A Fierce Struggle

The front lines.

Ji Yun had already engaged the Beast General Rank monsters.

Ocean monsters were incredibly strange, with bizarre appearances completely unlike land animals.

Human War General-level Martial Artists were the backbone of the defense against the sea monster tide. Large numbers of Beast General Rank monsters commanded the Beast Soldiers, and only Beast Generals could pose a threat to humans. That was why it was far better for Beast General monsters to charge into a War Base than for a Lord Monster to somehow make it inside.

Human Laser Cannons couldn't be used to shoot Beast General monsters, so Beast Generals were the main force in every attack on a base.

Ji Yun had first hidden inside the War Base, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Each thrust of his spear took the lives of several Beast Soldiers.

But when the Beast Generals surged forward, the base's steel structure could no longer hold back their attacks. Ji Yun leaped out of the base and charged straight into their ranks!

He swept his spear horizontally. With so many monsters, all of them enormous, Ji Yun had no choice but to use broad sweeps to block their advance—but he could only hold them back!

Hundreds of Beast General monsters, led by more than twenty High-Level Beast Generals, advanced in formation. Behind Ji Yun stood one War General-level Martial Artist after another, including more than a dozen High-Level War Generals. If they coordinated well, they could hold the line.

But!

At that moment, the Lobster Lord finally broke through to the front line and snatched up a Martial Artist who had been standing too far forward.

"Ah!"

The Martial Artist screamed as the claw sliced him in half. His flesh and blood fell from the air, only to be devoured by the swarming monsters in an instant. All that remained was the thick stench of blood.

With the Monster Lord backing them, the Beast Generals attacked even more fiercely. Some charged into the lines despite their injuries. The Beast Generals also began surrounding the humans, but under the bombardment of artillery, they and the Martial Artists were locked in a stalemate in front of the beachhead.

"We have to stop that Monster Lord!" Ji Yun's eyes narrowed. He leaped up like a nimble swallow and thrust his spear several times in midair, each strike hitting a monster's weak spot. In an instant, he killed several Mid-Level Beast Generals.

Using the force of those thrusts, Ji Yun launched himself into the air once more.

"Ha!"

The sea breeze was drawn toward Ji Yun's spear tip, gathering there until it formed a swirling vortex.

Whoosh!

At that moment, Ji Yun's speed nearly broke the sound barrier. The sound of the spear slicing through the air was not loud, but it was piercing. He aimed for the Lobster Lord's eye. If he could land a hit, the injured creature could be reduced to ashes by the Laser Cannons.

The Lobster Lord reacted at once. It pulled back the claw it had been using to clear a path and crossed both pincers in front of its eyes. Ji Yun's spear was blocked. Its tip struck the Lobster Lord's hard armor, leaving only a shallow white mark.

Damn it, why is this Lord so well-defended? How can I stop it?

Ji Yun cursed under his breath and quickly circled the Lobster Lord, dodging attacks from it and the surrounding Beast Generals.

This won't work. A moment later, an Octopus Beast General behind him struck his back. Its tremendous force passed straight through his Combat Suit and shook his body. It felt as if his organs had been shattered.

In the distance.

The battle between the War Gods and the High-Level Lords remained fiercely contested. Some of the War Gods were not particularly strong, and after being surrounded by Lords, several were badly wounded and on the verge of death. There were thirteen High-Level Lord monsters in all. Some were even about to break through the War Gods' line and reach the War Base.

"How long until the War Gods coming to reinforce us arrive?" The commander roared from the Command Room above the War Base. "Our Martial Artists are losing their lives every second. This is an enormous loss, and the War Gods are nearly at their limit!"

"Commander, they'll be here in three minutes. They're almost here."

"Then hold on for another three minutes." The commander's face was twisted and flushed. His eyes seemed ready to spit fire as he glared at the monster tide below, fists clenched and planted on the table.

Ji Yun had struck the Lobster Lord's armored body several times, but the creature relied on that armor to survive in the ocean. There was no way he could pierce it. His only chance was to attack its vulnerable eyes, but the Lobster Lord's pincers always moved in time to shield them, making his attacks miss again and again.

The Lobster Lord's tail swept toward Ji Yun, forcing him to dodge. Every step he retreated let the monster tide advance another step!

