The Alluring Power

At this moment, the Qi Sea and spiritual meridians throughout Yang Wenqing's body were circulating frantically at an unprecedented speed. The muscles and bones initially tempered by the Ninefold Refinement Method displayed their advantages, providing him with far greater capacity.

The Golden Core in his mind shone brilliantly, devouring the increasingly chaotic and violent spiritual energy around him with unprecedented efficiency. After rapid conversion, it barely managed to sustain the tottering golden barrier of the Golden Light Bodyguard Spell.

The barrier twisted violently beneath the impact of the energy storm, as though it would shatter at any moment. The immense pressure made every bone in Yang Wenqing's body creak. Fine streaks of blood even began to seep from his seven orifices, while his spiritual meridians throbbed with needle-like pain. These were signs that excessive circulation of spiritual energy was about to damage his foundation!

Just as Yang Wenqing felt that he could no longer hold on and his consciousness began to blur, a gentle yet pure force suddenly surged into his body from behind him. It was Deputy Director Gao!

Deputy Director Gao sensed that Yang Wenqing was at the end of his strength and that his spiritual meridians had been damaged from overexertion. Without hesitation, he took out a precious Azure Wood Technique talisman and sent it into Yang Wenqing's body.

Gentle green radiance entered Yang Wenqing's back like sweet rain falling upon parched earth. It swiftly soothed the burning pain and tiny cracks in his spiritual meridians, healed the discomfort in his internal organs caused by the shockwaves, greatly eased his burden, and injected a surge of vitality into his nearly depleted body.

With this fresh support, and with the Golden Core still desperately converting energy, Yang Wenqing was reinvigorated. He gritted his teeth and poured the final trace of spiritual power squeezed from his body into the protective golden light without holding anything back.

Buzz—

The flickering barrier finally stabilized somewhat. Though it still struggled desperately within the energy storm, it did not immediately shatter.

This devastating surge of energy lasted for more than a dozen breaths before finally beginning to subside.

When the last wisp of violent energy swept past, Yang Wenqing could no longer endure. The instant the Golden Light Bodyguard Spell dispersed, his legs gave out, and he dropped to one knee, gasping heavily. His entire body was soaked in sweat, and his face was pale as paper.

Deputy Director Gao looked at Yang Wenqing's back, his eyes filled with shock and complicated emotions. He quickly stepped forward and supported the nearly exhausted Yang Wenqing. "Are you alright?"

Then he added, "You can count this as a blessing in disguise. In those ten-odd seconds just now, you completed more than half of the First Refinement of the Qi Refining Stage!"

Wang Jianchao glanced at Yang Wenqing, confirmed that he was alright, then immediately scanned the surroundings. He quietly reported to Deputy Director Gao, "The other combat squads have all suffered severe casualties to varying degrees. Some of our colleagues have even been killed."

Deputy Director Gao thought quickly, then said to Wang Jianchao and Liu Xin, "We owe Wenqing for this. I thought the record in his file saying that his consciousness was powerful and that he refined spiritual energy faster than ordinary people merely meant he was exceptional. I never expected him to possess such talent. The three of us are the only ones who need to know about this. Understand?"

The two were briefly stunned before replying together, "Understood!"

Deputy Director Gao then instructed, "Go see if there's anything valuable. That man was at least at the Entry Realm, so the Spirit-Gathering Formation he set up is bound to contain Spirit Liquid. And Jianchao, this case was yours. You need to come up with an explanation for the director."

Wang Jianchao and Liu Xin both nodded, then silently made their way toward the central area.

Deputy Director Gao immediately used his badge to request reinforcements from the rear command center. Just then, a terrifying rumble like muffled thunder echoed through the sky.

Yang Wenqing and Deputy Director Gao both looked up. The heavens several miles away had been forcibly torn in half by an invisible, tremendous power.

On the left, the clouds looked like red-hot iron cast into a furnace, taking on a heart-stopping dark crimson hue. Even from so far away, scorching heat washed over them. On the right, the sky seemed to have sunk into a bottomless sea. Heavy lead-gray clouds hung low, emanating a bone-piercing damp chill.

Suddenly, countless tiny fiery-red glimmers lit up across the dark crimson sky, as though streams of flame were racing through the depths of the clouds, turning that section of heaven into a burning brocade.

At the same time, the lead-gray cloud cover abruptly split apart, pouring down a heavy curtain of rain that connected heaven and earth. The raging downpour seemed poised to drown the entire world.

The next instant, forces of extreme heat and extreme cold collided explosively in the distant sky.

In an instant, a destructive hurricane formed beneath the clouds before plunging to the ground. No one knew where it landed, but the deafening roar echoing in their ears proclaimed its destructive power.

Only a few breaths later, a freezing wind swept toward them. The cold was bone-deep, raising goosebumps all over Yang Wenqing's body.

Yet Yang Wenqing seemed completely unaware of it. He stood where he was, looking up at the sky, his clothes whipping wildly beneath the tremendous pressure of the wind.

He gazed at the terrifying phenomenon in the distance, where flames burned the heavens and boiled the seas while torrential rain poured down. Feeling the immense pressure that seemed capable of crushing everything, he profoundly realized just how insignificant he was.

Before such world-changing power, the little cultivation he possessed was simply not worth mentioning.

"Don't overthink it, and don't be discouraged. Your talent is exceptionally high. One day, you'll be able to soar through the sky like them as well." Deputy Director Gao had long witnessed battles like this. Noticing Yang Wenqing's mood, he gently patted him on the shoulder.

As his words fell, another emerald radiance appeared at the other end of the clouds. Like the purest vitality of spring, it instantly dispelled some of the oppressive atmosphere. Clearly, another Entry Realm cultivator from the City Defense Bureau had arrived!

The auras of the three Entry Realm cultivators intertwined in the sky, and the inferno that seemed capable of burning the heavens appeared to be suppressed, churning violently.

Suddenly—

BOOM!!!

The red fire clouds abruptly contracted inward, then exploded with a thunderous blast. Blazing light instantly swallowed half the sky, as though a blood-red sun had burst apart overhead, forcing everyone to avert their eyes.

Within that ultimate radiance and heat, Yang Wenqing vaguely saw a blurred crimson figure shoot out from the center of the explosion like a meteor flying in reverse. Moving faster than the eye could follow, it fled toward the distant horizon, becoming nothing more than a tiny dot in the blink of an eye.

The azure waterlight and newly appeared emerald radiance immediately transformed into two long rainbows and gave chase. Yet after pursuing for only a moment, the two rainbows slowly came to a stop in midair. Their light gradually faded, and they ultimately hovered in the sky, apparently abandoning the pursuit.

Clearly, the fire cultivator's reckless outburst had successfully bought him a sliver of survival, allowing him to escape the battlefield.

The phenomena in the sky gradually subsided, and the raging hurricane slowly weakened. Only a fine spiritual rain remained, falling over and washing the devastated land.

Deputy Director Gao looked toward the direction in which the fire cultivator had vanished and finally let out a soft sigh. "He still got away."

Yang Wenqing remained silent, but his heart was in turmoil. He had witnessed firsthand the terrifying power of Entry Realm cultivators, as well as their pursuit and contest against one another.

Deputy Director Gao glanced at Wang Jianchao and Liu Xin, who were busy collecting something in the central area, then rose and said to Yang Wenqing, "Meditate and rest here. I need to treat the other colleagues."