'The Last' Overload

Am I really that old? Can't even fight anymore.

Black Shell slowly closed his narrowed eyes and kept adjusting his breathing.

It was time for him to cover for them.

Whatever else could be said, Wang Zheng really had some skill.

It was just bad luck this time. They had encountered a monster that could still leap around after its brain had been pierced through.

Black Shell monitored Jin Gu Gang's movements with his radar and spotted Shen Qionglin, who had just appeared.

He breathed a sigh of relief and casually flexed his fingers.

[100% Body Utilization];

[Secondary Reactor Activated];

[Injecting RT-2 Compound];

Black Shell repeated a procedure he had actually performed hundreds of times. His mechanical body immediately began operating, and he could now step forward himself.

But naturally, it would be even better if he had a little more time to prepare.

The old instructor tried to open his eyes. His vision became somewhat blurred, a symptom that would appear during the few seconds before the compound took effect.

His brain was being fully activated. During those few seconds, countless memories often surfaced—moments that had left a deep impression on him.

But what appeared this time was a scene from several years ago...

The Commander-in-Chief's towering mechanical body sat in a narrow chair. After a long silence, the projection screen before him displayed images of a fortress that had just been destroyed by Blade Beasts.

Another tragedy with no survivors.

Commander...

"Shell," Fu Jian sighed deeply, "how much longer can you hold on?"

"At least another seven or eight overload battles," Black Shell said optimistically. "Every overload lets me activate the Terror Mech once. Rounding it off, I can still take down at least six King Beasts!"

"Then tell me," Fu Jian said softly, "do Surface Humans truly have a future under our leadership?"

At the time, Black Shell had not known how to answer.

He later regretted that he had failed to encourage his old comrade.

The scene before his eyes suddenly became clear, and the symptoms of those few seconds swiftly faded.

Black Shell took a deep breath. Just as he was about to control his battered mech and leap up, he suddenly saw that the fight over there had already begun.

At that moment, he was incomparably calm. There were no unnecessary emotional fluctuations as his mind raced.

He was analyzing Jin Gu Gang's every movement.

Look at the battlefield!

Shen Qionglin, a member of the research personnel, had actually held Jin Gu Gang back for a while.

Everything was proceeding exactly as she had planned.

Shen Qionglin opened her left hand, and countless metal components within the hangar converged toward her.

When Jin Gu Gang rushed close to her, a massive iron fist swept forward.

The iron fist collided with Jin Gu Gang.

Shen Qionglin felt Jin Gu Gang's powerful psionic impact.

Borrowing that force, she barely maintained the metal sphere around her and rushed diagonally upward through the hangar roof.

Jin Gu Gang pursued relentlessly, flapping his black wings in midair as he continued chasing Shen Qionglin.

Shen Qionglin turned within the metal sphere. Her left hand opened, then closed, and the hangar roof suddenly folded and collapsed into a cage, trying to trap Jin Gu Gang.

Bang!

That ordinary metal roof was directly torn apart by Jin Gu Gang.

But the next instant, more than a dozen laser beams and Annihilation Cannon rays shot at Jin Gu Gang from all directions!

That translucent light barrier appeared again!

Was this a new ability Jin Gu Gang had awakened?

—Both Wang Jixuan and Shen Qionglin were thinking the same thing.

Although Jin Gu Gang had steadily blocked this wave of firepower, the psionic energy within him had clearly been depleted, and his upward charge had been interrupted.

Shen Qionglin continued attacking methodically.

She opened her right hand, sending a wave of cyan ripples downward. As her right hand swept forward, the metal sphere condensed into a massive hammer that struck down at Jin Gu Gang's head.

Jin Gu Gang's body was smashed downward.

Yet Shen Qionglin frowned slightly.

This Guy was even stronger than she had estimated.

It seemed the Blade Beasts' modification had not merely given Jin Gu Gang a King-Class Crystal Core. The reinforcement from the King-Class Crystal Core's psionic energy had also greatly enhanced his mutated body.

To be precise, Jin Gu Gang had previously been a humanoid Blade Beast. Now, he was a half-human, half-beast monster.

His total psionic energy had decreased, but his fighting will had awakened.

He'll be difficult to deal with.

Shen Qionglin's left hand moved as if playing a piano, her fingers constantly rising and falling, sliding about. The symbols on her body flashed without end as metal objects flew in from every direction.

Jin Gu Gang looked up at Shen Qionglin, narrowing his eyes slightly before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"So it was you! You're the awakened Spiritual Practitioner the Blade Beasts mentioned! Shen Qionglin!"

