Demon Calamity Descends

The iron sheets that had surrounded them earlier now lay collapsed on the ground.

There was no time to wonder why this had happened.

At that moment, at the edge of the pit that looked like a scar on the earth, gravel rained down like mad, bursting outward in all directions!

A terrifying, oppressive, and violent aura instantly spread, suffocating everyone inside the bus!

Then, a clawed arm covered in dark, dull scales—hideous and massive—clamped onto the edge of the pit with destructive force!

Boom!!!

The colossal figure, like a nightmare from the abyss, tore through the reinforced structures and ground at the pit's edge, crawling out completely!

The beast's body was as massive as a heavy truck, shaped like a giant lizard but with a bull-like, ferocious head and rows of bone spikes standing erect along its spine!

Its scarlet, blood-moon-like vertical pupils swept across the surrounding buildings and crowds, cold and brutal.

A low roar, one that made hearts feel like they would burst, rumbled from deep in its throat!

Boom!

An invisible force—the terrifying energy field known as "presence"—erupted from it like a tangible storm, spreading outward in an instant!

The first to be hit were a nearby temporary work shed and some abandoned construction vehicles, which twisted, exploded, and disintegrated as if struck by an invisible giant palm!

Screams barely had time to sound before being crushed by the terrifying force! Bricks, debris, and mangled remains sprayed everywhere!

Panic, like a tangible plague, exploded among the crowd at the bus stop and on the street!

"Run!!!"

"Monster!"

"Help—!"

Screams, crying, shoving, trampling... Despair swallowed the street in an instant.

Under the pressure of a Flying Star Rank beast's presence, ordinary people were like fragile paper—either their organs shattered or they were torn apart by the subsequent burst of energy!

Inside the bus, Li Wen felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave!

Even though he was still hundreds of meters away, the invisible "presence" pressed down on his chest, making his qi and blood churn and his breathing unbearably difficult.

Flying Star Rank!

A level of power far beyond his imagination! It was something he could not reach, and even looking up at it carried deadly danger!

Ignoring his aching body, Li Wen kicked the window glass to pieces and jumped out.

Then, without looking back, he sprinted toward the direction of Xinhuo Hall.

According to regulations, every Xinhuo Hall branch had a Hall Master stationed there.

And these Hall Masters were all Flying Star Rank powerhouses.

This was the only powerful existence Li Wen could think of in such a short time.

Fortunately, he had been far enough from the beast originally. After running a few dozen meters, the oppressive pressure that had made him so uncomfortable finally disappeared.

Meanwhile.

A piercing alarm blared through the sky! The emergency response department of Qingshi County was not slow to react.

A few breaths later, the sound of tearing air came from above!

Two figures flew through the air, radiating powerful martial aura, and landed fiercely in front of the giant beast.

They were the Hall Master of the Qingshi Branch of Xinhuo Hall and the County Leader in charge of public security and military affairs—two Flying Star Rank powerhouses.

"Beast! How dare you!" Despite the beast's aura clearly surpassing his own, the Hall Master did not flinch. His hair and beard bristled as he gripped his long sword, its cold light flickering, and roared in anger.

"Evacuate! Evacuate now!" The County Leader anxiously directed the public security officers and firefighters arriving behind him.

However, the gap in strength was like a chasm.

The late-stage Flying Star Rank beast paid them no mind. Its massive tail swept across like a steel giant whip, cracking the air with a sonic boom!

Facing the sweeping giant whip, a glint of death flashed in the Hall Master's eyes. He gritted his teeth, unleashed everything he had learned in his life, and met it with a waterfall of sword light!

Boom!!!

A deafening clang of metal exploded! Blood sprayed from the Hall Master's mouth as his sword trembled violently. He was sent flying by the blow, crashing heavily into a low wall, half-buried under rubble.

He struggled but could not rise for a moment.

The gap in strength was too great!

The County Leader's face turned pale. Having been away from battle for too long, his movements were a beat too slow against such a ferocious beast.

He was grazed by the beast's claw, which carried a gale of energy, shattering his protective aura.

He flew backward like a torn sack, crashing into a police car before stopping. He lay on the ground, coughing violently, clearly also incapacitated.

In just one exchange! The two strongest people in Qingshi County were severely injured!

The giant beast roared, its scarlet eyes locking onto the panicked crowd ahead, and began to take heavy steps forward.

With every step it took, the ground trembled and gravel flew. It was charging toward a more densely populated area!

"Stop it!"

"Open fire! Draw its attention!"

The military commander who rushed over from nearby had a face pale as death. Even though his whole body trembled uncontrollably, he still charged to the very front.

Though he knew light weapons had limited effect against a Flying Star Rank beast, at this moment he could only hope to buy a little time.

Ordinary martial artists and armed personnel who arrived later threw themselves forward, using their bodies, their flesh and blood to block!

But their sacrifices were like mantises trying to stop a chariot. Every swing of the beast's claws, fangs, and tail brought a storm of blood and gore, leaving broken limbs and severed bodies strewn across the ground!

The air was thick with the stench of blood. Tragic and heroic, but the effect was minimal.

Inside the county safety command center, far from the battlefield, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.

"Can't hold it! Completely can't hold it!"

"The Hall Master and Director Wang... they've fallen!"

"Late Flying Star Rank! We simply don't have an expert of that level stationed here!"

"What about support from the city? The experts from Xinhuo Hall? If they don't come soon..."

"The province said they're making an emergency dispatch! But the earliest they can arrive is..."

Despair spread. Every decision-maker understood that Qingshi County's ceiling was too low. Faced with a raid of this caliber, they were helpless! All hope could only rest on outside reinforcements.

Just as that colossal beast crushed the last line of defense, less than a hundred meters from the panicked fleeing crowd, its hideous head tilted slightly upward. It opened its blood-drenched maw lined with jagged teeth, and terrifying energy brewed deep in its throat, about to unleash a devastating breath.

WUMMMM!!!

High in the sky, a single dazzling cold gleam appeared!

It emerged without warning, faster than anyone's mind could process!

It was as if all space and time had frozen in that instant!

No flashy trajectory, no earth-shattering sound effect—only a blade light, pure to the extreme, sharp enough to cut through all things!

The blade light fell from above, condensed like a line of divine punishment!

Pfft!

A soft sound.

Like a hot knife slicing through solidified fat.

The massive, hideous head of the late Flying Star Rank beast, along with the terrifyingly powerful horns atop it, separated cleanly from its body without any resistance!

Its movements froze instantly.

The last flicker in its scarlet beast pupils was solidified bewilderment.

BOOM!!!

The enormous headless beast corpse crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust!

From the severed neck, thick, blackened beast blood gushed out like a miniature waterfall!

And the massive head rolled to the side like a deflated ball, the ferocity in its eyes completely extinguished.