierce bestial nature.

"You all need not mind me; I shall go meet them."

Gao Wu beckoned to the charging white-furred werewolves, then slowly retreated into a small building beside the long street.

The building appeared to have been a restaurant or café; its massive display windows had long since been shattered, and cast-iron chairs in the front hall lay scattered haphazardly. The floor was covered in debris, amongst which some porcelain fragments faintly emitted a white sheen.

There was also a large solid-wood counter, behind which stood wooden display cases. More than half of the solid-wood counter had been smashed apart, while the display cases were battered into jagged ruins beyond recognition.

Gao Wu strolled leisurely behind the counter, waiting for several white-furred werewolves to leap through the giant window before suddenly reaching out to flip the solid-wood counter over.

Even in its ruined state, it weighed a good two to three hundred catties. Gao Wu exerted a sudden burst of strength, sending the counter spinning at high speed to crash directly into the pack of werewolves.

With a loud crash, wood splinters shattered everywhere, leaving the leading few werewolves reeling and dizzy. Capitalizing on the moment, Gao Wu surged before a cluster of them and delivered a casual press; the chest of the foremost werewolf instantly caved inward.

He employed the force-generating method of *Dragon Subduing Slaps: Regretful Dragon*, while the specific moves themselves were of little importance. What mattered was utilizing *Regretful Dragon* to mobilize the strength of his muscles and sinews, which in turn drove his Origin Power.

To deal with a few unrated white-furred werewolves, Gao Wu had no need to mobilize his Origin Power whatsoever. His fist strength could effortlessly reach eight thousand kilograms, an extremely terrifying force when applied to flesh and blood tissue.

In truth, employing the Military Combat Fist would have been simpler and more direct—one punch per target to easily blast them apart. Yet Gao Wu’s purpose in coming this time was to temper the *Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon*, so unless necessary, he would refrain from using the Military Combat Fist, dual pistols, or the Destiny Sword.

*Regretful Dragon’s Regret* involved generating force first and retracting it afterward; even when used without matching Origin Power, it constituted an extremely complex composite force-application method.

Such intricate changes were not mere posturing, but rather designed to pierce through Origin Power fields and various defensive barriers.

Thus, to the eye, Gao Wu merely delivered a casual palm strike with a gentle press, yet the force of his blow penetrated straight through the tough skin, flesh, and bones of the werewolf, reaching deep into its visceral organs.

The moment his palm landed, the target’s five internal organs instantly burst into fragments. No matter how formidable a creature's vitality might be, it would perish on the spot.

However, executing such complex changes rendered his palm speed slightly slower. As Gao Wu instantaneously dispatched three werewolves in rapid succession, the final werewolf reacted, scrambling backward in panic. Too late to strike with his palm, Gao Wu fluidly lashed out with a kick, his alloy combat boot stamping squarely into the opponent’s chest.

This kick was executed with penetrating crispness, carrying a residual retraction force that shattered the target’s ribs and heart in an instant, while the opponent’s body remained completely motionless.

Allowing the target's body to recoil would dissipate the force; remaining entirely still thus proved that every ounce of kicking power had been fully absorbed, further demonstrating Gao Wu's supreme mastery.

Observing through the drones, Bai Yuzhen and the others could barely make out the general picture thanks to the wide windows.

Witnessing this scene, Bai Yuzhen felt a surge of secret astonishment. While a human’s palms were naturally flexible enough to execute myriad variations, Gao Wu had utilized his legs to unleash such exquisite transformations—that was exceptionally brilliant.

Although Yang大海, Zhang Ping, and Bai Ying were all martial warriors, their comprehension of martial arts fell far short. Their cultivation emphasized direct, straightforward methods combined with modern firearms to unleash maximum lethality, entirely unfamiliar with such flashy maneuvers.

With Gao Wu drawing their attention, the swarm of werewolves paid no heed to the drone hovering overhead.

Seeing several of their companions drop dead, the horde of werewolves instead grew increasingly ferocious, howling as they swamped into the room.

Noticing the overwhelming number of adversaries, Gao Wu recognized that becoming cornered within the enclosure would put him at a severe disadvantage. Though unafraid, he saw no reason to rely solely on brute force.

