84: Death is always present

Dozens of kilometers south of Shigatse, Tibet, the cold wind was like a blade, slicing through the thin air and whipping up ice dust across the sky.

High in the heavens, a tragic slaughter was unfolding.

"Xiaotian, how many bullets do the brothers have left?" the young Huzi roared, his voice nearly shattered by the howling wind.

He wore a pitch-black specialized combat suit, and a pair of spirit wings condensed from spiritual power vibrated at high frequency behind him, emitting a low hum.

A heavy metal combat backpack was strapped tightly to his back; the alloy bullets that had once filled it were now almost gone. He tightly gripped a hideously shaped, massive semi-automatic rifle, its body covered in cooling ridges. Ten-centimeter-long specialized bullets were connected to the alloy backpack behind him via an ammunition belt—the entire backpack served as the massive magazine for this lethal weapon.

Specialized firearms,

Specialized bullets,

Specialized magazine backpacks.

This was the new generation of individual lethal weapons tailored by the Huaxia Research Institute for the extermination of Yao Beasts.

The entire set of equipment weighed hundreds of kilograms, but for these Qi Sea Realm warriors, it was still within their capacity to bear.

Although Cultivators could manipulate spiritual power for Spells, spiritual power was ultimately finite. An ordinary Qi Sea Realm Cultivator only had a reserve of tens of thousands of spiritual power; once exhausted, they would face a dead end against ferocious Yao Beasts.

Drones were still effective against Foundation Establishment and even Qi Sea Realm Yao Beasts within a Secret Realm, but outside the Secret Realm, Qi Sea Realm Yao Beasts that had regained their sanity—especially flying species—greatly reduced the effectiveness of drones. Anti-aircraft missiles could only deplete their spiritual power and were rarely fatal.

In the air, nearly a thousand similarly equipped warriors formed a fan-shaped battle formation. Opposite them was a dense, black mass of hundreds of screeching Swift Dragon Yao Beasts.

The muzzles of the front-row warriors spat tongues of fire, weaving a dense rain of bullets into a curtain of death! The moment the specialized alloy warheads struck the bodies of the Yao Beasts, they exploded violently!

Puchi! Pupu!

Mist of blood erupted in the air, mixed with a scorched, fishy stench, as severed limbs and broken wings pelted down onto the frozen earth like rain.

The warriors in the back row moved their fingers in rapid hand signs, sending fireballs, ice blades, wind arrows... various colored spiritual light Spells whistling out, accurately slamming into the beast swarm.

When the front row's ammunition was exhausted, the front and back rows rotated instantly, their movements as swift as lightning. The retreating warriors immediately formed hand signs to cast Spells, turning their accumulated spiritual power into new attacks.

However,

On the distant horizon, even more Swift Dragon reinforcements surged forward like rolling black clouds!

For every one killed, two more took its place!

"Huzi! We only have twenty percent of our bullets left! Our spiritual power is about to drop below the safety line!" Lin Xiaotian's voice was heavy. "Prepare to evacuate!"

He looked at the gathering Yao Beasts, his heart turning cold. They were supposed to be clearing out invading Yao Beasts, yet they had fallen into this desperate situation. A distress signal had been sent, but they... likely wouldn't last until reinforcements arrived! Swift Dragons dominated the sky with their speed; even with the support of the Flight Technique, how could they outrun these natural predators?

"Huzi, take the men and retreat first! Team One, follow me to cover the rear!" Lin Xiaotian said decisively. Evacuating everyone was already a pipe dream; once the bullets and spiritual power were gone, it would be a total wipeout. As the highest commander, there was no reason for him to escape alone.

"Three-minute countdown! When the time is up, move immediately!" he ordered sharply.

"Team One! Prepare to face death with me!" Lin Xiaotian's gaze swept across the familiar faces. "When we reach the Yellow Springs, I will apologize to you brothers!" He was sorry... the members of Team One were the comrades who had been with him the longest, having survived several life-and-death crusades together. To cover the retreat of the four teams, at least one team would have to pay with their lives! Not a single person flinched; the warriors of Team One silently and quickly adjusted their positions, moving to the very front of the fan-shaped formation, their eyes filled with determination.

May the green hills bury my bones, so long as Huaxia is cleansed!

A worthy death!

Three minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

"Boom! Boom, boom, boom, boom—!"

Hundreds of high-explosive grenades detonated in the heart of the beast swarm! Countless scorching steel balls swept through like a storm, piercing membrane-like wings and disrupting the dense formation; though not fatal, they created precious chaos.

