If I let you practice martial arts, you'll compress your vital energy ten thousand times?

Lin Yuan's icy vow, as if it came from the deepest hell, slowly dissipated in the night wind.

The moment the words fell.

His towering, 2.5-meter-tall, dark gold battle body leaned slightly forward, the muscles in his legs like an unparalleled, fully drawn bow, beginning a terrifyingly intense compression.

Rumble—!!!

It was accompanied by a deafening rumble from the earth's crust.

The already dilapidated superalloy plaza beneath Lin Yuan's feet finally succumbed to the terrifying physical pressure. The ground within a hundred-meter radius cracked and split like a spiderweb, collapsing downwards to create a terrifying sinkhole several meters deep!

With this reaction force, powerful enough to shatter mountains.

Lin Yuan transformed into a dark golden meteor streaking across the night sky!

boom! boom! boom!

He didn't need any movement techniques or martial arts skills at all; he used only the purest physical kinetic energy to shatter more than a dozen sound barriers in mid-air!

Visible white shockwaves exploded one after another above the military headquarters. The terrifying sonic booms even shattered the bulletproof windows of several surrounding buildings.

Less than two seconds.

The dark golden afterimage had already broken through the air defense barrier of the Seventh Safe Zone and completely disappeared into the dark and boundless wilderness night sky outside the city.

Only a vacuum channel, torn open, remained, which took a long time to heal.

The military headquarters was in complete disarray.

A cold wind blew back into the devastated square.

"Cough cough...cough..."

In the distance, amidst the ruins of a building, several military medical experts were desperately channeling their healing energy to dig Lei Lie, whose bones were shattered and who resembled a dead dog, out of the rubble.

The hot-tempered commander of the left flank army was unable to utter a single word at this moment. He could only cough up blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, his eyes filled with extreme terror at having narrowly escaped death.

Feng Wuhen stood at the edge of the giant pit, looking at Lei Lie's miserable state, and then looked up at the direction Lin Yuan had left in, his palms were covered in cold sweat.

"Old Su..."

Feng Wuhen looked at Su Zhan with a trembling voice.

"This senior... just went to Abandoned City 019 all by himself."

"Facing that Ghost King who is at the level of a town general, senior... do you have a chance of winning?"

Su Zhan stared intently at the dark night sky, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh.

"I have no idea."

Su Zhan's voice was terribly hoarse.

"Although the senior is invincible in terms of physical strength, and his physical body can overwhelm a Grandmaster, the Ghost King is, after all, a General-level expert who can transform true qi into armor and possesses an absolute domain!"

"In the path of martial arts, all those below the rank of general are mere ants; this is no empty statement."

"If you win, senior, that would be a great blessing for our Seventh Safe Zone."

"But what if you lose, senior..."

Su Zhan took a deep breath, a look of unprecedented despair and resolve flashing in his eyes.

"Given the Ghost King's vengeful and bloodthirsty nature, once he sets his mind at ease, he will surely unleash his boundless rage and raze our entire Seventh Safe Zone to the ground, using the blood of every citizen to appease his three deceased protectors!"

These words were spoken.

The surrounding military commanders all felt a bone-chilling cold that shot straight from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads.

"We cannot entrust the lives of tens of millions of people to others!"

Su Zhan suddenly turned around, and the aura of a Grandmaster at the peak erupted. His aged face was filled with a desperate madness.

"Pass on my military orders!"

"Immediately activate highest privileges! Drag out the [Star Destroyer Source Energy Main Cannon] that's been dormant in the underground arsenal!"

"All heavy combined arms battalions, immediately board the vehicles and advance fifty kilometers towards Abandoned City 019 outside the city to establish a defensive line!"

boom!

Upon hearing the words "source energy main cannon," Feng Wuhen and the surrounding generals were all shocked and stared wide-eyed.

That's a strategic weapon that can drain the Seventh Security Zone's energy reserves for three months with just one shot!

