Entangled Battle

Frontline.

Ji Yun had already engaged Beast General rank monsters in battle.

The ocean monsters were incredibly bizarre, their appearances grotesque and completely unlike land animals.

Human War General martial artists were the backbone of resistance against sea beast tides, because the vast number of Beast General rank monsters served as commanders for the Beast Soldiers, and only Beast Generals posed a combat threat to humans. So when Beast General monsters charged into a War Base, it was far more dangerous than a Lord rank monster slipping in by chance.

Human Laser Cannons couldn't be wasted on Beast General monsters, so every time a base was assaulted, Beast Generals formed the main force.

Ji Yun first hid inside the War Base, waiting for his moment, each shot taking the lives of several Beast Soldiers.

But once the Beast Generals surged forward, the base's steel shell could no longer withstand their attacks. Ji Yun leaped out from the base and charged straight into the Beast General formation!

His long spear swept wide. Because the monsters were numerous and massive in size, Ji Yun was forced to use sweeping strikes to block their advance—but it was only a delay!

Hundreds of Beast General monsters, led by over twenty High-Level Beast Generals, advanced in a disciplined formation. Behind Ji Yun stood War General rank martial artists, more than ten of them High-Level War Generals. With good coordination, they could hold the line.

But!

At that moment, the Lobster Lord from earlier finally broke through to the front line, its claw snapping shut on a martial artist standing too far forward.

"Ah—"

The martial artist screamed, instantly severed in half by the claw. Flesh and blood fell through the air, immediately devoured by the swarming monsters. Only the thick stench of blood lingered in the air.

With the Lord monster's support, the Beast Generals pressed their assault even harder, some ignoring their own injuries to force their way into the position. The Beast Generals also adopted encirclement tactics, but under the bombardment of cannon fire, they were temporarily locked in a stalemate with the martial artists on the beachfront.

"I have to stop that Lord monster!" Ji Yun's eyes sharpened. He leaped up like a light swallow, striking out several times midair, each spear point hitting a monster's vital spot. In an instant, he killed several Mid-Level Beast General monsters.

Using the force from his spear strikes, Ji Yun launched himself higher into the air.

"Ha!"

The sea wind was drawn to Ji Yun's spear tip, condensed, and formed into a spinning vortex.

"Shiiing—"

In that moment, Ji Yun's speed barely broke the sound barrier. The sound of air splitting wasn't loud, but it was piercingly sharp. This spear was aimed straight for the Lobster Lord's eye. If it hit, the blinded Lord could be incinerated by a Laser Cannon.

The Lobster Lord reacted instantly, pulling back its claw that was clearing the path and crossing both pincers in front of its eyes. Ji Yun's strike was blocked—the spear tip hit the Lobster Lord's hard armor, leaving only a shallow white mark.

"Damn it, how is this Lord's defense so strong? How do I stop it?"

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

"This can't go on." Ji Yun was struck from behind by an Octopus Beast General. The immense force punched straight through his Combat Suit without any resistance, shaking his body. It felt like his internal organs were being shattered.

In the distance.

The battle between War Gods and High-Level Lords remained fiercely deadlocked. Some War Gods, lacking in strength, were badly wounded under the Lords' siege, their lives hanging by a thread. There were thirteen High-Level Lord monsters, and some were already on the verge of breaking through the War Gods' defensive line and charging the War Base.

"How much longer until the reinforcing War Gods arrive?" Inside the War Base's command room, the commander roared. "Every second, our human martial artists are losing their lives! What a tremendous loss! And the War Gods can't hold out much longer!"

"Commander, three more minutes. They'll be here soon."

"Then hold for three more minutes." The commander's face twisted red with rage. His eyes, as if spitting fire, stared fixedly at the beast tide below. His fists clenched, he pressed them motionless against the table.

Ji Yun struck the Lobster Lord's armored shell several times, but this Lord relied entirely on that shell to survive in the ocean—it was nowhere near something Ji Yun could pierce. He could only look for an opening to hit its vital eye, but the Lobster Lord's claw always blocked it in time, foiling every attack.

The Lobster Lord's tail swept toward Ji Yun, forcing him to dodge. Every step Ji Yun retreated, the beast tide advanced one step forward!

"What do I do?"

