At Liu Yun's warning, the atmosphere inside the Ghost Fighter instantly froze. Outside the windows, a terrifying canopy woven from flying monsters loomed like the end of the world, revealing the horrors of the various flying beasts one by one:
Some looked like giant eagles, their wing edges glinting with a metallic sheen. Each beat of their wings came with a piercing shriek that sent chills down the spine. Others resembled enormous bats, their bodies clad in dark scales and their bellies dangling with terrifying sacs of venom. From time to time, they sprayed corrosive green liquid, which sizzled as it ate away at the air wherever it went. Most frightening of all were the intelligent behemoths that flew low. They seemed capable of directing the other monsters, letting out deep roars as they led the stampede in a rhythmic assault on the Ghost Fighter.
Faced with an almost endless tide of monsters, the Ghost Fighter's powerful weapons systems were gradually reaching their limits. Bullets and missiles poured out like rain, but they could only clear a small area of monsters for a moment before even more flooded in to take their place. Liu Yun knew this couldn't go on much longer, and quickly made his decision. "Everyone, get ready! We're abandoning the fighter and parachuting to safety!"
If his own Excalibur Brave had been here, things would never have come to this. The Ghost Fighter hadn't been modified enough, so it couldn't withstand the assault of so many monsters.
Meanwhile, the Australian Continent was home to King-level Monsters. Even he wouldn't dare face a stampede head-on, so abandoning the fighter was a wise, all-or-nothing move.
At Liu Yun's order, the crew swiftly put on their parachutes. Amid the violent shaking, the cabin door was forced open, and a gust of wind mixed with the monsters' howls rushed inside. One after another, the crew leaped out of the cabin, plunging toward the unknown ground below like arrows loosed from a bow. Liu Yun was the last to jump. Without hesitation, he also activated the fighter's self-destruct sequence, hoping to slow the stampede's pursuit at least a little.
The Ghost Fighter streaked across the sky in a blinding flash of fire, then exploded with a thunderous roar. The immense shockwave and flames temporarily frightened some of the monsters, but also left the surrounding air even hotter and more chaotic. Liu Yun and his crew descended slowly beneath their parachutes, their hearts filled with anxiety over the challenges that awaited them.
This time, they had lost all their supplies and equipment. They would have to prepare to survive in the wilderness, although that was no great challenge for War God-level experts. They wouldn't die in the wild so easily.
The sudden stampede had spread farther than anyone could have imagined. On the distant horizon, several Limit Dojo airships had also fallen victim to its ferocious attack.
Inside one of the airships were Liu Yun's former teammates. They were Elite Training Camp students, but had never expected to encounter such a disaster. As monsters swarmed the airship, it teetered on the brink of collapse. They, too, had no choice but to make the same decision as Liu Yun: abandon the aircraft and save their lives!
The Australian Continent was a vast expanse, now a desolate mixture of wilderness and desolation. A thick layer of dust covered the ground. Sparse vegetation struggled to grow beneath the blazing sun, but could not hide the barrenness and bleakness beneath. In the distance stretched endless dunes and rugged mountain ranges. The occasional roar of a monster made the atmosphere even more chilling.
The area near the Ghost Fighter's explosion was a scene of utter devastation. The wreckage lay scattered across the ground, its metal fragments glinting coldly in the setting sun against the scorched earth. The air was thick with the smell of burning and blood, the lingering traces of battle and destruction. Nearby, the wreckage of several Limit Dojo airships lay scattered as well, bearing witness to the same sudden disaster.
In the heart of Australia, a land carved by war and desolation, Liu Yun and his four companions, each with her own unique charm, miraculously reunited on a lonely hilltop, as if fate itself had carefully arranged their meeting.
Yang Xiaolong's golden hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her figure was shapely. Every time she turned, she exuded an untamed allure. The sway of her slender waist showed off her graceful figure!
Blacka was known for her sleek, straight black hair cut in a princess style. She looked like a classical beauty from the East, gentle and free of any harshness.
Ruby, the youngest, was so lively and adorable that she was practically a sweet, airheaded girl. Her smile was like the warm spring sunshine, healing and comforting, and made people want to protect her.
Xueni, meanwhile, was like Snow White stepping out of a fairy tale. Her skin was fair as snow, pure and flawless. Her presence seemed to imbue even this desolate place with a sacred glow.
Liu Yun watched the women gather around him, overjoyed. These were the real heroines! Having four of them all at once was a fantastic deal!
Seeing Liu Yun's lovestruck expression, Xueni was so furious she nearly attacked him, but Yang Xiaolong held her back.
"Come on, let it go! We killed his battle pet. We owe him."
That was enough to defuse their first conflict. The four girls had no choice but to keep obeying their lecherous boss instead of killing him.
Just then, a familiar voice rang out nearby, breaking the brief silence. Liu Yun turned toward it and saw his old comrades—Wang Tianba, Xiao Wu, Captain You, Huang Mei, and He Lan—struggling down from the sky.
"Liu Yun! You're here too? Is everyone all right?" Wang Tianba called out first, his voice as hearty and straightforward as ever.
