Not in decades had Quancheng seen a night quite this festive.
Explosions rattled like firecrackers in an endless din, while soaring bursts of flame bloomed like fireworks. The reverberations overlapped and rolled outward in waves, scattering a spectacle of dazzling light across all directions.
It all came from the ghost vehicles Ji Jue had unleashed.
The first wave—eleven in total—had already set off.
Meanwhile, the second batch stood ready and waiting, biding their time in silence.
There was no need to worry about raw materials. Quancheng's ruins and streets were littered with them, all abandoned automobiles, some of which required no repairs at all.
At worst, they robbed Peter to pay Paul, cobbling parts together until they had assembled a handful of whole, functional machines.
Xu Guan used the record-altering methods of the Aether lineage to transform mannequins hauled out of department stores into corpses, loading them inside as garnishes for the explosives. Then, the vehicles set off eagerly, champing at the bit.
After such long, agonizing anticipation, they had finally embarked on their ultimate, fiery journey!
Just repairing and reinforcing the chassis had burned through all the spiritus salvaged from the battlefield earlier. The subsequent blessings of Deus Ex Machina had practically drained Cousin's spiritus reserves dry.
And after that, vehicle after vehicle was finished—some fitted with real armor plating, others merely made to look the part.
Packed to the brim with homemade explosives, they delivered a surprise to the members of the Evil Transmutation Cult.
It was a pity that phlogiston was scarce, and all the reserves at the gas stations had evaporated. Cobbling together whatever crude materials they could find on site inevitably left the homemade explosives lacking in punch.
Otherwise, the fireworks would have been far more roaring and spectacular.
In just over two short hours, everyone had witnessed what kind of havoc two craftsmen—ordinarily useless on a frontal battlefield—could wreak once they threw caution to the wind.
With Deft Craft responsible for preprocessing the materials and Non-Offensive handling the blending and fabrication, the unspoken rapport and habits the two had cultivated in the Reclamation Department had directly spawned a contraband assembly line.
Even Ji Xue, who had accelerated her own time to bridge the material shortages, was exhausted to the brink of collapse.
The fruits of their labor were the numerous surprises currently being delivered to the Evil Transmutation Cult...
Presumably, after such a barrage of misdirection, the cultists would cling even more vigilantly and strictly to the Security Bureau's exit routes out of the city, leaving them no leeway to mind anything else.
At almost the exact same moment, the vehicle driven by Tong Shan came to a silent stop on a dark street in Quancheng, looking out from a distance at the unremarkable ruins of a department store.
"This is the place."
Xu Guan lowered his head, comparing the map emerging on his record tome with the signal's readings.
Amidst the dead silence, everyone wordlessly drew their weapons.
At the end of the line, Ji Jue reached into Little Niuma's cargo bed and hauled out a crate that stood more than half as tall as himself, sorting through the heavy components inside.
Before long, a massive firearm resembling a sniper rifle rapidly took shape beneath his hands. The unpainted, ferocious body of the rifle quivered faintly, humming with ravenous hunger amidst the crisp clicks of ammunition being loaded.
"Don't rush,"
Ji Jue murmured soothingly as he stroked its angular contours. "Soon."
The night deepened.
Xu Guan was drenched in sweat, pouring out every drop of his spiritus.
On the blank sheet of paper in his hands, the map shifted and magnified. From the projection, intricate structures and a scattering of red dots—some moving, some stationary—surfaced across the page.
The fog parted, growing steadily clearer.
"Found them."
Tong Shan's gaze settled right in the center of the paper map, locked onto the reading of a Regeneration-tier Celestial Chosen.
"Eleven Celestial Chosen in total: one Regeneration, four Metamorphosis, and the rest all Calling stage. There are also plenty of mutated monsters, with a possibility of calamity beasts."
He spread the map across the table. "The moment we attack, I will blanket the entire mall to cut off their communications and contact with the outside world. Leave the Regeneration tier to me. The rest of you won't have any problems, will you?"
In the silence, everyone nodded in unison.
"Can your condition hold up, Brother Shan?" As his attending physician, Ji Jue keenly sensed where his limits lay.
"Use my title on duty."
