When the official announcement was released, several evil hounds had already been made into meat broth. A rich fragrance filled the Experimental High School cafeteria, making people swallow hard.
Huang Tian, washed and dressed in fresh clothes, sat at his seat and picked up a piece of meat with chopsticks. The meat was rich and fragrant, and the taste was excellent. As for its effect, it was slightly more efficient than purely absorbing spiritual energy, but only slightly.
It was only normal. What great effect could an ordinary mutant fierce beast have on him—He smiled and shook his head. Patrol officer Liu Yang and Director of Academic Affairs Luo Xiong, sitting opposite him, were startled. The latter quickly asked, 'Can't this thing be eaten? Is it poisonous?'
Huang Tian laughed. 'It can be eaten. I was thinking of something else when I shook my head.'
The two relaxed. Liu Yang was about to say something when, in the cafeteria, some teachers and students who had just rotated off duty suddenly gasped while holding up their phones, murmuring about the 'official announcement.' Liu Yang and the other two exchanged glances and took out their phones.
They didn't even need to search. Push notifications from multiple platforms were right there. With a casual tap, they saw the announcement released by the Great Yan Federation.
The announcement contained not only words of encouragement and a video of Huang Tian teaching the Spiritual Energy Guidance Technique, but also a link. Clicking the link revealed dozens of documents: 'Fierce Beast and Martial Artist Realm Divisions, Fierce Beast Identification Guide, Analysis of Common Weaknesses of Fierce Beasts, Comprehensive Wilderness Survival Techniques, Simple Combat Techniques—'
Huang Tian opened the document titled 'Fierce Beast and Martial Artist Realm Divisions' and saw: 'The world has undergone a great change, and countless beasts have mutated and evolved. Fortunately, most of them have only just mutated, and their combat power is not strong. However, for some unknown reason, a portion of the mutant fierce beasts are exceptionally powerful. Based on the information we have gathered and analyzed, we have preliminarily divided the realms of fierce beasts.
First are unranked fierce beasts. Needless to say, ordinary people with clubs or staffs can deal with them. (Note: According to our estimates, after a certain period, they will evolve into the next tier of fierce beasts. It is highly likely that unranked fierce beasts will not exist in the future.)
Beast Soldier rank: Dozens of ordinary people cannot deal with such a fierce beast, but they basically cannot withstand powerful firearms. However, if one wishes to kill them, it is best to maintain a safe distance; fifty meters or more is preferable.
Beast General rank: Such fierce beasts either possess astonishing defense, able to withstand bullets, with pistols and rifles unable to break through, or move at incredible speed—nearly a hundred meters per second or even faster, like a high-speed train charging straight at you. If encountered, it is recommended to flee immediately. They are not something a lone person can handle.
Lord rank: At present, such fierce beasts are not numerous. Most are in the ocean, with only a small portion appearing on land. Their strength is immense, and their bodies are often thirty or forty meters long or even larger. They can only be killed by using missiles or even nuclear bombs.
A Lord-rank fierce beast, the Two-Headed Wolf King, appeared in the suburbs of Mingfang City, causing enormous casualties. In the end, our military used thirteen missiles to kill it—if one encounters a Lord-rank fierce beast, it is recommended to flee immediately, immediately!
The above is a simplified division of fierce beast realms. Next is the division of martial artist realms. However, because there are too few martial artists and insufficient data, we have had to correspond them one-to-one with fierce beast realms: Warrior rank, War General rank, and War God rank. (Note: This division may not be rigorous; we may revise it in the future. It is for reference only.)
Among these, martial artists of War General rank and War God rank have not yet appeared. The representative figure of Warrior rank is Huang Tian. He is also the first Warrior-rank martial artist in the world—
The above materials will be updated irregularly. All citizens of the Federation may obtain them free of charge.'
After finishing the document, Huang Tian fell into thought. The so-called Warrior, War General, and War God ranks were roughly equivalent to the early, middle, and late first rank. As for his current true realm, corresponding to the Great Yan official system, it was probably at War General rank—
After reading this document, he looked at the next one, 'Fierce Beast Identification Guide.' It contained pictures of more than a hundred common fierce beasts, including the ordinary evil hounds and mutant Tibetan mastiffs he had killed. The former were unranked fierce beasts, while the latter were Beast Soldier-rank fierce beasts.
