As the news anchor's explanation came through,
the footage on the giant screen in the Martial Arts Classroom switched from the studio to an aerial view of the scene.
A massive rift, filled with chaos and distortion, continued to expand with thunderous roars.
Beneath the rift, creatures from the Mythical World, steeped in blood and darkness, continuously emerged.
The most numerous among them were humanoid creatures covered in bloodstained bony scabs, with white bone spurs growing from their joints and ghostly green phosphorescent flames flickering in their eye sockets. They moved sluggishly, like zombies.
The aerial footage helpfully displayed this creature's name, rank, and abilities.
Virus Corpse Demon (Servant-Level): Emits an infectious blood virus. Moves slowly, but will suddenly leap and pounce when approached, attacking with bone spurs and bites.
Because the Virus Corpse Demons were so numerous, they looked from afar like surging black tides, creating a striking visual impact.
Yet neither Li Xijun nor the other people of Bocheng showed any fear upon seeing them. Instead, they seemed to think, You again?
The reason was simple.
During the early stages of the Great Cataclysm, these Mythical World creatures had been the first to invade and ravage the continent.
And the Mythic Rift east of Bocheng happened to connect to that very world.
Whenever the rift fluctuated, these weakest Mythical creatures were always the most likely to emerge.
Coupled with their vast numbers and combat power only comparable to high school Apprentices who had trained for a few years,
the Virus Corpse Demons were practically old friends to the people of Bocheng. When elementary school students visited Great Cataclysm history museums, students in nearly every province would see their specimens.
But following that sea of corpses came monsters with skinless dark-red muscles covered in throbbing blood vessels. Their tongues had evolved into four barbed tentacles, cross-shaped mouths split open at the backs of their heads, and their overall appearance resembled Lickers.
Abyssal Blood Predator (Ferocious Soldier-Level): Moves as fast as a Mortal Shedding martial artist. Its tongue-tentacles can pierce steel, its attacks are extremely fast, it climbs soundlessly, and its hearing is exceptionally sharp.
These were Mythical creatures already comparable to Mortal Shedding martial artists. Though they no longer possessed viral infection abilities, they had gained terrifying speed and hunting prowess.
Last to emerge were fewer in number, but enormous creatures formed from hundreds of tombstone fragments embedded in massive heaps of flesh. Like mountains of meat, their left arms had mutated into giant tombstone shields, while their right arms were triple-pronged bone blades split from the elbows. Their presence was terrifying.
Tombstone Meat Mountain (War General-Level): Contains a large number of flesh-based lifeforms, granting extremely rapid regeneration. Its strength exceeds that of most Intent Realm Martial Warriors. It is rather slow among those of the same realm and difficult for Intent Realm Martial Warriors of the same realm to kill. Laser weapons are recommended.
Up to this point, Li Xijun had not felt particularly nervous, nor had Zhang Haifeng beside him.
Most people in Bocheng watching the livestream on their phones also regarded it with relaxed interest.
After all, these things could basically be killed with electromagnetic and laser weapons. Though numerous, they were hardly much of a threat.
That was until the abnormal blood-red hue in the sky above the rift grew increasingly dense, eventually gathering into a monster as large as a small mountain. Countless flesh mutations, heads, arms, and toes constantly emerged from and melted into its feminine outline.
But her head was not that of a beautiful woman. It was another opening-and-closing maw, covered in innumerable tentacles. At the ends of those tentacles were human faces, while her lower body was a blood-red ocean formed from densely packed, blood-colored leech-like creatures.
The moment she appeared, heaven and earth within a radius of over fifty miles completely changed color!
Every tree outside the city instantly withered. Humans beyond the city walls and animals in the wilderness alike had their blood drained dry, becoming like desiccated corpses.
Even the once-fertile earth cracked inch by inch, as though a natural disaster had struck!
Endless scarlet filled the space between heaven and earth, seeming to dye everything blood-red. It blotted out the sky and sun, as if the most terrifying calamity had descended.
The continuously fired electromagnetic shells and lasers were corroded in an instant, turning into pools of molten iron.
All technological weapons completely failed amid her faint, hissing chant.
The outer city walls, forged from advanced new alloys, were torn apart like sheets of paper.