What do I do?

Ji Yun anxiously considered his options.

I can only drive it back and then let the Laser Cannons try to kill it!

But how do I drive it back? I can't even shake this Lord Monster with my strength. All I can do is keep it occupied. If I want to force it back, I have to—I have to charge in and draw its attention!

Right. That's the only way. I might be swallowed by the horde, but the tide will be stopped!

Ji Yun's eyes lit up as he found a solution.

But for Ji Yun, whose physique was only at the Mid-Level War General level, this plan was practically a one-way trip!

But what use was it to dwell on that?

*******,*******!

At that moment, every life—the lives of every soldier and Martial Artist—no longer belonged to them alone. They represented the War Base behind them, and the hundreds of millions of people living in the Base City.

Ji Yun stirred the wind and leaped into the air, riding the sea breeze to land atop the Lobster Lord's head. He shouted as he struck.

The sharp spear tip pierced a relatively soft spot on the Lobster Lord's head, but it only made a small puncture, from which a little blood trickled!

The Lobster Lord's wound was slight, but the pain was real. An even more ferocious look blazed in its relatively small eyes. Its huge pincers swung through the air, intent on cutting Ji Yun to pieces as it had the previous Martial Artist.

Ji Yun leaped from the Lobster Lord's back into the monster horde. He was swallowed by it in an instant. The Lobster Lord charged in after him, seemingly no longer caring about its own kind. It wanted to tear apart the tiny human who had repeatedly challenged the dignity of a Lord-level creature.

Ji Yun swept the Wind Lifter through the air. His normally light spear technique grew heavier and more fierce amid the horde, carrying a murderous edge.

The Lobster Lord pursued Ji Yun, swinging its pincers wildly in every direction. Quite a few Beast Generals died beneath its indiscriminate attacks. The monster tide's advance was briefly halted.

"Look! Who's that in the middle of the horde?"

Seeing the monster tide slow down and the Monster Lord even retreat, the commander exclaimed with delight. "Can we contact that Martial Artist and tell him to get out? The monsters have gathered together. We can use Incendiary Bombs!"

"Ji Yun, can you hear me?"

Lu Xiangsheng's powerful voice came through Ji Yun's earpiece.

"Get out of the horde now. We're preparing to release the Incendiary Bombs. Get out as quickly as you can. We'll drop them immediately."

"General Lu, I'm afraid I'm trapped and can't get out..." Ji Yun gritted his teeth.

"If I can't get out, don't worry about me. Stopping the monster tide comes first. My life is insignificant compared to the safety of Huaxia." As he spoke, Ji Yun's eyes grew moist.

"If something happens to me... please tell my father and my friends that I'm all right."

Ji Yun looked at the monsters packed tightly around him. He had reached the middle of the beach, at least two hundred meters from the War Base. That distance was not far, but with the monsters blocking his way, there was little hope of breaking through.

"Damn it, Ji Yun! Do you know what you're doing?" Lu Xiangsheng suddenly roared in anger.

"Ji Yun, listen to me! You're a genius. You're more useful than we are. You're better off alive than dead. Do you hear me, Ji Yun? Ji Yun?" Lu Xiangsheng shouted at the top of his lungs, as though that might help Ji Yun hear him.

But the wind was howling fiercely, and the sea breeze swallowed Lu Xiangsheng's voice. He lowered the phone.

"Commander, Ji Yun said we must put the greater good first." Lu Xiangsheng turned to look at the commander.

A tear traced down the cheek of the stooped middle-aged man.

"Do whatever it takes to get Ji Yun out! Where's the artillery? Concentrate all fire on the front of the horde!" the commander ordered at once.

"We must save him. Even if I die, it'll be worth it if we can save a future powerhouse."

Amid the monster tide.

Forget it. I'll kill as many as I can!

Ji Yun swung the Wind Lifter with all his strength. A tornado rose around him, lifting countless fragments of monster corpses into the air until they blurred his vision.

Bang!

A High-Level Beast General starfish monster knocked one of its horns against Ji Yun's spear. Ji Yun, still off balance, was sent flying. He was about to fall into the sea!

Am I going to die?

Ji Yun's eyes were unfocused, but he still raised the Wind Lifter with all his strength, fending off the monsters' attacks.

