Song Chen stood where he was, his blade hanging at his side, the black earth beneath his feet split open by his slash.
In the distance, the Flesh Station that had once spanned heaven and earth had completely collapsed. Only half of its broken main stalk remained, jutting diagonally into the ground.
Dark red liquid kept pouring from the break, following the slope to form narrow streams.
Chunks of tissue that had not fully died floated in the liquid. Some writhed, some swelled, and others struggled through their final moments.
The night wind blew from the ruins, carrying a sickly sweet, bloody stench.
Song Chen knew it was not over yet. His perception spread like a net, covering tens of thousands of kilometers around him.
Within that area, many life signatures were moving rapidly.
They were not particularly strong, but there were enormous numbers of them.
Some had just escaped from the station and were fleeing frantically into the distance.
Others did not flee. Instead, they gathered in the shadows, gradually surrounding him.
"Come on."
Shelly had appeared behind him at some point. She sensed them too, and her body tensed involuntarily, her hands clenched at her sides as her eyes darted around.
She knew Song Chen was strong, but these members of the Blood-Eclipse Clan were no pushovers either.
They were at least fifth rank, and many adult guards had even reached seventh rank. Along with the juveniles that had survived by sheer luck, they formed a dense swarm numbering at least several hundred thousand.
What unsettled her even more was the exceptionally powerful presence she seemed to sense among them.
It was far stronger than an ordinary seventh rank and had already reached eighth rank.
If she was right, it had to be this planet's Garrison Commander.
Song