Wang Jixuan, who had already reached a corner of the hangar and remained invisible in his X Armor, was momentarily speechless upon hearing that.

No, this...

As long as he was happy.

Daoist Wang had already found those syringes. Carefully using his flying sword as a medium, he cast the Water Control Art and began enchanting it.

At that moment, Jin Gu Gang's attention was entirely focused on Shen Qionglin above.

Shen Qionglin had already created a gigantic metal hammer.

The muscles all over his body bulged, and the tiny scales covering his skin flashed with black light. He leaped up again, causing the ground to collapse beneath him.

Boom!

The massive hammer crashing down from the air was shattered by Jin Gu Gang's headbutt!

But after the hammer shattered, dozens of Giant Pythons made from steel bars and small metal pieces appeared within it. These Giant Pythons followed the trend and trapped Jin Gu Gang. Spikes burst from their bodies, while more than a dozen Giant Pythons swung their tails at once, lashing Jin Gu Gang like whips.

Jin Gu Gang was knocked down again.

Shen Qionglin had successfully delayed him for a while longer.

She did not waste the slightest bit of psionic energy. Carefully calculating the amount consumed by every attack, she raised her hand and drew in the scattered metal objects from all directions.

As long as I stall him, I should be able to win.

Shen Qionglin's train of thought was not wrong, but she had already lost her chance to attack.

Because the one who could truly fight Jin Gu Gang and threaten him head-on had entered the stage!

Human Civilization's Second-Generation Half-Human Mech, the warrior codenamed Black Shell, had adjusted himself to peak condition!

Clang!

In the northwestern corner of the hangar, the cockpit hatch of the twisted, deformed Four-Meter Class Specially Made Mecha embedded in the dented wall was punched away by a metal fist.

Orange light flickered within the cockpit.

The chief instructor of the Half-Human Mech Group, a man with short white hair whose body modification level was second only to Fu Jian's, slowly raised his head. There was a trace of blood on his forehead and a savage grin on his lips.

He needed to draw Jin Gu Gang's attention, so he proactively activated trash-talk mode.

"You freak..."

Black Shell slowly crawled out of the mech, orange light continuously flickering from his chest.

"Yeah, I'm really not as good as the Commander-in-Chief, because the best technology and materials had to be supplied to him. But I taught him many of his tactics!"

"You probably don't know what this mech was made for."

"It exists so I can use the least energy possible to fight at close to my normal strength. I'm old. I can barely fight anymore. A few more overloads and I'll collapse."

"But you bastard! Even if I waste an overload, I'm killing you!"

Powerful gusts suddenly blew around Black Shell!

All four miniature reactors in his mechanical body lit up at once, and a powerful aura erupted around him!

This was the confidence he had to cover for the young man!

Since the time he had regretted being unable to comfort the Commander-in-Chief, how many times had he overloaded himself?

If he remembered correctly, it should have been the eleventh time.

This time seemed to be...

Ah, it didn't matter.

Black Shell glanced at the data readings for his brain and saw the grooves in his brain beginning to curl up. The corner of his mouth twitched dismissively.

"Again!"

Black Shell took a huge stride. The ground collapsed, the mech beneath his feet shattered, and a corner of the hangar caved in!

But the collapse of the hangar seemed to move in slow motion, while his charging figure became a streak of black light!

Jin Gu Gang only had time to raise his arms in front of his face before his body was instantly sent flying!

The two figures smashed directly out of the hangar!

Black Shell's fists came like a storm!

Countless fist shadows bombarded Jin Gu Gang's arms like heavy machine-gun fire. Fine scales, accompanied by sprays of blood, scattered wildly outward!

Jin Gu Gang threw his head back and roared, causing bloody light to bloom from his forehead at the fastest speed possible.

Mental Shock!

A Magnetic Halo appeared behind Black Shell. It shone brilliantly, using the hangar itself as an anchor to yank Black Shell backward at high speed. The bloody light could not catch Black Shell at all!

Daoist Wang, who was about to attack, raised an eyebrow slightly.

Was this the true combat power of someone with ninety-six percent body modification?

So strong.

Black Shell immediately prepared to charge back in.

Jin Gu Gang seized the opportunity and rushed forward to clash head-on with Black Shell!

The two figures almost simultaneously chose to leap up and fly forward. Each clenched his right fist and drew back in midair.

Their fists collided!

Black Shell and Jin Gu Gang were both blasted backward!

But Black Shell's mechanical body erupted with a powerful magnetic field. He forcibly halted his backward momentum and surged after Jin Gu Gang, throwing out a sky full of fist shadows!

The scene became utterly chaotic!