Ji Yun's mind raced with anxiety.

"I can only drive it back, then let the Laser Cannon try to kill it!"

"How do I drive it back? My strength can't budge this Lord monster at all. I can only circle it. To make it retreat, I have to... I have to charge in and draw the Lord's attention!"

"Yes, that's it. Maybe I'll be overwhelmed, but the beast tide will be dealt with!"

Ji Yun's eyes lit up. He had found a solution.

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

Yet, what choice was there?

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

At this moment, every life—every soldier, every martial artist—no longer belonged to themselves, but to the War Base behind them, and the tens of billions of residents in the base city.

Ji Yun stirred the wind, leaped onto the Lobster Lord's head against the sea breeze, and let out a loud shout.

The sharp spear tip stabbed into a softer spot on the Lobster Lord's head, but it only pierced a small wound, drawing a trickle of blood!

Though the Lobster Lord was barely injured, the pain was unavoidable. Its tiny eyes blazed with even more savage fury. Its massive claw swung through the air, aiming to crush Ji Yun like it had done before.

Ji Yun jumped from the Lobster Lord's back into the swarm of monsters, instantly swallowed up. The Lobster Lord followed him into the horde, as if its own kind and the other monsters no longer mattered. It would tear this insignificant human who had repeatedly challenged its Lord-level dignity into a thousand pieces.

Ji Yun swung Wind Lifter. The spear technique, normally light and agile, grew heavier, sharper, and even tinged with a killing intent amidst the swarm.

The Lobster Lord chased Ji Yun, swinging its claws wildly, killing many Beast Generals with its indiscriminate attacks. The beast tide's overall assault formation was briefly halted.

"Look! Who is that in the middle of the swarm?"

The commander saw the beast tide slow down, even the Lord monster retreating slightly. Overjoyed, he shouted, "Can we contact that martial artist? Tell him to break out! The enemy monsters have clustered together—we can drop Incendiary Bombs!"

"Ji Yun! Ji Yun, can you hear me?"

Ji Yun's earpiece carried Lu Xiangsheng's forceful voice.

"You need to pull back from the beast horde now. We're preparing to release incendiary bombs. Please withdraw from the horde quickly. We're dropping them immediately."

"General Lu Xiangsheng, I'm afraid I'm trapped in a perilous position and can't break free..." Ji Yun said through gritted teeth.

"If I can't get out, don't worry about my existence. Eliminating the beast tide is the top priority. An individual's life, gain or loss, is insignificant before the safety of our Huaxia." As he spoke, the corners of Ji Yun's eyes grew moist.

"If I fall... please tell my father and my friends that all is well."

Ji Yun looked at the dense mass of monsters surrounding him. He had charged to the center of the beach, at least two hundred meters from the War Base. Though the distance wasn't far, with the monsters blocking his way, there was still hardly any hope of breaking out.

"Damn it, Ji Yun, do you know what you're doing?" Lu Xiangsheng's tone suddenly erupted in fury.

"Ji Yun, I'm telling you, you're a genius. You're more valuable than us. You alive is better than you dead. Do you hear me, Ji Yun? Ji Yun?" Lu Xiangsheng roared at the top of his lungs, as if that would let Ji Yun hear him.

But the wind pulled fiercely, the sea howling, drowning out Lu Xiangsheng's voice. Lu Xiangsheng pressed his communicator.

"Commander, Ji Yun says the greater situation comes first." Lu Xiangsheng turned to look at the commander.

A tear traced down the corner of the stooped middle-aged man's eye.

"At any cost, we must get Ji Yun out. Concentrate all artillery fire on the front of the beast horde," the commander ordered swiftly.

"We must save him. Even if I die in exchange for a future powerhouse, it's worth it."

Inside the beast tide.

"To hell with it. I'll kill as many as I can!"

Ji Yun swung Wind Lifter with all his might, a tornado whipping up around him, lifting countless monster corpse fragments into the air, blurring his vision.

Boom

A high-rank Beast General starfish monster hooked one of its horns onto Ji Yun's spear. Off-balance, Ji Yun was sent flying. He was about to fall into the sea!

"Is this death?"

Ji Yun's eyes went vacant, but he still raised Wind Lifter with effort, fending off the monster's attacks.

