The South China Sea, beneath an azure sky reflected on the rolling waves.
Several huge warships and countless small vessels slowly sailed around a massive aircraft carrier, while above Juxia City—
Several black airships suddenly flew past, along with a squad of aliens in exoskeleton armor.
They were chasing an alien with a human body and a crocodile's head.
During the chase, the crocodile-headed Suo Dun was clearly being beaten down. And since he couldn't win...
Suo Dun dodged awkwardly, desperately begging for mercy.
"Stop hitting me! Stop! If you've got the guts, wait until I've eaten my fill!"
But no matter how desperately Suo Dun pleaded, the Taotie riding the airships ignored him.
They continued firing fiercely at Suo Dun.
Soon, Suo Dun plunged from the sky. With a loud crash, he landed among the crowd. Looking at the people gathered around him, Suo Dun's eyes lit up. "So many snacks! I can't help it, I'm starving. Let me have a couple bites first." Suo Dun stared at the crowd, drooling.
The clueless onlookers from the Celestial Empire still crowded around Suo Dun, pointing and whispering. Some even took out their phones to record videos.
They were completely unperturbed, acting like people who couldn't resist watching a spectacle. Not one of them seemed to realize that danger was upon them.
Then several energy shells fell among the crowd and into the buildings. The buildings were instantly torn apart, concrete flying and glass shattering.
Several unlucky onlookers died on the spot. The sudden turn of events finally woke the crowd up: this wasn't a performance. People could die. Once they realized what was happening, the crowd scattered in a desperate flight.
Suo Dun, who was taking the brunt of the attack, no longer had the luxury of thinking about treating the people in front of him as food.
He'd better get out of there first. When the Taotie saw Suo Dun trying to escape,
they suppressed him with fire, then launched ropes that bound all four of Suo Dun's limbs and quickly lifted him into the sky. After capturing Suo Dun, they swiftly left Juxia City.
The whole thing had only taken a few minutes.
But word of it still reached the Super God Academy's South China Sea base...
Inside the base, Ge Xiaolun, Du Qiangwei, Lena, Jiawen, Zhaoxin, the policewoman Caitlyn, Rui Mengmeng, and the others had been summoned to the office by Dukao. They looked at the only LCD screen in the room, which was playing footage.
It was footage of the Taotie and Suo Dun from that afternoon.
Onscreen, the Taotie easily captured an alien with a human body, a crocodile's head, and a pair of axes. Dukao, dressed in a military uniform and cap, addressed them with a grave expression.
"The situation is urgent. The Taotie have appeared.
"And Morgana, an uncontrollable evil god, is also on Earth, posing a constant threat.
"Although the Great Sage gave him a psychological scar last time and he's no longer in China, he's still a threat.
"And the Great Sage isn't here now. The Super God Academy alone isn't strong enough to stand against a god on Morgana's level.
"So we have to speed up our training.
"We don't have much time left... Lena, as deputy captain, set an example from now on. Work with Jace to speed up the training. I want you to become a fighting force in a short time.
"Are you confident?" Dukao asked sternly, his facial muscles tense. Ge Xiaolun, Lena, and the others immediately stood straight and saluted him. Then they shouted, "Yes, sir!"
Dukao looked at the fired-up soldiers and said, "I'm counting on you."
Afterward, Lena and the others underwent all kinds of brutal training under Jace, the "Big Hammer."
A few days later, life in Juxia City carried on as usual.
People went about their leisurely days. Even with a giant chrysanthemum in the sky, from which the sounds of death sang out, nothing could stop the optimistic people... They went about their business, chatting and shooting the breeze, talking about life.
Every now and then, they even discussed human anatomy with pretty girls.
Yet in the midst of this ordinary calm, something happened.
Several enormous starships appeared, and countless airships flew out of them.
The Taotie Legion aboard the starships and airships began a massive assault on the crowds below and the high-rises.
They launched a frenzied barrage, and countless buildings were destroyed in an instant.
Countless people were caught in the merciless bombardment. Countless people died, while others cried out, ran, and fled for their lives.
The streets and buildings of the past were reduced to ruins. Countless people lost their loved ones, while large numbers of the People's Liberation Army began appearing throughout the streets and alleys.
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