Black Shell's every punch landed solidly, sending blood and flesh spraying from Jin Gu Gang.

But the psionic energy within Jin Gu Gang flowed without end, nearly inexhaustible, and he displayed powerful regenerative abilities!

Black Shell punched Jin Gu Gang down to the ground, then immediately aimed the fully charged Annihilation Cannon at Jin Gu Gang's mouth.

That transparent light barrier reappeared!

Black Shell smashed a fist into the transparent barrier, making it tremble continuously.

Wang Jixuan's Sound Transmission Entered his mind.

"Instructor, don't rush. That barrier is released by the crystal core. If you can't break it, wait it out. When the time is up, it'll retract!"

Black Shell narrowed his eyes slightly.

The old man tore off the ragged upper half of his Combat Suit, revealing his muscular upper body covered in synthetic skin.

A cold smile formed at the corner of his mouth.

Within the transparent barrier, Jin Gu Gang staggered unsteadily. He had been beaten until he could no longer straighten his back, lowering his head to spit mouthful after mouthful of blood as his hands constantly trembled.

Jin Gu Gang looked up at Black Shell, his eyes filled with terror.

"Half-Human Mech... sir... I was wrong... spare me! I can go deal with the Blade Beasts..."

Black Shell assumed a simple fighting stance and casually concealed the Annihilation Cannon in his palm.

Next, as long as he got a chance to strike, he would blow him apart!

The transparent light barrier was on the verge of collapse.

Suddenly...

"Let me test him."

Wang Jixuan's voice sounded through the battlefield, so calm and composed.

He deactivated his optical camouflage, and everyone looked over at once.

Naturally, Wang Jixuan was bluffing at that moment, but his appearance...

He wore full-body Silver White armor and a Demon Helmet with horns on its forehead. Floating in midair, he looked like a silver-white demon descending from the heavens. His left hand was held behind his back while his right hand removed its hand armor. Wearing Tactical Gloves, he pressed two fingers together in a sword finger before him.

A silver-white flying sword circled around him like a spirit serpent, wreathed in strands of Water Vapor.

The point was to look overwhelmingly cool.

Black Shell jumped backward, calmly placing both hands behind his back as every strand of his short silver-white hair stood on end.

"Try all you want, but... don't take too long."

"Yes, Instructor."

"It was you who launched a sneak attack on me!"

Jin Gu Gang glared furiously at Wang Jixuan and his flying sword.

Wang Jixuan pointed his sword finger forward. The flying sword shot ahead with a whoosh, turning transparent on its own.

The timing was perfect. The light barrier around Jin Gu Gang abruptly retracted into his body and covered the crystal core.

Jin Gu Gang's whole body tensed.

The flying sword appeared from the left, rushing toward him with a sharp screech.

Jin Gu Gang threw a punch. The flying sword actually shook like a rope, wrapping around Jin Gu Gang from the fist onward and coiling around his right arm before gently sliding across it.

The fine scales on his arm had been shattered by Black Shell's blows and had yet to recover.

Pain flared through Jin Gu Gang's arm as it was sliced. He hurriedly swung his arm, throwing the flying sword away.

The expressions of everyone present were hard to describe.

That... that was it?

Jin Gu Gang kept Black Shell in the corner of his eye, still wearing a cold sneer as he mocked this despicable sneak attacker who had suddenly popped out.

Jin Gu Gang's arm had merely suffered a scrape through its fine scales and skin, leaving a slight mark. The only effect of such a scratch was pain; a wash of spiritual energy would restore it at once.

Wang Jixuan flicked his Sword Finger, and the flying sword surged forward again.

The same old trick—using softness to overcome hardness!

Jin Gu Gang did not understand, but he swiftly dodged backward. He was still somewhat wary of this sudden intruder, yet that strange sword circled his left arm and lightly sliced across it again.

Pain again.

Furious, Jin Gu Gang immediately tried to charge at Wang Jixuan, but Black Shell was already poised to rush in from the side, forcing Jin Gu Gang to retreat.

A wise man knew when to yield.

He had already begun considering how he could beg for mercy.

Wang Jixuan finally could not hold on any longer. He crashed down from midair, staggered back two steps, barely steadied himself, and immediately sat cross-legged.

No one noticed that, before the wound on Jin Gu Gang's arm rapidly healed, wisps of water vapor had slipped into his blood...

Shen Qionglin, hovering in the air, could not help tilting her head. She sharply noticed something unusual.

Black Shell laughed and cursed from the side:

"What the hell are you doing, kid? All thunder and no rain, hahaha! Let me handle it! Our Ling Tong won't like a limp-wristed weakling!"

