Chapter Forty-Seven: Fierce Battle

Zeke was startled when Yinglong charged at him, but he reacted swiftly to dissolve the assault, retreating after a single exchange. Although he moved quickly, his arm was still marked by the dragon’s claws—sharp talons tearing away pieces of flesh. Zeke cursed to himself, “Damn! Careless of me.”

Yinglong was about to give chase when Zeke’s trusted lieutenant, Cooper, arrived with a horde of ape-like aliens. They spread out in an instant, forming a net-like formation that trapped Yinglong at its center. Despite several struggles, Yinglong found himself unable to break free from this invisible web woven from spiritual power. He sensed that these beings possessed strength equivalent to the apex of the Yuan Emperor realm, but unlike Earth cultivators, they fought not with vital energy, but with a nearly tangible force of mind. Over thirty such aliens, each at the peak of the Yuan Emperor stage, led by a commander whose aura faintly surpassed the rest, reaching the initial phase of the Yuan Sovereign level—this battle would not be easily won.

Dan Qiusheng noted the shifting tides on the field. Though he himself had reached the mid-stage of Yuan Sovereign at level 66, and Yinglong was at level 67, the enemy’s methods, so different from those of Earth—both in attack and formation—were a vexing challenge. If he could not find a way to counter them soon, a prolonged and grueling fight seemed inevitable.

Hua Feng, too, was watching for an opening. Yinglong, beset on all sides, had reached a stalemate. Dan Qiusheng was wary of Zeke making a sudden move, while Master Zhang was preparing a mystical array, now nearly complete. Suddenly, Master Zhang’s voice rang out:

“Soldiers of the Six Paths, array yourselves before me. By the urgent decree of the Supreme Lord Laozi—Demon-Breaking Command! Swift as thunder!”

Countless yellow talismans coalesced into the shape of a sword and shot towards the fray. Master Zhang had clearly deemed these foes to be monsters and was determined to exorcise them. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed wherever the talismans struck. Hua Feng noticed that Master Zhang was not attacking the web itself, but those controlling it. While this inflicted some wounds, it did little to change the overall balance.

Seeing that his Demon-Breaking Command was ineffective, Master Zhang grew frustrated and decided to unleash his ancestral art, the “Heavenly Heart of Five Thunders.” In an instant, his eyes blazed with light, and arcs of electricity danced around him. The crackle of thunder was unceasing as Master Zhang, wreathed in lightning, joined the battle. The moment he engaged, bolts of heavenly lightning rained down from above. The results were immediate: two alien corpses were charred black in an instant. Indeed, under heavenly thunder, few could survive—especially these aliens, whose spiritual force was formidable but whose bodies were fragile.

“Well done, Master!” Dan Qiusheng cheered.

Hua Feng could not help but marvel, “This is the first time I’ve witnessed Master Zhang’s true power—it's terrifying!”

“Of course,” Dan Qiusheng replied. “The Zhang lineage has been handed down for a thousand years. Its reputation is well earned.”

“Cooper, withdraw at once! Activate the weapon systems! I’ll hold them here!” After watching for some time, Zeke could remain calm no longer. Seeing that their psychic net could not suppress the enemy, he decided it was more reliable to use technology thousands of years ahead of Earth’s. With a thought, he transformed—no longer a two-meter-tall ape, but a massive gorilla over ten meters high, charging at Yinglong and Master Zhang on all fours.

“Well now, it can even transform. Interesting. I haven’t fought in ages. Hua Feng, protect yourself and be ready to act!” Dan Qiusheng shouted, “Bring forth the wine, let the cups never empty! Refine energy, shape the sword within the wine—manifest!”

Countless streams of vital energy encircled Dan Qiusheng as he dashed forward, resembling the legendary “Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Sect” from an old film. “Go!” he commanded, pointing into the void. The swords manifested from wine scattered, hurtling toward the aliens—more than half targeting Zeke.

Yinglong, still locked in the psychic net, understood he could not let the unpredictable Zeke join the battle. As the sword energy struck, Zeke faltered; Yinglong sensed the net weaken, and, feeling no longer bogged down, he unleashed his true power, swiftly killing three foes.

“Your opponent is me!” Dan Qiusheng declared, pulling a jug of wine from his pack and draining it in a single draught. The sword within the wine shone brighter than ever. Now, with his robes fluttering and cheeks flushed, he stood, sword in hand, the very image of an immortal drunkard.

Zeke was taken aback—it seemed he’d underestimated the Earthlings’ mastery over vital energy and other forces. Damn it! This was trouble. He could only hope that Cooper would not let him down. With the support of the spaceship’s weapon systems, even if they could not defeat these adversaries, they could at least hold onto their hard-won Australian stronghold. As for the vital energy crystals, those could be gathered later. If the East proved too troublesome, they could always head West—those mages, paladins, and blood clans had energies that could be converted into crystals to open the Easter Island wormhole. Having made up his mind, Zeke resolved not to fight to the death; he would seize any chance to escape the battlefield.

Hua Feng, meanwhile, was witnessing a world he had never imagined, watching the display of power from Yuan Sovereigns and peak Yuan Emperors. He regretted that he could do little to help. As the tide seemed to turn, he realized Cooper had already slipped away in the chaos. Hua Feng inwardly lamented, “I was careless!”

“Elders, their weapon systems are millennia ahead of Earth’s—unknown technology could bring unforeseen changes. Since our goal is achieved, shouldn’t we withdraw while we still can?” Hua Feng sent a telepathic suggestion to the others.

“I’m afraid it’s too late. Hua Feng, go find their weapon system’s control platform and destroy it. We can hold out here!” Yinglong responded.

“These are my family’s explosive talismans, unique to the Zhang lineage. Their power rivals that of bombs. Just stick them to the target, and I’ll sense it through the spiritual imprint I left. Once you’re clear, I’ll detonate them. Take them all with you—the more chances, the better! Catch!” Master Zhang tossed over a pouch of talismans.

“Then take care, elders!” Hua Feng called out, watching as the field erupted with lightning and dust, dragonfire rising and falling, and Zeke—now a titan gorilla—attacking with morphing limbs. Explosions and laser blasts rained down as the weapon systems activated.

Knowing he had to act quickly, Hua Feng turned away from the battle, flying at full speed toward the spaceship. The sound of explosions echoed in the distance; if even two Yuan Sovereigns and a peak Yuan Emperor could not hold the line, then there was no point in him staying. It was best to destroy the apes’ ship. Channeling his senses, he tracked Cooper’s presence and flew toward the barrage of missiles.

Hua Feng struggled to make progress. Though he knew Cooper and the weapons were inside, he lacked Yinglong’s formidable dragonfire to breach the hull—he could only fret helplessly. He realized how little he truly knew; the Flame Emperor’s mark, inherited from his family, still lay unexplored. Perhaps, after passing the Heroic Successor’s trial, he would gain access to many divine artifacts. That thought gave him a little hope.

Just as he was mired in worry, Hua Feng noticed something white and fluffy emerging from the ground nearby. Looking closely, he realized it was a fox with nine tails. And its path was straight toward him. My God, he thought, this is the first time I’ve seen a true monster. In this world of wonders and terrors, how should I conduct myself? Where do I go from here?