Deep in the beast horde, hunted by a Lord monster. Trapped in a desperate dead end!

A gust of sea wind blew past, sweeping across Ji Yun's face.

Ji Yun seemed to grasp something. Wind Lifter in his hand began to dance with the wind, and his whole body turned into a breeze, merging with Wind Lifter—a weapon created to adapt to the wind!

This was the spear path of Unity of Heaven and Man. After comprehending man-spear unity nearly half a year ago, Ji Yun had finally broken through, reaching another realm—the pinnacle of the Human Spear Path.

This meant that on the path of the spear, Ji Yun had carved out his own way.

Even the distant ocean was stirred into a tsunami, a giant wave crashing down from the sea! It slammed behind Ji Yun. The Sea Clan Monsters that should have ridden the wave strangely did not appear. They were scattered by the wind, blown into disarray.

Endless surging waves cross the vast sea; one spear presses down the tide's crest!

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

Just then, a torrent of artillery fire poured onto Ji Yun's retreat route. A massive number of Beast Soldiers were killed, leaving only about twenty Beast Generals blocking the way ahead!

Seeing the path nearly cleared, Ji Yun's heart soared. He turned, disengaged, and dashed toward the War Base, popping open the heads of a few Beast Generals along the way.

Though he had gained insight, Ji Yun had no strength left to fight. His stamina and spirit were completely drained. Continuing to battle would only be futile.

The Lobster Lord pursued relentlessly, but the rapidly thinning beast horde closed ranks behind Ji Yun as he passed. The Lobster Lord's massive body was actually trapped within the horde. The artillery bombardment threw the beasts into chaos, slowing the Lobster Lord's movements.

Silent and soundless.

A blinding white light flashed. The Laser Cannon on the tower finally seized its chance, striking down the Lobster Lord in one blow. The Lobster Lord followed its kin, reduced to a pile of ash.

At that moment, a swarm of flying saucer warplanes found their opportunity, soaring into the sky and raining down a massive number of new-type incendiary bombs. Centered on the War Base, covering a full kilometer in all directions—including the buffer beach, the sea surface, and the land on both sides—this most hated weapon of the Sea Clan Monsters was dropped everywhere!

Whoosh whoosh~~

Instantly, the surrounding kilometer became a sea of raging flames! Sea Clan Monsters' bodies were not afraid of fire at all... but the water inside them was rapidly evaporating!

Some coelenterate monsters, like jellyfish, after mutation, could survive on land for two or three hours. But once roasted by flames, with massive water loss, they couldn't last two or three minutes! Depending on the species, their endurance under fire varied.

The incendiary bombs splashed onto the water surface and the beach, continuing to burn!

Water couldn't extinguish them! Covering them with dirt couldn't put them out either! Rolling on the ground couldn't shake off the flames; instead, it made the fire spread all over the body. In other words, even if they escaped the sea of fire, they'd still be burning!

This was, without a doubt, the most hated weapon of the Sea Clan Monsters!

This wave of incendiary bomb drops reduced the landed Sea Clan Monsters by eighty percent. The pressure on human martial artists instantly eased. Some powerful War Generals took the opportunity to push the front line back, using the monster corpses to effectively build a defensive fortification.

Suddenly, fourteen figures approached rapidly from the distance. Each moved with incredible speed, all breaking the sound barrier at least.

These were the War Gods arriving at top speed!

Now there were twenty-six War God powerhouses! The War Gods turned the tide on the battlefield. The powerful high-rank Lord monsters were surrounded by the War Gods, preventing their escape, while the weaker ones were picked off by the strong War Gods.

Though high-rank Lord monsters kept crawling out of the sea and onto the shore, the situation had already become clear.

This war between humans and monsters was as brutal as ever!

It lasted until the sun rose the next morning before the beast tide slowly receded.

Although the Sea Clan Monsters hadn't breached the War Base, a few Beast Generals still broke through and charged inside! Large groups of 'electric-discharging' Sea Clan Monsters, swarms of 'venom-spraying' monsters, and even those that shot 'bubble' shockwaves—all kinds of bizarre Sea Clan Monster attacks infiltrated the war fortress, causing considerable casualties among the human soldiers.

These few Beast General-level intruders who made it into the base were already spent forces, but they still inflicted some losses on the human martial artists.