Defeat

The mental attacks of Spirit Cultivation Practitioners are silent and impossible to guard against.

For ordinary people to perceive mental attacks, they would need to be in a life-or-death struggle, with their minds highly tensed.

But for psionic cultivators, it's much more convenient.

Whether it's the brain-refining that comes with Innate Qi during Qi Cultivation or the Psionic Vision that accompanies Solidified Daoist Arts, both allow them to capture the trajectory and imagery of mental attacks.

And so, the near-defeated martial artists were able to halt their collapse!

Geng Liangchen unleashed the Hungry Ghost Scene, transforming nearly half a city block into a living hell. In their fear and madness from having their flesh gnawed away, the rampaging Dongyang soldiers began attacking indiscriminately, immediately disrupting the oppressive rhythm and exposing large areas of unprotected firepower.

Ten seconds of a firepower vacuum.

Tens of meters of distance.

For elite soldiers, this was enough to launch a charge and break through.

Not to mention this group of Qi Cultivation martial artists whose physical capabilities already surpassed ordinary humans.

"Charge with me! By the Immortal Master's Order, leave none alive!" The one who stepped forward and roared was Zhao Jian. At this moment, he was like the Giant Spirit God descended, his muscles piled upon him like granite.

This muscle monster, who had achieved Great Success in Qi Cultivation, had his defense and strength specialized by Lan Yi according to his strengths. He looked like a bronze statue in a temple.

Even when subjected to a volley of over a dozen rifle shots.

Zhao Jian didn't even flinch.

Correspondingly, if a single Dongyang soldier fell into his hands, Zhao Jian, who could tear apart ghosts with superhuman strength, made the destruction of human tissue look as effortless as tearing newspaper or soft noodles. Bones and joints, muscle connections, all were ripped apart by sheer brute force!

What martial artists lacked least was courage.

With the machine guns and cannons tied up.

With the unyielding Zhao Jian charging like an ironclad tank in front, and the pressure of the mysterious Immortal Master behind, the martial artists, who already harbored deep hatred for these Dongyang invaders who committed all sorts of atrocities, were ignited with courage. They immediately charged forward under the sparse gunfire!

The Dongyang front line was almost instantly shattered.

Without the cover of heavy machine guns and artillery.

The Dongyang soldiers, having expended their rifle ammunition and not yet reloaded, watched in shock as fierce, grinning Star Han martial artists rushed towards them! These Dongyang soldiers, with their rigid thinking, instinctively thrust their bayonets forward!

Kill!!!

What was the consequence of ordinary people and monsters like Qi Cultivation martial artists engaging in close-quarters combat?

The experience of a martial artist from the Bagua Sect was the best illustration.

Facing the swift thrust of an ordinary person's bayonet, he easily dodged it with his superhuman reflexes, disarmed the bayonet with a flick of his wrist, and then, with the same momentum, slashed forward!

With a thwip, the bayonet, forged from fine steel, cut through the Dongyang soldier's chest like butter under the martial artist's strength enhancement. The chest cavity, split along with the bones, spilled steaming organs onto the ground. The martial artist, passing by, immediately lunged for the next target like a butcher.

The Dongyang soldier, staring blankly at his opened chest, felt an indescribable pain only in his final moments. But he didn't even have the strength to cry out before collapsing to the ground.

Bang bang bang bang bang!!

"Heh heh heh! Dongyang devils, you're just tickling me!!"

Zhao Jian, who was focused by several Dongyang soldiers due to his robust physique, grinned. His seemingly bulky, statue-like body possessed a terrifying burst of speed that defied common sense. Zhao Jian enthusiastically opened his arms and gave the four Dongyang soldiers in front of him a warm embrace.

Crack!!

The strength of Great Success in Qi Cultivation was exerted in a tight hug.

The four Dongyang soldiers, lifted into the air, let out horrific screams. Their ribs, spines, and internal organs instantly turned into a bloody pulp, as if crushed by a heavy truck. Their bloodshot eyes bulged, and their contorted faces spoke of the extreme fear and despair they felt before death.

This was simply hell.

The remaining Dongyang soldiers nearby, after witnessing Zhao Jian's god-like actions, froze for a second before turning tail and fleeing without looking back.

Fleeing desperately.

Discarding their rifles, shedding their hats, dropping their cartridge belts – anything that hindered them. They scrambled to escape in a chaotic rout.

The Dongyang front line had collapsed.

Dongyang officers cursed in anger. On the battlefield, defeat meant certain death. They had previously routed the soldiers of the Qing Dynasty and the Boxer Rebellion, and they knew all too well that defeated soldiers, facing bayonets and bullets, were like driven sheep. And now, what was driving them was far more terrifying than bayonets and bullets.

Whoosh!

Like a gust of wind, or perhaps a chill.

The fleeing soldiers in the rout suddenly looked bewildered. They forgot what they were doing, where they were, and looked around confusedly, as if an unshakeable dust was swirling around them.

Their memories were fragmented.

The next moment, their heads lolled forward, and they were permanently fragmented.

Huo Yuanjia's inconspicuous, illusory figure suddenly appeared behind them.

Lost Trace, Wither and Flourish, Detachment.

Huo Yuanjia had also reached a natural progression in his combat. His mental power was the Dust of Selflessness, which, when applied to himself, made others unconsciously overlook his presence, even if he was right in front of them. When applied to enemies, it would cause their memories to temporarily develop large blank spots.

In a life-or-death struggle.

Suddenly forgetting what one was doing, where one was, and being unable to grasp the situation – not just minutes, but even seconds could lead to death multiple times over.

The fleeing Dongyang soldiers, lost in their confusion, were easily decapitated by the approaching Huo Yuanjia.

"Hmm?"

Huo Yuanjia frowned suddenly.

A hungry ghost suddenly appeared at his feet, drooling, its mouth stretched open to reveal its back molars, its eyes full of greed and desire. It suddenly bit down at Huo Yuanjia with its withered, rotten teeth.

The next moment, gray dust suddenly swirled.

This hungry ghost was instantly pulverized by the dust.

Huo Yuanjia had been attacked by a mental assault. Geng Liangchen's [Hungry Ghost Scene] was unique. The martial artists affected by the [Hungry Ghost Scene] were not just Huo Yuanjia; some Qi Cultivation practitioners were also entangled by hungry ghosts and were hastily hiding in corners beyond Geng Liangchen's line of sight and perception.

Lan Yi had explained to them that mental assaults from Spirit Cultivation Practitioners required direct line of sight or sensing the target to lock on.

"Geng Liangchen?"

"Zhao Jian, Geng Liangchen is acting a bit strange."

"I'll watch here, you go check on him quickly!" Huo Yuanjia shouted, suspecting something had happened to Geng Liangchen.

"Don't order me around!" Zhao Jian, who had disliked Huo Yuanjia since childhood and only recently reconciled, said with displeasure, but his body honestly moved towards Geng Liangchen's hiding place, which was also the direction from which the most hungry ghosts had emerged.