Pushing off the ground with his feet, his body glided silently backward, effortlessly evading the wild claw-swipes of several lunging werewolves as he retreated toward the stairwell.

A few werewolves eagerly pursued, only for Gao Wu—waiting right at the corner of the staircases—to press his palm squarely against the face of the lead werewolf. The werewolf’s head caved in deeply with the imprint of five fingers, killing him instantly before he could even utter a sound.

The second werewolf met the same fate with a single palm strike, its chest turning to mush under the impact.

As Gao Wu continued his steady retreat, striking down enemies one after another, by the time he reached the second floor, the stairs were already paved with werewolf corpses.

Ivan, the tall werewolf who had followed closely behind in giant strides, saw this scene and felt his pupils dilate, clearly revealing a trace of horror and dread.

The lower the level of life hierarchy, the less one understands the preciousness of life, leading to reckless and desperate violence at every turn.

Having unlocked his third acupoint, Ivan had awakened his intelligence, recognizing the value of life and earning his own name.

Suddenly encountering such a terrifying alien expert, he felt little inclination to throw his life away in a desperate brawl.

What good would slaying this alien do? It would merely buy him an extra bite of meat. The problem was that so many werewolves had already fallen—and all of them were prime cuts of meat!

Deep contemplation flickered within Ivan’s azure-blue eyes; rather than entering the two-story building, he instead clutched his blade and rapidly retreated.

"Charge in and kill him!" he roared orders in his native tongue, and under his command, the converging werewolves continuously flooded into the low-slung building.

From within came angry, shrill roars, interspersed with massive explosive impacts, sending tremors and dust rippling across the red brick exterior walls.

Ivan could perceive that as more and more individuals poured inside, that formidable alien could no longer precisely control his force, causing various shockwaves of power to leak outward—which explained the immense commotion.

Bai Yuzhen and her three companions, monitoring the battle via drone, could no longer see inside the rooms, but they could roughly calculate the number of entering werewolves through the drone feeds, which had already exceeded one hundred...

They struggled to comprehend how a modest two-story building could accommodate so many combatants and contain a battle of such scale.

"Can he still hold out?" Bai Ying couldn't help asking Bai Yuzhen. In this scenario, utilizing firearms would provide excellent support, easily ensuring Gao Wu’s safe retreat at the very least.

"He hasn’t even drawn his firearms; he’s fine." Bai Yuzhen trusted that Gao Wu was a sensible person; had he truly reached his limit, he certainly would have resorted to guns and swords.

The absence of gunfire thus far served as proof that Gao Wu was still holding his ground.

"With so many werewolves, can he really pull this off?" Zhang Ping expressed profound skepticism. If Gao Wu were a martial master, perhaps he wouldn't hesitate to enter Sector 341.

But a senior martial warrior—just how strong could one possibly be?!

Before Bai Yuzhen could reply, a deafening explosion shattered the quiet. The street-facing brick wall of the second-story building blew open in a massive gaping hole, sending two werewolves flying outward amidst shattered bricks and billowing dust.

Through the swirling dust, Gao Wu could be seen surrounded by a cluster of werewolves—or rather, Gao Wu had executed a sudden, flashing charge right into the midst of them. He resembled a fierce dragon crossing a mighty river, his body undulating and dancing with fluid grace while immense strength erupted from his frame. Any werewolf brushed by his body was instantly sent hurtling away.

In the blink of an eye, over a dozen werewolves were sent flying airborne by the sudden charge of Gao Wu, each letting out shrill cries of alarm while their weapons went spinning wildly through the air, clattering loudly.

When the pack of werewolves awkwardly crashed back down to the ground, their bodies went limp as they lay bleeding from the seven orifices. Though still breathing faintly, their survival was clearly out of the question.

Employing the serial force-generation technique of *Fierce Dragon Crossing the River*, Gao Wu collided and squeezed through the remaining horde, coordinating the shifts of his Origin Power to shatter the bones and internal organs of the remaining werewolves. The sudden burst of exertion forced him to pause briefly to regulate his breathing and Origin Power.

