Sudden Change

The echoes of the bombardment still buzzed in their ears when three bright green signal flares finally rose from the rear camp, exceptionally eye-catching amid the smoke filling the sky.

Seeing this, Deputy Director Gao withdrew his spell, and the thick earthen wall dissolved into streams of light.

A scorching blast of air rushed at them, carrying the heavy stench of charred earth and some kind of burned flesh, choking them until they could barely breathe.

"Follow me. Stay alert!"

Deputy Director Gao's voice was low as he took the lead forward. The four-man squad moved in combat formation, cautiously threading through the battered woodland.

For the first hundred-odd meters, all they saw were traces of the earlier terrifying shockwave. Trees as thick as bowls had been knocked down and snapped in unison, while dense thickets had been flattened as though pressed by an invisible giant hand, with broken branches and leaves carpeting the ground.

As they continued deeper, the smell of gunpowder in the air gradually grew heavier, carrying a faint burning sensation as it entered their nostrils. The light also seemed to dim, as the dust and smoke ahead began to blot out the daylight.

It was in this area that they encountered the anticipated chaos: countless demon beasts and spirits that had narrowly escaped from the deeper forest were fleeing outward in utter terror. Most were wounded, some bore scorch marks, and all had completely lost any will to resist, caring only about fleeing for their lives.

"Clear them out!" Deputy Director Gao ordered decisively.

What followed became an efficient and merciless harvest.

Yang Wenqing stayed at the rear, collecting valuable demon beast materials while setting ablaze those twisted Demonic Beasts deeply contaminated by Demonic Aura.

They advanced for roughly half an hour.

When the heat waves in the air became distinctly noticeable, the color of the soil beneath their feet gradually darkened, and they could vaguely make out an area farther ahead completely shrouded in dense smoke and dust, Deputy Director Gao raised his hand again and halted the team.

His sharp gaze swept across the hazy region ruled by smoke and fire ahead as he said in a deep voice:

"We're here. Ahead is the outer perimeter of the bombardment zone. Stay sharp. The situation inside is unknown, and the danger may not have been fully cleared."

As soon as he finished speaking, two combat squads from the Operations Division appeared to their left and right.

Deputy Director Gao immediately ordered, "Set up a perimeter and wait for the remaining combat squad members."

After Deputy Director Gao issued the order, the Operations Division's two combat squads expertly took up advantageous positions on both flanks. Their Runic Rifles pointed vigilantly in every direction, forming a solid triangular defensive formation with Yang Wenqing's group.

Deputy Director Gao walked off to the side and activated the Communication Formation within his badge, lowering his voice as he communicated with the other commanders. He was clearly synchronizing information and coordinating the next phase of the operation.

Taking advantage of the pause, Yang Wenqing was able to examine the area ahead more closely—a region that had just undergone a devastating baptism.

Yet the thick dust hung like a heavy curtain, blocking most of his view. He could only vaguely make out the wreckage of enormous trees. The charred smell and the foul stench of burned flesh in the air had reached their peak here, mixed with intense fiery Baleful Intent that made him nauseous.

The originally violent and chaotic flow of spiritual energy seemed to have sunk into an eerie dead silence beneath the bombardment's ultimate destruction. Yang Wenqing could even sense that the Golden Core in his mind instinctively rejected and warned against absorbing energy from the area ahead.

Time passed as they waited. A quarter of an hour later, the airflow in the forest seemed to strengthen slightly, like an invisible hand patiently wiping away the heavy curtain of smoke and dust to reveal the blackened outlines ahead. The suffocating smell of charring and rot in the air was also thinned somewhat by the breeze. It was still unpleasant, but no longer quite so oppressive.

"There are still life signs inside, and they're frantically absorbing this violent energy!"

Deputy Director Gao's gaze swept across Wang Jianchao and Liu Xin before he began communicating with the other commanders. More than ten seconds later, the branch leaders at the front line, dressed in white uniforms, reached a consensus.

Then Deputy Director Gao produced a command flag and suspended it in midair. It expanded in the wind, instantly transforming into a massive luminous banner. Countless profound silver runes flowed from the banner, intertwining in the air like living creatures with identical runes spreading in from other directions. They rapidly formed an enormous and intricate curtain of light that enclosed the core bombardment area!

It was a powerful Sealing Formation, intended to isolate the exchange of energy between inside and outside while suppressing the abnormal fluctuations within.

Just as the light curtain was about to close, the Golden Core in Yang Wenqing's mind suddenly trembled. He clearly sensed that an energy vortex had formed at the bottom of the enormous ring-shaped crater at the center of the bombardment!

"Stay alert! Find cover!"

Deputy Director Gao shouted. He had clearly sensed that something was wrong as well.

The instant Deputy Director Gao's words fell, a faint crimson flame sprang up without warning from the bottom of the charred deep pit at the center of the bombardment.

At first, the flame was no larger than a candle flame, yet it expanded madly in an instant!

Boom!!

A colossal pillar of crimson fire shot into the heavens, and violent energy erupted in an instant. The newly formed silver sealing light curtain was like fragile glass; it did not even last a breath before shattering inch by inch amid a teeth-grating crack. Even the enormous forest Barrier around the perimeter, like the surface of water struck by a boulder, rippled violently before bursting apart with a crash!

A scorching shockwave carrying destructive force swept outward in a ring. Everywhere it passed, the blackened remains of trees instantly turned to ash, and the ground was plowed flat once more!

"Get down!"

Deputy Director Gao roared. Spiritual light surged around him as he tried to protect everyone behind him, but before this world-destroying force, his personal defense seemed so pale and feeble.

Yang Wenqing felt an irresistible force slam head-on into him. He immediately used the Golden Light Bodyguard Spell with all his strength, yet the energy impact drained most of the spiritual energy in his Qi Sea in an instant. Fortunately, the spiritual energy here was dense enough, and with the Golden Core's help, it was restored in the next instant.

Unable to hold on, Wang Jianchao and Liu Xin immediately followed the momentum and took cover behind Yang Wenqing.

Yet the soaring pillar of fire did not persist. Instead, it rapidly contracted into a streak of crimson light, like a meteor flying in reverse, and shot into the thick clouds high above in an instant.

At the same time, a clear and cheerful voice, carrying several hints of mockery, sounded as though it were speaking beside everyone's ears, ringing clearly throughout the entire area:

"Hahahahaha! Many thanks to my fellow cultivators for lending me a hand. Today's karma shall be repaid another day!"

Even as that mocking voice echoed, although the crimson fire pillar had already shot into the sky, the shockwave unleashed by the terrifying energy of its eruption did not stop. Like a tangible tsunami, it continued crushing outward!

After holding for two breaths, Deputy Director Gao's spiritual-light shield began to flicker violently, on the verge of shattering. He let out a muffled groan, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He had clearly suffered internal injuries. Seeing that he could no longer withstand it head-on, he made a snap decision, flashed away, and retreated behind Yang Wenqing as well.

For a moment, Yang Wenqing had actually become the foremost shield of the four-man squad!