Even through the screen, Li Xijun could feel the overwhelming pressure and despair rushing toward him.
Zhang Haifeng, as sturdily built as a black bear and possessing Intent Realm strength, wore a grave expression as he forced two words through clenched teeth:
"Exterior Scenery!"
At the same time, everyone before the livestream suddenly changed expression. Even the female host's offscreen voice trembled, something rarely heard.
"Emergency situation. The security alert has been adjusted from Level 1 to Level 2. All Bocheng citizens, please remain safe."
"Next, I will introduce the source of this Level 2 Alert: the Overlord-Level Mythical creature, the Thousand-Headed Blood Leech Queen."
"Thousand-Headed Blood Leech Queen, Overlord-Level. Her strength, speed, and control over the Spiritual Power of heaven and earth all far surpass Exterior Scenery Martial Artists of the same realm."
"She possesses powerful immortality beyond her current realm. So long as a single Blood Leech remains alive, she cannot be completely killed."
"She possesses exceptionally powerful mental contamination abilities. She can release mental shocks and devour and assimilate the overwhelming majority of flesh-and-blood lifeforms."
"She possesses a Pseudo-Domain. The power of attacks that draw upon the Spiritual Power of heaven and earth exceeds an Exterior Scenery Martial Artist's Exterior Scenery Killing Move."
"All martial artists below Exterior Scenery, evacuate Bocheng East High-Speed Rail Station immediately."
"It is recommended that five or more Exterior Scenery Martial Artists conduct a joint extermination operation."
Generally speaking, Overlord-Level Mythical creatures corresponded to Exterior Scenery Martial Artists.
But clearly, Mythical creatures of this level were generally stronger in combat than the overwhelming majority of Exterior Scenery Martial Artists.
In particular, Overlords possessing Pseudo-Domains could often suppress the Spiritual Power of heaven and earth across dozens of miles, significantly weakening the Exterior Scenery Killing Moves of Exterior Scenery Martial Artists, which drew upon the power of heaven and earth.
Such an existence might not be capable of destroying a city,
but it was still as terrifying as an earthquake or tornado from the old era steadily moving toward a city.
The sense of crisis and urgency brought by such Mythical creatures came from knowing that there were enough Outer Scenery Experts to handle them, yet still being unable to stop the fear rising from the depths of one's heart.
Even Li Xijun tensed up for a moment before instinctively glancing at his Grand Luo Mark.
Oh, he could travel to other worlds and run away. Then it was fine.
For some reason, all sense of urgency vanished at once, and he was already considering what flavor of Pin Hao Fan to have for dinner.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness."
Zhang Haifeng, who had also been extremely nervous moments earlier, seemed to relax at once when he saw the screen switch footage.
"Several high school principals from the city went there today. The director of the Prevention Bureau and the mayor have also arrived."
"And besides—"
Zhang Haifeng looked at the high-speed rail train shown in the news footage, which bore the words "Welcome, teachers, to our city's high schools for guidance,"
then saw several people wearing swords and dressed in ancient-style clothing step out as soon as the train doors opened.
The corners of his mouth spread into a grin, and he could not hold back his laughter.
"This Thousand-Headed Blood Leech Queen is unbelievably unlucky to have emerged this time."
Li Xijun froze slightly, then realized that due to the Ten-Year Cultivation Plan, several Outer Scenery Experts would be coming to Bocheng's high schools as instructors.
In other words, at this high-speed rail station in the outskirts near Bocheng's eastern wall, there were actually nearly ten Exterior Scenery Martial Artists at this moment.
This—
Having been made deeply suspicious by Big A, Li Xijun did not find it as coincidental or amusing as Zhang Haifeng did.
He merely instinctively began by doubting it, then doubting it again.
Was it really such a coincidence, or was there some other reason?
Before he could think further,
the next moment,
a purple figure shot into the sky from the crowd. A long blade left its sheath with a clear cry, and a cold, tyrannical blade light filled heaven and earth.
In an instant,
thunder roared across the skies, purple lightning intertwined, silver serpents danced wildly, and everyone's vision was filled with endless purple electricity.
Only that long blade descended from above. Thunder exploded, purple lightning raged, and like heavenly punishment, it cleaved the blood-red sky and earth apart with a single slash!
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