"How's the situation?" Gao Zhan asked over the comms.
Hong Kun replied at once. "One Purple-eyed Earth-drilling Bull. Already taken care of."
"Good. If conditions allow, remember to take their horns. You can get a decent reward for bringing them back to base."
"Sorry, Captain Gao. Visibility outside is too poor, and it'd be inconvenient to do that." Hong Kun flatly rejected the suggestion.
"Then return to formation immediately. Stay in position and don't fall behind."
"Copy!"
Just then, a member of the Skyfire Club named Yu Le leaned over and asked, "President, we can clearly see them. Why not collect the horns while we're at it?"
"Shut up. We're here for Star Source Stones, not money."
Hong Kun's goal was simple. He had joined the expedition to follow the military in search of Star Source Ore, then rapidly improve his cultivation in a short time.
Money meant nothing to him as the owner of a club.
"Lu Feng! Keep up with the team."
"Got it."
Lu Feng answered absentmindedly while keeping his Mecha radar sweeping the area.
Unlike Hong Kun, he hoped to encounter more Exotic Beasts. The more, the better.
The energy contained in these creatures would let him absorb it and grow stronger quickly.
At the same time, he knew all too well that Zheng Yi, who was bent on avenging his son, could make a move against him at any moment.
The 115th Legion continued advancing from the southwest of Sudali Plain. They didn't encounter any more Exotic Beasts along the way.
Several hours passed. Just as Chasing Wind Squad was maintaining formation and making steady progress, Starship Butler Luo Lin's alert suddenly sounded through every squad member's Communicator:
"The 121st Legion in Tongzhou City, Tianlan Star, has encountered a large number of Purple-eyed Earth-drilling Bulls 577 kilometers away, 35 degrees south of due west. The nearby 122nd Legion in Tongzhou and the 115th and 116th Legions in Jinzhou, proceed to provide support immediately."
At once, Captain Gao gave the order over the squad channel. "Everyone, turn toward the target, 55 degrees west of due south. Full speed ahead!"
All the Mecha turned at once and raced west.
Dozens of expedition squads from other nearby legions reacted the same way. The plain soon echoed with the roar of Mecha engines.
"177th and 176th Legions in Luozhou, proceed immediately to the location 577 kilometers away, 35 degrees south of due west, to support the 121st Legion in Tongzhou."
"213th and 214th Legions in Mianzhou, proceed immediately to the location 577 kilometers away, 35 degrees south of due west, to support the 121st Legion in Tongzhou."
Luo Lin issued two more support orders in quick succession.
Though her voice was electronically synthesized, the urgency of the situation came through loud and clear.
"Captain, what's going on? Why are there so many support orders?"
"I've been on two or three expeditions, and I've never seen anything like this."
As the members of Chasing Wind Squad piloted their Mecha at full speed, they discussed the situation over the channel.
"The 121st Legion must be in serious trouble," Captain Gao replied gravely.
"Everyone, stay alert and maintain combat formation. If we encounter a large-scale Beast Tide, don't overreach. If necessary, prioritize your own safety."
"Copy!"
"Understood!"
"When we get there, stay behind me." Captain Gao sent a private message to Fang Qing, who was nearby.
Fang Qing replied at once. "Who do you think you're looking down on? My cultivation isn't any lower than yours."
"I just don't want anything to happen to you."
"I know. But I'm your woman, Gao Zhan. I won't embarrass you in front of the brothers."
Gao Zhan didn't reply.
The two had been in love for years. They belonged to the same legion and had later been assigned to the same squad.
Their relationship wasn't public, but it was no secret among Chasing Wind Squad.
Once this expedition ended, Gao Zhan planned to marry Fang Qing.
That was exactly why he couldn't let anything happen to his fiancée.
Half an hour later.
Several legions from Tianlan Star neared the target location, with Chasing Wind Squad among them.
But before the thousands of Mecha had even fully reached the coordinates, the distant roar of Mecha, the shriek of Thermal Beam Cannons, and the earth-shaking bellows of Exotic Beasts already reached them...
When the support troops broke through the billowing sand, the scene before them left everyone breathless.
On the vast reddish-brown plain, the 121st Legion's position in Tongzhou had been completely swallowed by a dense herd of Purple-eyed Earth-drilling Bulls.
Tens of thousands of Exotic Beasts surged like a tide. Their thick hooves pounded the earth, and the dust they kicked up blotted out the sky and sun.
Countless pairs of violet eyes glowed in the gloom, forming a heart-stopping sea of stars.
The 121st Legion of the Tongzhou Military Region had long since been swallowed by that sea of stars.
"My God..."
Someone in the channel gasped.
"Everyone, listen up!"
Captain Gao's roar jolted everyone into action. "Wedge formation! Full fire! Tear open a path!"
"Charge!"
Thousands of Mecha blasted forward in dazzling trails of flame, crashing like an iron torrent into the flank of the Beast Tide.
Fang Qing led the charge, her red Thermite Cannon roaring without pause. Wherever she went, pieces of Drill Bulls flew through the air.
The rest of Chasing Wind Squad followed close behind, unleashing their full firepower. Dense beams carved out swathes of empty space among the herd.
Hong Kun led several members of the Skyfire Club around the flank, firing furiously at the seemingly endless herd of Drill Bulls ahead.
"Watch underground!"
A cry suddenly rang out over the squad channel.
The next moment, the ground in the middle of Chasing Wind Squad's formation shook violently. Several Drill Bulls burst out of the earth, sending a number of Mecha flying.
"Hold formation! Don't let them scatter us!" Captain Gao immediately shouted over the channel. "If you're in danger, activate flight mode. Avoid colliding with them head-on, and don't expose your backs to those beasts!"
Before he had finished speaking, three more Drill Bulls burst from underground and charged straight at the members of the Skyfire Club, who were locked in battle.
"Look out!" Fang Qing warned from nearby.
Just as Hong Kun and Yang Qian were about to be knocked away, the three Drill Bulls abruptly stopped only a few meters from them, frozen in place with blank stares.
Hong Kun and Yang Qian reacted instantly, turning their cannons toward the beasts. Blazing beams blasted the three motionless Drill Bulls to pieces.
"I finally understand how wise Minister Xie was to insist on putting you on the expedition roster." Hong Kun laughed over the channel, having narrowly escaped disaster.
Lu Feng had just secretly used his ability to make the three Drill Bulls docile.
But Lu Feng couldn't be bothered to reply.
He'd been about to absorb their energy, but before he could begin, the bulls had been blasted to pieces.
Butler Luo Lin's voice suddenly rang in everyone's ears. "The 121st Legion in Tongzhou has requested to open an All-Channel. All support units, connect immediately."
Captain Gao joined without hesitation. The other legions providing support nearby did the same.
Broken messages from members of the 121st Legion immediately came through the All-Channel—
"Help us... Someone, please come!"
"I... I can't go on... You damn beasts, I'll fight you to the death!"
"This is Xue Yong, captain of the Miracle Squad in the 121st Legion. Please tell my family... I'll love them forever."
"What's going on? Brothers of the 121st Legion, hold on! We've reached the battlefield and are fighting our way through!"
"Brother! Hang in there!"
At the center of the battlefield, the remaining members of the 121st Legion were still fighting the Drill Bulls to the death. They had already suffered more than fifty percent casualties, while the legions providing support from the perimeter still hadn't managed to break through the Beast Tide's defenses.
The battle had deteriorated beyond anyone's ability to predict.
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Before you continue