The Four-Color Squad couldn't help but freeze. Only Liu Yun knew that Wang Tianba and he had once been close.
When it came to old teammates, there was no need to take things too seriously behind the scenes, but you still had to show them respect in public. Liu Yun had always kept a clear ledger in his heart.
Liu Yun went to greet them and exchanged a few words with the group. At least now they had cleared the air and knew they weren't enemies.
"We're all fine, just lost some equipment. What about you?"
"Same here. As long as everyone's safe." Xiao Wu brushed the dust off himself and looked around at the others, warmth welling up inside him.
They sat in a circle and briefly shared what had happened to them. The more they talked, the more they respected the unknown and dangerous Australian Continent. They knew the road ahead would be even harder, especially now that they had lost all their equipment.
Wang Tianba pulled a cigar from his clothes, lit it, and pointed at the beautiful girls beside Liu Yun.
"Listen, brother, what have you been up to since you left? One man and four women—are you putting together a harem squad?"
He was quite capable himself. Not long after Liu Yun left the Limit Dojo, he had broken through to War General. Then, with the help of a traditional medicine formula, he had successfully advanced to mid-level War General.
Liu Yun's face flushed at that. He hurried to explain, "We're the Four-Color Squad, not some harem squad!"
But hardly anyone believed him. Yang Xiaolong, Ruby, and the others looked utterly defeated as they reluctantly accepted the name "Harem Squad." Meanwhile, Xiao Wu walked up with a mischievous grin.
"If there's anyone you don't like, why not give her to me? I don't think any of these girls are getting away."
Even after taking the traditional medicine, he had only reached entry-level War General. He was about on par with Liu Yun in terms of ability, and immediately started joking around.
The good-natured teasing chased away the gloom in their hearts. Although their aircraft had practically crashed, none of them thought they were doomed. Martial artists were the sort of people who could survive no matter what kind of adversity they faced.
At last, He Lan stepped forward. She smiled and walked over slowly, holding the arm of Captain You, the War God leading the group. She was as beautiful as she had been back then—and just as heartless.
"Oh, you're finally better! Don't dwell on our breakup anymore!"
Captain You, once Liu Yun's comrade, wore a gentle smile. His eyes held both affection for He Lan and a complicated understanding of Liu Yun.
"I paid for your surgery, but it looks like you treated yourself with traditional medicine. That's incredible!"
That was Captain You, Liu Yun's old team captain. He had broken through to War God around the same time Huaxia's overall strength had been rising. The details still made Liu Yun's heart ache. In short, once He Lan saw that Liu Yun had no future, she had immediately gone running into the captain's arms.
"Hmph, why would I dwell on it? Be careful out here. Australia's dangerous."
He hadn't returned to the Limit Dojo because of He Lan. His words came out tinged with bitterness, and Yang Xiaolong caught on.
"Oho, is that an old flame?"
The four beautiful girls were extremely interested in Liu Yun's romantic history. After all, Liu Yun had left them in debt. If they got the chance, they were going to tease him about it mercilessly.
For some reason, He Lan decided to speak up again.
"Thank you for taking care of him in my place. Now that he's become a War God, we all have our own paths to follow. I hope you find the happiness that's right for you."
She spoke as if none of it had anything to do with her. Liu Yun smiled bitterly. Back then, he had injured his spine while saving He Lan from a monster's claws. Who could have guessed things would end like this?
Captain You cut in at the right moment, breaking the subtle tension in the air. "All right, this isn't the time to reminisce. We need to plan our next move. This continent is full of unknown dangers. We have to be careful if we want to survive."
They now belonged to different factions, so they couldn't keep entangling themselves with one another. Wang Tianba tossed his cigar aside and said regretfully, "Brother, I have no choice. I'll be going now. Take care."
Huang Mei, who stood nearby, had never gotten along with Liu Yun. He was on Captain You's side as well.
"Hmph, you've already left the past behind. What's there to talk about? Liu Yun, I'm warning you. The Limit Dojo isn't afraid of you, so don't think about causing trouble."
After Huang Mei's warning, the Limit Dojo group left. They had plenty of people, and their combined strength was certainly nothing to scoff at. They were practically a huge Training Camp.
Even Wang Tianba, who had always treated Liu Yun well, made his position clear.
"Liu Yun, you may be a War God now, but you were the one who left me behind and abandoned the Flying Man Squad! I have my own pride. It won't let me pledge myself to you."
Wang Tianba was always going on about pride, pride! What he meant was that He Lan had left him, and then he had chosen to leave Wang Tianba behind. That was disloyal and beneath his pride.
Their squad was called the Flying Man Squad, and its members valued loyalty. Even You Suowei had his own story. Liu Yun had no intention of becoming their enemy.
"Don't make it sound so bad. It's not as if I meant to hurt your pride. Anyway, be careful out there!"
That was all he said. Ignoring the four pairs of eyes behind him, sharp as sword flashes, he parted from them amicably.
Luo Feng should have been here too, but perhaps his aircraft had crashed farther away. Liu Yun didn't dwell on it. The people from the Limit Dojo had become strangers to him.
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