"I will take full responsibility for anything that happens! Go now!" Su Zhan roared sternly.

Without further hesitation, the generals turned and fled. The entire military headquarters roared like a war machine that had been ignited.

Su Zhan turned around, grabbed Feng Wuhen's shoulder, and shoved a commander's token, representing the highest authority in the military, into his hand.

"Without a trace!"

Su Zhan lowered his voice, his tone carrying an indescribable heaviness.

"Take this token immediately and go to the lowest level of the underground air-raid shelter—the [Absolute Zero Seclusion Chamber]!"

"Stand by! Hold the great formation at all costs!"

Feng Wuhen's heart trembled violently, and he exclaimed, "Elder Su! You mean to..."

"That's right, but we must never take that step until the very last moment!"

Su Zhan gritted his teeth, a hint of grief flashing in his eyes: "Back then, the old commander injured his martial arts essence while protecting the safe zone. He's in seclusion, trying to prolong his life. If we forcibly awaken him, he can only unleash his full power as a general for at most half an hour, after which he'll be completely exhausted!"

"I will personally escort the Source Energy Main Cannon to the front lines of Abandoned City 019!"

"If that senior wins, all will be well. But if the senior loses... I will stop at nothing to hold off the Ghost King!"

Su Zhan stared intently into Feng Wuhen's eyes.

"Once you receive my top-secret death signal, it means that I and the main cannon have been completely destroyed. At that time, you must immediately break through the formation and awaken the old commander!"

Upon hearing these words, Feng Wuhen's eyes instantly reddened, and his tiger-like eyes filled with tears.

"Elder Su! You're going to the front lines yourself?! That's a battlefield at the level of a town general; even the slightest impact could..."

"I am the Supreme Commander of the Seventh Security Zone!"

Su Zhan abruptly shook off Feng Wuhen's hand, straightened his body, and let out a roar like that of a raging lion:

"With a formidable enemy at our doorstep, how can I possibly hide in the rear!"

"Execute the command!"

Feng Wuhen bit his lip until it bled, and blood trickled down his cheek. He gave Su Zhan a solemn military salute.

"Wuhen... I obey!"

The two split up into two groups.

Feng Wuhen turned and rushed into the depths of the earth, while Su Zhan resolutely strode towards the steel behemoth that was slowly rising from the well—the Source Energy Main Cannon.

……

at the same time.

Fifty kilometers away from the seventh security zone.

Abandoned heavy industrial city No. 019 in the old era.

This place was once the most prosperous steel base in human history, but now it is covered by endless mutated vegetation and rusty steel ruins.

Under the cover of night, inside a huge abandoned steelmaking furnace.

The dim firelight flickered.

Lin Xiaoya was roughly tied to a rusty steel pillar, with duct tape over her mouth.

The effects of the potent ether hadn't completely worn off, and her mind was still foggy, but the instinctive fear made her petite body tremble uncontrollably.

She opened her eyes wide in horror and looked around.

The scarred assassin who had captured her was standing respectfully to the side.

And directly in front of her.

A gaunt elder from the Profound Sea Realm, draped in a blood-red robe, was coldly scrutinizing her.

Behind the elder, high in the dark ruins.

A terrifying figure shrouded in a dark red, materialized armor phantom sat silently on the steel throne, like a death god from hell.

Vice leader of the Dark Spirit Society.

Early stage of the rank of town general.

Ghost King!

"Vice Sect Leader, this girl is Lin Yuan's younger sister, and she has been brought here," Elder Blood Bone respectfully reported.

"very good."

The Ghost King slowly opened his scarlet eyes and looked down at Lin Xiaoya, who was tied to the pillar.

"Now, cut off her hands."

The Ghost King's voice was like two rusty iron pieces rubbing together, exuding a chilling cruelty and casualness.

"Throw those severed hands at the gate of Gaowu No.1 Middle School."

"I want to see if that Lin Yuan can actually get the peerless master behind him to help him."

"Hehehe!"