112: Golden flames shattered the core, finally subduing the demon; though the lingering tide had not yet subsided, a dark undercurrent arose.

Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen: Golden Flames Break the Core and Finally Subdue the Demons, Residual Tides Unsettled as Undercurrents Rise

Three golden energy beams streaked across the sky, carrying the genetic energy of the God Devourer larvae, like three rays of dawn, heading straight for the three God Devourers in the center of the battlefield.

This time, the energy beams were not deflected by the reflective layer of the scales. The moment the golden light touched the dark purple scales, it reacted violently like hot oil meeting water; the energy field on the surface of the scales collapsed instantly, revealing the fragile granulation beneath. The energy beams pierced through, accurately hitting the multiple crimson crystals on the top of the skull.

"Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!"

Three earth-shaking roars erupted almost simultaneously as golden explosive flames soared into the sky, forming three massive mushroom clouds. Unlike the previous silver-white explosions, these golden flames contained intense gene-neutralizing energy, frantically devouring the energy of the God Devourer cores.

The leading God Devourer let out an extremely shrill roar, its massive body twitching violently in the flames. The multiple cores on its skull melted and collapsed rapidly like ice cubes scorched by fire. Dark purple energy fluid gushed out; when it hit the ground, it was no longer corrosive slime but instantly evaporated into white mist. Its body continued to shrink, scales falling off one after another, until finally, with a dull thud, it turned into a pile of black ash.

The other two God Devourers that were hit met a similarly miserable end. The golden flames spread from their cores throughout their bodies, devouring every inch of mutated muscle and bone. The originally violent energy dissipated rapidly under the effect of the gene neutralizer. Their massive bodies, like mountains losing support, collapsed with a crash, kicking up clouds of dust.

The battlefield instantly fell into a dead silence.

The surviving soldiers stared blankly at the scene before them, their weapons slowly lowering, their eyes filled with unbelievable ecstasy. Two hours of desperate holding, the sacrifice of countless comrades, had finally brought the dawn of victory.

"We won... we won!" A young soldier knelt on the ground, tears mixing with dust as they slid down, his voice choking.

Cheers erupted like a tide across the defense line. Soldiers embraced and wept. The barrels of the apocalypse tanks rose one after another, letting out a roar of victory; the thrusters of the winter war god mechas sprayed colored flames, drawing brilliant trails in the sky.

In the command tent, Lin Zhou's tense body finally relaxed, his back already soaked in cold sweat. He looked at the three God Devourers turned to ash on the screen and let out a long sigh of relief, a hint of exhaustion flashing in his eyes, but more so the determination of a survivor.

"Immediately take a headcount of casualties, treat the wounded, and repair the fortifications!" Lin Zhou ordered into the communicator, his voice slightly raspy. "Furthermore, order the remaining troops to pursue the two fleeing God Devourers with all their might! We must not let them escape!"

It turned out that at the moment the golden energy beams erupted, the remaining two God Devourers sensed a fatal threat and actually abandoned their attack, turning to flee into the deep forests of the Indochina Peninsula. They were extremely fast, disappearing into the mountains in the blink of an eye.

"Roger! Apocalypse Tank Division and mecha squadron, pursue immediately!" Zhao Shanhe's voice came through, filled with excitement. "We must completely annihilate them!"

The pursuit force set out quickly. The tracks of the apocalypse tanks crushed the footprints left by the God Devourers as they sped toward the deep forest; the Falcon Fighter Jet Squadron took to the air, locking onto the targets from above, ready to provide fire support at any moment.

Meanwhile, in the underground interrogation room of the East Sea Barrier Base, Zhulong fell into a complete frenzy after learning that the God Devourers had been annihilated.

"Impossible! This is impossible!" He twisted his body frantically, his magnetic storm shackles making a piercing grinding sound. "My God Devourers are perfect! How could they be destroyed! Lin Zhou, what trickery did you use!"

The guarding soldier looked at him coldly: "Zhulong, your world-ending plan has gone bankrupt. The God Devourers have been annihilated; you no longer have any chance of a comeback."

"Bankrupt?" Zhulong suddenly stopped struggling, a strange smile curling on his lips. "You think it's safe just because you annihilated these five? Too naive! On the Australian continent, there are countless incompletely evolved God Devourer larvae. They have absorbed the energy of the pseudo-broodmother energy blocks and are growing rapidly. Before long, they will form a massive God Devourer army. When that time comes, even if you have modified anti-core bombs, you won't be able to withstand them!"

His words were like a massive boulder crashing into everyone's hearts.

In the command center, Lin Zhou watched the pursuit footage sent from the Apocalypse Tank Division—the two fleeing God Devourers stopped in the deep forest and roared at the sky. From the distant mountains, faint responses could be heard one after another. The skynet satellite immediately adjusted its orbit to focus on the Australian continent. Heart-stopping images appeared on the screen: in the Uluru rock area of central Australia, countless dark purple energy beams shot into the sky, and dense crowds of God Devourer larvae were evolving rapidly, their sizes constantly expanding.

"It seems the battle is not over yet," Lin Zhou said softly, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

He turned and ordered into the communicator: "Research team, immediately mass-produce Modified Dual-Effect Anti-Core Bombs and increase production capacity! The Far East Defense Line and Southwest Defense Line are to enter Level 1 alert simultaneously; prepare to welcome the God Devourer army! Additionally, the interrogation team must increase their efforts and force the specific distribution and evolution cycles of the Australian God Devourer larvae out of Zhulong!"

The orders were issued, and the various units went into action again. The production lines at the Northern Steel Base operated at full throttle, and the number of Modified Dual-Effect Anti-Core Bombs continued to increase. The Railgun positions on the Far East Defense Line were reinforced again, and the entire Apocalypse Tank Division assembled. The pursuit force on the Southwest Defense Line successfully found the two fleeing God Devourers and completely annihilated them under the attack of the modified anti-core bombs.

As the sun set on the battlefield of the Southwest Defense Line, soldiers were clearing the field. The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over the devastated land, illuminating the tired but determined faces of the soldiers.

Lin Zhou stood on the ridge, looking at the distant mountains and sky, knowing full well that this was only a stage victory. The God Devourer army on the Australian continent was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over humanity's head, liable to fall at any moment.

But he did not retreat in the slightest. Having experienced countless life-and-death trials, humanity was no longer the team that could only defend passively. They had advanced weapons, united allies, and an unyielding will.

"No matter how many hardships and obstacles lie ahead, we will hold out to the end," Lin Zhou said softly, his eyes shining with a determined light. "We will definitely protect humanity's home."