Using the smoke and shockwaves of the explosions, the warriors of Teams Two, Three, and Four beat their spirit wings wildly, shooting backward like arrows from a bow!

Lin Xiaotian and the members of Team One let out a final roar! The remaining bullets turned into a final torrent of steel, pouring out frantically and pinning down the beast swarm trying to give chase, tearing open a path of survival for their comrades!

At this moment, the day of his Awakening flashed through Lin Xiaotian's mind—May 1st.

"S-Rank Talent: Spirit Shield;"

"SS-Rank Talent: Shadowless Twin Swords."

A dual-Talent Awakened, possessing both offense and defense, with unlimited potential... at that moment, he almost thought the era would crown him.

It wasn't until he entered the First Cultivation University that he learned there is always someone better; S-Rank Talents were everywhere, and SS-Rank Talents were not rare either. Zhang Sheng's earth-shattering combat power in the Demon Spider Secret Realm, the announcement of the Huaxia Sequence Members list... the world's heroes were as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river, and he, Lin Xiaotian, had never been the special one.

"Dad, Mom, Big Sister, Second Sister... Xiaotian has been unfilial. I will repay the debt of your upbringing in the next life!" The whisper dissipated in the wind.

"Click!"

The last bullet left the chamber.

Lin Xiaotian unclipped the buckles with one hand, unhesitatingly discarding the heavy rifle and magazine backpack. With a flip of his hands, two cold, glittering Rank One High Grade spirit swords were already in his grasp!

Buzz!

A protective Spirit Shield instantly lit up around him, flowing incessantly. The Talent power of the Shadowless Twin Swords poured into the physical blades, their sharpness surging several times over, making them no weaker than a Rank Two Low Grade spirit sword!

He let out a long cry, his spirit wings spreading wide as he charged alone toward the Demon Dragon at the Peak of the Qi Sea Realm, the one with the most terrifying aura in the swarm!

The other warriors also discarded their guns and drew their blades, pouring all their remaining spiritual power into the Flight Technique, boldly lunging into the swarm to engage in a brutal melee!

At the same Realm, how could a body of flesh and blood be a match for a Demon Dragon?

Chila! Puchi!

Blood sprayed wildly! There was the dark green blood of the Demon Dragons, and the striking bright red blood of humans!

Whenever a warrior was heavily wounded and near death, they would use their last ounce of strength to violently pull the pin of the defensive grenade on their chest!

Boom!

They would rather be blown to pieces than become food in the mouths of Yao Beasts!

Watching his comrades turn into blood mist in explosions one by one, Lin Xiaotian's heart twisted with pain, his eyes bloodshot. His twin swords danced into a storm of death, wanting only to take down one more before he fell!

"You bastards! Today, your Grandpa Lin will play with you to the end!"

Sword light interlaced!

"Puchi!" The head of a Qi Sea Realm Demon Dragon flew off, dark blood gushing like a fountain!

But almost simultaneously, three terrifying claw marks, deep enough to see bone, tore through Lin Xiaotian's abdomen! The intense pain made his vision go dark, and his face turned as pale as paper.

With trembling fingers, he pulled a jade-green Talisman from his blood-stained chest.

"Rise!" With a faint shimmer of spiritual light, the Talisman turned to ash—a Rejuvenation Talisman, but it was just a drop in the bucket!

Lin Xiaotian gritted his teeth, forcefully stuffing the intestines spilling from his wound back into his abdominal cavity!

"Heh... this time, I really won't make it." He laughed self-deprecatingly, his eyes showing no fear, only the calmness of facing death. He lowered his head and bit the pin of the last defensive grenade on his chest, staring coldly at the hideous Demon Dragon lunging at him again.

The light of his spirit wings dimmed completely.

His body began to fall powerlessly.

Suddenly!

A piercing rainbow light that tore through the sky broke through the clouds at a speed beyond thought, arriving in an instant!

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!... Nine full layers of Spirit Shields, condensed as if solid and shimmering with light, instantly enveloped the falling Lin Xiaotian! A torrent of pure, vast, and incredibly familiar spiritual power surged into his depleted Meridians!

Warmth! Tingling! A majestic vitality surged through his body!

The terrifying wound on his abdomen actually began to wriggle and heal at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Simultaneously, a gentle but irresistible force lifted his body, flying toward the source of the rainbow light.

The rainbow light faded, and a familiar figure hovered in the air, smiling with deep, profound eyes.

"Xiaotian, long time no see!"