Wang Jixuan watched Jin Gu Gang with a smile and silently counted down.

Three, two, one...

Thump!

Jin Gu Gang's heart seemed to suffer a heavy blow. His two legs suddenly trembled, and he fell flat forward.

How could this be...

His body suddenly could not move?

His muscles had gone completely limp, his heart had nearly stopped beating, and his entire body had lost all sensation... The crystal core inside him was clearly still functioning, with spiritual energy continuously gathering, activating, and circulating...

But his body would not move at all!

Wang Jixuan raised an eyebrow slightly.

Done!

Without pursuing maximum destructive power, maximum speed, or a single strike that could extinguish the opponent's Divine Soul, simply controlling the flying sword with finesse did not consume much mana.

A flying sword was not an ordinary weapon, but a magical artifact bound to one's life. It was refined with one's own Essence, Qi, and Spirit, and could be considered an extension of one's body.

Therefore, a flying sword could cast certain spells from afar. This was a little trick Wang Jixuan had figured out during his early years of hard cultivation.

In their Cultivation World, everyone competed in spell battles through the height of their cultivation, the strength of their spells, and the quality of their magical treasures. Such minor tricks had little practical use in real combat.

But today, it came in handy!

Using the flying sword to control water, he had sent Potent Anesthetic into Jin Gu Gang's body, breaking the [soul-crystal core-body] system Jin Gu Gang relied on.

His body was still fundamentally human. How could it withstand an anesthetic developed to numb the body of a Sub-King Class Blade Beast?

Jin Gu Gang gritted his teeth and stamped his foot. A humanoid black shadow left his body.

His soul had left his body!

His headache vanished along with it;

But Jin Gu Gang's soul sensed an unknown, immense danger. He hurriedly tried to dive back into his body.

In the air, Shen Qionglin did not need Wang Jixuan's reminder. She immediately raised her right hand, and the mysterious symbols flickering across her body turned azure-blue. A beam of Azure Light in the form of a Half-Moon Slash crashed down at high speed.

Jin Gu Gang's black shadow was cut in half. Though it swiftly recovered, its form had become much more faint.

Wang Jixuan secretly smiled at the sight.

They truly did not understand how to deal with souls.

This Daoist will handle it.

The Daoist took out a silver needle himself. Once the needle entered his body, he used medical techniques to stimulate his own potential.

Demonic cultivators erupted by sacrificing others to perfect themselves;

Righteous cultivators erupted by sacrificing themselves and overdrawing their potential.

That was the essential difference between the two.

Wang Jixuan remained seated as dozens of talismans flew out from his waist pouch. Most were Demon Suppressing Talismans, along with several True Flame Talismans.

With a sweep of his Sword Finger, the talismans flew out with rustling sounds and directly wrapped around the black shadow.

The seals on the Demon Suppressing Talismans flashed at the same time.

The black shadow was suppressed in an instant.

The True Flame Talismans trembled continuously. As Wang Jixuan chanted a spell, pale white flames bloomed across them. The moment the edge of the black shadow touched those flames, it was immediately set ablaze.

Jin Gu Gang's screams rang out in Wang Jixuan's mind.

His expression remained blank and unmoved as he continued chanting the Demon Suppression Incantation.

The black shadow was set ablaze by the pale white fire in the blink of an eye, its outline swiftly fading. The pain of a soul being scorched was beyond description.

The black shadow looked up at the clear starry sky.

The camp around them was still fighting. The black shadow raised a hand, wanting to touch those stars, but a blossom of white flame burned everything away.

The white flames drew back and turned into a lotus, hovering above Jin Gu Gang's corpse as its petals fell one by one.

Wang Jixuan rose to his feet, suppressing the urge to use the Jiaolong Strange Soul to devour the lotus.

He did not wish to taint himself with a human soul.

"May I borrow this corpse for a few days of research?"

Shen Qionglin landed from the air and asked softly.

Beside them, Black Shell frowned as he looked at the monster Wang Jixuan had "easily" dealt with. His mechanical face twitched slightly.

Wait, This Guy actually...

Then had his chance to overload this time been wasted for nothing?

"You little bastard, what were you doing earlier?!"

Black Shell gritted his teeth and cursed, then smiled in relief.

"Fine. As long as it's dealt with. The mission the commander gave me... as long as it's completed..."

As his mind relaxed, his body suddenly trembled a few times. He stumbled, and the Second Generation Half-Human Mech that had been incomparably powerful just moments ago, capable of directly suppressing Jin Gu Gang, suddenly fell straight backward and slowly closed his eyes.

"Instructor?"

Wang Jixuan caught the old man in one swift motion.