The drone captured this scene through the massive breach in the wall. As the camera panned, the interior of the room was revealed to be choked with corpses, a vast sea of pale white stretching as far as the eye could see.

Bai Ying’s eyes widened: "Holy cow!"

He vaguely recognized the footwork as the *Fierce Dragon Crossing the River*, yet this was his first time witnessing anyone wield this movement technique with such ferocious dominance. Truly, it resembled a fierce dragon traversing the Yangtze River, possessing the divine might to split rivers and sweep away all obstacles!

Zhang Ping and Yang Dahai, possessing lower cultivation tiers, merely perceived Gao Wu utilizing his physical form as a divine weapon to effortlessly slaughter the horde surrounding him, exuding an awe-inspiring majesty that left them filled with profound admiration and worship.

Though Bai Yuzhen maintained a calm expression, her heart churned like a boiling pot of water.

Having caught sight of further details, she understood the true value inherent in this style of *Fierce Dragon Crossing the River*. Below the rank of martial master, surely no one could wield it better than Gao Wu!

vast though Northern Province was, likely no contemporary peer could contend with Gao Wu. To dub him the "King of Youths" was hardly an exaggeration.

As for the other provinces of the Alliance, her limited knowledge precluded her from making sweeping assertions. At any rate, she felt thoroughly outmatched.

Regulating his breath, Gao Wu stepped forward to the breached wall opening, looking down at the remaining few werewolves below.

Ivan, clutching his heavy long blade, felt a rising wave of regret. He should have withdrawn earlier; attempting to flee now proved rather too late.

Fortunately, two secondary-tier werewolves remained by his side; though lacking in intelligence, they possessed a measure of strength.

"You possess some backbone." Gao Wu felt a hint of surprise; the sword-wielding fellow looked sharp enough, yet hadn't seized the opportunity to escape.

Well, all the better—he would wipe them out in one go.

Gao Wu leaped down gracefully, heading straight for the leader, Ivan. Ivan scrambled backward in retreat, and at his command, the two secondary-tier werewolves lunged forward to meet Gao Wu head-on.

Both werewolves wielded long blades; bolstered by Origin Power, the heavy weapons screamed through the air with a piercing, ferocious momentum.

Gao Wu’s lunging form halted abruptly, dodging past the two intersecting, flashing sword-slashes. The two werewolves likewise had to redirect their Origin Power and hurriedly retract their blades.

While their Origin Power cultivation was decent, their martial techniques fell short; from executing a slash to suddenly pulling back, the fluidity of their movements was shattered, forcing immediate adjustments to their circulating Origin Power.

Inevitably, a momentary lag gripped both heavy blades. Gao Wu reached out and pressed lightly upon one of the blades; unable to withstand the overwhelming force, the blade violently veered off course, slashing toward the werewolf on the opposite side. Sensing imminent danger, that werewolf hastily raised his own blade to parry.

The collision of the two blades emitted a thousand sparks, yet Gao Wu utilized the counterforce from pressing against the blade to adjust his posture. Landing lightly, he slipped to the side of the werewolf, striking his elbow with a burst of palm force that sent the werewolf's blade spinning away in a high arc, cleanly severing the neck of the parrying werewolf beside him.

Gao Wu delivered a final tap to the back of the first werewolf’s head as his body lost control, ending his life swiftly and sparing him the regret of accidentally injuring an ally.

In a single exchange, two secondary-tier werewolves were effortlessly slain by Gao Wu. The entire sequence resembled a meticulously rehearsed dance routine—fluid, expressive, and natural—adding an unhurried, masterful grace to Gao Wu's demeanor.

Watching the battle via drone, Bai Ying, Zhang Ping, and Yang Dahai were filled with utmost admiration. Setting aside anything else, the sheer elegance of his posture while slaying alien entities resembled a professionally trained star on stage, cool and dazzling to the extreme...

Ivan gripped his long blade tighter. Though ignorant of human martial arts, he could clearly perceive that his opponent’s methods were terrifyingly lethal, and a profound, overwhelming terror of death gripped his heart...