High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 254: Chapter 161: Four Years, Seeing Fang Chengwu Again

The earthy-yellow light barrier of the Profound Yellow Undying Body began to flicker, its regeneration speed no longer able to keep up with the damage being dealt.

The dazzling silver light of the Profound Crystal Battle Body also dimmed. The power of its attacks was no longer as unstoppable as before, and the force of its wind and fire abilities was clearly fading.

Two fists are no match for four hands.

Deep wounds began to multiply on the six fighters’ bodies, soaking their clothes in blood.

Even with the formidable defense of the Profound Yellow Undying Body, when his arm was severed once more by a poisoned bone spike, its restorative powers slowed to a crawl.

Another comrade, tasked with skirmishing and drawing enemy fire, was unable to dodge in time as his True Essence ran low. A sudden attack pierced his chest, instantly neutralizing most of his combat ability.

The tide of battle turned dramatically!

The remaining Bright Moon Realm greater demons led the Flying Star Realm members of the Demon Race in an even more frenzied assault.

Several new gashes, deep enough to expose bone, appeared on Lin Zhan. His Profound Crystal-like skin was now covered in cracks.

"Hold the line! Every second we can stall is another second for the civilians to evacuate!" Lin Zhan roared, his voice hoarse and flecked with blood as he gave his final command.

There was no fear in his eyes, only a blazing, ultimate resolve.

The five of them formed a circle around their armless comrade, the one with the Profound Yellow Undying Body, burning away the last of their life force.

The Profound Crystal battle blade flared with a blinding light one last time, severing the head of a lunging Leopard Demon. In exchange, its wielder’s left shoulder was nearly ripped open.

Another comrade, a fire specialist, used his final shred of True Essence to detonate his core flame, taking two onrushing Early-stage Bright Moon Realm demons with him in a final, suicidal attack.

The last line of defense was about to crumble.

’Is this where I die? I wish... I could have seen the future...’ A final thought flashed through Lin Zhan’s mind as his Profound Crystal Battle Body faded completely. His True Essence was depleted, like firewood burned to ash.

He straightened his spine, attempting to use his broken body as a final shield, his eyes locked on the savage tiger claw just inches away.

Just as the tiger claw was about to shatter Lin Zhan’s skull and despair consumed the last few Godfiends—

A terrifying will, as vast as a sea of stars and as majestic as a colossal mountain, suddenly descended!

Across the entire battlefield, for dozens of miles in every direction, space itself instantly froze solid.

The swirling dust hung suspended in midair. The roaring flames winked out. Every single demon in the midst of their frenzied attack—from the Peak of Flying Star to the Late-stage Bright Moon Realm—froze stiff, as if an invisible giant hand had seized them by the throat.

The terrifying pressure, originating from the very essence of life and the depths of the soul, made every last demon tremble like a leaf in a storm.

An icy fear chilled them to the bone. Their earlier ferocity was gone, replaced by an instinctive, uncontrollable tremor.

"Vile beasts! How dare you!"

The deep, magnificent, furious bellow was like celestial thunder cracking right beside their ears, yet it also seemed to reverberate directly within the soul of every living creature.

The voice wasn’t shrill, but it carried an unparalleled authority and rage that pierced the body and stunned the soul.

The space above Bluestone County warped slightly, and a figure was now standing there, having appeared at some unknown moment.

The newcomer wore a simple cyan robe. His features were plain, yet they carried a depth and authority that made it impossible to meet his gaze.

It was none other than one of the King-level Godfiends stationed at the largest underground citadel of Jiangnan Province—the Mountain Rain King.

He didn’t even spare the rigid, trembling members of the Demon Race a glance, simply giving a casual wave of his hand.

VMMMM—!

A vast, formless domain, more terrifying than any physical substance, instantly expanded. It spread like quicksilver across the ground, enveloping every remaining demon on the battlefield in a flash—

from the cowering Late-stage Bright Moon Realm greater demons to the puppet-like Flying Star Realm soldiers. Not a single one was missed.

Within the domain, time itself seemed to lose all meaning.

In the next instant, there was no cataclysmic explosion, no gruesome spray of flesh and blood.

The nearly sixty surviving demons caught within the domain—their powerful bodies, their tough carapaces—all of it simply dissolved like bubbles under a scorching sun, silently disintegrating into nothingness.

The demon army, which had been on a rampage just a moment ago, was reduced to ash in the next, vanishing without a trace.

All that remained on the battlefield were ruins, the thick stench of blood, and the bodies of the six human Godfiends, who had long since died of exhaustion but remained frozen in their final battle stances.

The Mountain Rain King’s gaze fell upon Lin Zhan and the other five. A flicker of somberness and regret, almost imperceptible, crossed his deep eyes before they returned to their usual placid calm.

His figure slowly descended as he began to deal with the gruesome battlefield and the countless, terrified survivors of Bluestone County.

...

「Galactic Calendar, Year 229, June 7th. Evening.」

Inside Courtyard A-1 on Nine Heavens Peak, the aura within the cultivation chamber slowly subsided.

Li Wen opened his eyes, having just finished his cultivation for the day.

It had only been a few days since his ascension to the Bright Moon Realm, and his body was still in the delicate process of harmonizing with his immense new power.

Out of habit, he picked up the specialized terminal from its stand, swiped his finger across the smooth screen, and opened the app for the Torchbearer University’s internal news network.

He had developed this habit on the day Ling Feng descended the peak.

Every time he remembered that his own departure to guard an underground citadel was not far off, Li Wen would remind himself to stay vigilant and monitor the situation across Blue Star.

The news was the quickest way to do so.

He was about to do his routine reading of the daily briefs on Demon Race incursions when his eyes froze on the screen as it lit up.

A shocking headline, pushed to the very top in bold, eye-catching font, read:

"Changning City’s Bluestone County Suddenly Attacked by Twenty Bright Moon Realm Greater Demons and One Hundred Peak of Flying Star Demon Soldiers!"