He was trapped deep in the horde and hunted by a Monster Lord. There was no escape!

A sea breeze swept past, crossing in front of Ji Yun.

Ji Yun seemed to realize something. The Wind Lifter in his hands began to move with the breeze, and his whole body seemed to turn into wind, together with the spear, a weapon forged to move with the wind!

This was the Spear Path of Unity of Heaven and Man. Nearly half a year after achieving Man-Spear Unity, Ji Yun had finally broken through to another realm—the pinnacle of the Human Spear Path.

It meant that Ji Yun had found his own way along the path of the spear.

Even the distant ocean was whipped into a tsunami, and a towering wave crashed out of the sea, slamming down behind Ji Yun. Yet the sea monsters that should have ridden the wave did not appear. The wind had swept them away in every direction.

The endless surging tide swept across the sea; one spear thrust pressed down upon the waves and sky!

Ji Yun swept open a vacuum, clearing a path back to the base.

At that very moment, a massive barrage of artillery fire poured down along Ji Yun's escape route. Countless Beast Soldiers were killed, leaving just over twenty Beast Generals blocking the way!

Seeing the path almost completely clear, Ji Yun was overjoyed. He turned and disengaged, sprinting toward the War Base. Along the way, he even pierced the heads of several Beast Generals.

Though he had reached an understanding, Ji Yun no longer had the strength to fight. His body and mind were completely exhausted. Continuing to fight would have been pointless.

The Lobster Lord continued to pursue him, but the cleared horde gradually closed in behind Ji Yun. The Lobster Lord's enormous body was trapped among the monsters, and the artillery bombardment threw the horde into disarray, slowing the creature down.

Without a sound.

A dazzling beam of white light flashed. The Laser Cannon atop the tower finally seized its chance and killed the Lobster Lord in one shot. The creature met its end, turning to ash.

By then, flying saucer fighter jets had also found an opening and taken to the skies. Like scattering flowers from heaven, they dropped countless new-model Incendiary Bombs over an area a full kilometer around the War Base! The bombs fell across the buffer beach and sea in front of the base, as well as the land on both sides—these weapons were the sea monsters' most hated.

Whoosh, whoosh...

In an instant, nearly a kilometer of land became a sea of flames! The sea monsters' bodies could withstand the fire, but...the water inside them evaporated rapidly!

Some coelenterates, such as jellyfish, could survive on land for two or three hours after mutating. But once exposed to the flames, they couldn't last even two or three minutes as their water evaporated. How long they could endure the fire varied by species.

The Incendiary Bombs spread across the water and beach, continuing to burn!

Water couldn't put them out! Covering them with soil couldn't extinguish them either! Even rolling around couldn't get the flames off once they stuck to a body—instead, the fire spread across it. In other words, even if a monster escaped the sea of flames, it would still be burning!

This was undoubtedly the sea monsters' most hated weapon!

This wave of Incendiary Bombs reduced the number of sea monsters that had come ashore by more than eighty percent. The pressure on the human Martial Artists eased at once, and some of the stronger War Generals took advantage of the opening to push the line back. They even used monster corpses to build a defensive barricade.

Suddenly, fourteen figures rushed closer from the distance, each moving at tremendous speed—at least faster than sound.

They were the War Gods who had arrived as fast as they could!

There were now twenty-six powerful War Gods! The tide of battle turned on the War God battlefield. The War Gods surrounded the strongest High-Level Lords, preventing them from escaping, while the powerful War Gods picked off the weaker monsters one by one.

Though more High-Level Lord monsters continued to crawl ashore from the sea, the situation had become clear.

As always, the war between humanity and the monsters was a brutal one!

The battle continued until the sun rose the next morning, and only then did the monster tide slowly retreat.

Although the sea monsters had failed to breach the War Base, a few Beast Generals had still managed to fight their way inside! Large swarms of sea monsters that could "discharge electricity," along with others that could spray "poison" or fire "bubbles" like shock waves, had also infiltrated the War Fortress. Attacks from these strange Sea Clan Monsters killed many human soldiers.

Those few Beast General Rank monsters had been at the end of their strength by the time they entered the base, but they still inflicted losses on the human Martial Artists.