Tong the Vegetable didn't answer directly. Instead, he brushed the question aside with his usual obnoxious tone and expression, reminding him impassively, "That's not your concern."
"..." Ji Jue rolled his eyes and held his tongue.
"Good. Then stick to the plan. Xu Guan, stay in the car, provide intel, and focus on keeping yourself safe."
Tong Shan continued, "Barring interference from other unexpected factors, we have three minutes. If we haven't taken them all down after three minutes, retreat immediately. Understood?"
"Understood!" everyone responded as one.
"Very well."
Tong Shan offered a gratified smile, removed the Mouth of the Ancient, and handed it back to Ji Jue. "Take your positions and get ready."
After ingesting large amounts of food and sugar in quick succession, the wound on his back had mostly closed up, making him appear fully restored to his peak. Only Ji Jue knew how desperately the guy was putting on a brave face.
Yet in the end, Ji Jue neither spoke up to object nor raised any dispute.
This was their only viable way forward.
None of them had any way out left.
Forward was the only option.
From beginning to end, Tong Shan had never once said that ditching them would drastically increase his own chances of escaping, or that they should sacrifice themselves to cover his retreat for the greater good.
He would rather die than abandon his comrades, so what was left for Ji Jue to say?
The man had already gone this far for them. At a time like this, could he really do anything other than give it his all? Deserting the field was out of the question. He had to pour everything into this and make sure he didn't drop the ball.
This time, everyone had their heads on the chopping block.
"All right. Radio check, sync your watches, then split up and take your positions."
Tong Shan waved his hand. "Don't linger in the vehicle. Time to move."
The doors swung open, and everyone filed out, scattering in all directions. Along the way, Lou Feng looked as if he wanted to speak several times, yet no sound came out.
It wasn't until he lay prone beside Ji Jue on the shattered edge of a building floor, peering through the night breeze toward the nearby department store, that he tried to speak again.
"Don't overthink it. You're not dead weight," Ji Jue said. "Whether Commander Lou lives or dies isn't something small fries like you and me can sway. It's not your fault. We can only do our best."
"That's not..." Lou Feng sighed.
"I know, you're family after all, so it's natural to worry. But right now, the priority has to be staying alive yourself," Ji Jue said. "Everyone's living on borrowed time, and Quancheng is a living hell right now. You should have a little more faith in your aunt. If we can make it through, Commander Lou will definitely be fine... Hmm? What's wrong, why aren't you saying anything?"
"..."
Lou Feng remained speechless for a long while before letting out a sigh. "I was trying to tell you that you're stepping on my foot."
"Huh? Oh... cough, sorry about that."
Startled, Ji Jue looked down and awkwardly pulled his foot away. "Didn't notice."
Lou Feng said, "Don't worry about it. Thanks."
In the silence, Ji Jue froze. He turned back, staring at Lou Feng for several seconds, doubting his own ears. "Did you... did you just say thank you to me?"
"I said dick!"
Lou Feng planted a kick squarely onto his backside. "Would it kill you to do your damn job and shut the hell up?!"
"I was just trying to keep you from being nervous!" Ji Jue forced a smile, masking the twitch on his face.
In truth, he was nervous too.
Scared out of his mind...
When Tong the Vegetable wasn't playing the vegetable, he acted pretty human. But the moment he turned into one, he discarded all humanity, coming up with plans that were outright unhinged. And what was worse... Ji Jue had been the one to propose the plan in the first place!
In all honesty, he got along quite well with everyone in the squad. Relations were good, and the future seemed promising. If someone died here on his account, Ji Jue would probably feel miserable for years.
He had very few friends.
Yet Tong the Vegetable had introduced him to so many, and every single one of them genuinely liked and welcomed him without an ounce of hypocrisy or pretense. From the moment he joined the team and shook their hands, they had told him: from now on we're friends, bro's got your back, call me big sister and I'll send business your way, not bad at all, brother.
What a curse!
Catching feelings was terrible for business... and even worse for the heart!
"Young Master Lou, you'd better keep your head down and stay alive, got it?" Ji Jue urged.
"Would you shut the hell up already?!"
Lou Feng swung his hand, tossing over bullets that had been blessed by Deft Craft and shaped with spiritus. "I'm begging you, can you just stop talking?"
"Can't. I'm nervous."
"Ji, you little..."
"In position," Ji Liu's voice came through, followed by Ji Xue, Jiang Xuan, and finally Tong Shan.
Ji Jue inhaled deeply, let out a long exhalation, and dropped into his designated spot, adjusting his scope. "In position."
Everyone was set.
One Regeneration, five Metamorphoses, plus Ji Jue, a greenhorn at Calling, staging a desperate surprise attack against a branch of the Evil Transmutation Cult.
Ji Jue felt his palms sweating.
Fortunately, Deus Ex Machina didn't rely on tactile feel.
He narrowed his eyes, leaning close to the scope, slowing his breathing until the thudding of his pulse echoed in his ears like thunder.
In that split second, shimmering light seemed to ripple out of the void, sweeping over the entire department store.
Immediately after, an unreserved, crushing pressure like ten thousand tons at the bottom of the ocean erupted in an instant!
Crisp shattering sounds rang out non-stop as the faint film of light shrouding the store was instantly riddled with fractures. Then, right behind Tong Shan, three figures charged in!
Before the piercing alarms could even ring out, they were bound and frozen by telekinesis.
Amidst violent tremors and howling winds, Tong Shan descended from above, shattering the glass dome and casually crushing the small fry in his sight before raising a single finger and pointing forward.
A torrent of telekinesis erupted!
Countless motes of dust were swept up first, followed by the deafening roar of destruction. Load-bearing beams splintered, snapped in two, and collapsed. Under targeted devastation, the entire mall shook violently.
It was coming down!
Amidst the rumble, what sounded like cursed oaths drifted out. Then, wild arcs of electricity burst forth from the spot Tong Shan was focused on, crackling and darting in a flash before crashing against an invisible wall. They ricocheted back, revealing an emaciated figure!
Entropy!
The instant he saw Tong Shan, his expression shifted drastically, quickly twisting into a snarl.
Fine, fine, fine—you took me for an easy target, didn't you?!
Let's see which one of us walks away dead today!
In a flash, a dazzling tree of lightning materialized out of thin air within the cavernous void between the collapsed floors. Countless eerie arcs of electric light crisscrossed, constantly shifting between blazing flames and lightning bolts, turning into a surging tide that completely submerged Tong Shan.
The Burning Star Manifestation revealed itself once more.
Total suppression!
Flung forward by Tong Shan, Ji Liu's form had already blurred out of sight. He transformed into a crimson vortex, brandishing a pair of oversized axes as he slashed across the battlefield.
He plunged straight into the caught-off-guard crowd.
Battle-Tempered Edge!
The lingering malice, curses, hatred, and despair of the many enemies who had perished at Ji Liu's hands manifested upon his axes and halberds, sending his speed and power skyrocketing.
Under this preemptive ambush, not a single intact body remained in view—only fist-sized chunks flying through the air.
Yet amidst the whirling slashes, an ear-splitting screech abruptly rang out.
A burly figure turned to iron and stone threw himself in front of the blade. Ignoring the two gruesome gouges ripped into his palm and waist, he gripped it with a deathly hold.
A savage grin spread across his face as he reacted in time.
Then, amidst the thunderous crash of shattering walls, he heard the roar of an engine behind him.
A massive impact drill, specially equipped to counter Celestial Chosen of the Desolate Ruins lineage, was thrust forward by steel claws. It drove into his back, spinning with frenzied momentum until it punched out through his chest.
Blood erupted like a geyser.
Before the Desolate Ruins Celestial Chosen could even turn his head, a massive mechanical maw snapped open, wrenching his entire head free and swallowing it whole.
Armored from head to toe, the heavy-duty Little Niuma flailed its four arms—impact drill, chainsaw, sledgehammer, and crushing shears—cleanly butchering the obstacle into pieces!
Ji Liu bellowed with laughter. "Thanks, bro!"
*BEEP!!!*
The blood-drenched Little Niuma honked its horn in response.
It was saying: *We're all fucking bros, don't mention it!*
Chapter 205