'With these materials, we'll be able to deal with those fierce beasts better!' Liu Yang slapped his thigh and said happily.
Luo Xiong, however, was worried. 'According to the descriptions in these materials, humans can still deal with Beast Soldier and Beast General-rank fierce beasts relatively easily. Lord-rank ones are a huge threat; we must use the army and missiles. But what if—I mean if—there are even higher-level fierce beasts above Lord rank?'
Liu Yang fell silent. Lord-rank fierce beasts were already difficult to handle; above Lord rank—would nuclear bombs work? Probably, but if such a creature suddenly broke into a city and slaughtered wantonly, who would dare use a nuclear bomb?
He pursed his lips and mumbled, 'The officials did not mention fierce beasts above Lord rank, which probably means they do not exist for now.'
Luo Xiong nodded slowly and sighed. 'Why do these fierce beasts mutate and evolve so quickly? In just a day or two, Beast General and even Lord-rank fierce beasts have appeared, while we humans—'
Liu Yang shook his head. He did not know the reason either. Even the officials did not know. After all, the announcement clearly stated, 'for some unknown reason.'
'However, there is no need to be too discouraged,' Liu Yang said. 'With the guidance technique created by Huang Tian, humanity can continuously produce martial artists capable of fighting fierce beasts. Haven't you seen? The officials have already named the War General and War God realms in advance. That itself is a hope and expectation for the future.'
Hearing this, Luo Xiong looked at Huang Tian. Seeing his calm expression, he inexplicably felt much more at ease.
Liu Yang was about to continue when a buzzing sound came from his phone. Someone was calling him. He looked and saw it was his immediate superior, Director Guan of the Patrol Bureau.
He answered immediately. 'Director Guan—Okay, okay, I understand—'
He nodded repeatedly, then looked at Huang Tian. 'Huang Tian, is it convenient for you to take a call?'
Huang Tian nodded and took the phone. A rich male voice came from the other end. 'Mr. Huang Tian, hello. I am Guan Lang, Director of the Shangyuan City Patrol Bureau.'
His tone was very polite and kind. First he asked whether Huang Tian had been injured, then thanked him for killing several fierce beasts and contributing to the stability of the city. Finally, he said, 'The capital has asked me to contact you and ask what you need—weapons, money, special medicine, spirit plants—Oh, right, spirit plants are spiritual medicines evolved from some plants and medicinal herbs after the Great Change. They are very beneficial when consumed. Some can increase cultivation speed, some can treat illness and heal injuries, and some can make the mind extremely clear and thoughts sharp—'
Huang Tian was slightly taken aback, then immediately understood why the Federation was doing this. He was the world's first martial artist, the creator of the Spiritual Energy Guidance Technique, and an obvious genius. Countless people around the world were paying attention to him. It could be said that he was now a benchmark, one of the symbols of the great evolutionary era!
Even if he were to muddle through from now on, avoiding danger and hiding, the officials would still guarantee him a life without worries, wealth, and comfort. If he wanted to become stronger, the officials were also willing to support him and provide certain resources to help him cultivate.
'Hmm, if possible, I need a sturdy and sharp war saber, and some spirit plants rich in spiritual energy that can increase cultivation speed.' Huang Tian thought for a few seconds, then spoke.
Guan Lang asked, 'Do you need a special bulletproof vest or protective suit? It will not be very heavy, but it can withstand charges and stabs from some Beast Soldier-rank fierce beasts.'
'No need.' Huang Tian was concise. If it were a protective suit capable of resisting attacks from Beast General or even Lord-rank fierce beasts, he would have been willing to wear it—it would be some insurance, after all. But against Beast Soldier-rank—there was no point.
'Understood,' Guan Lang replied. 'The corresponding items will be delivered to you by tomorrow evening at the latest. Well, the main reason is that the journey is very unsafe. Fierce beasts roam the wilderness and largely block the roads, and the air is also very unsafe. Otherwise, they could have been delivered to Shangyuan City today.'
Huang Tian understood. Now, whether in the sky, on the ground, or in the sea, countless fierce beasts were rampaging. It was very difficult to cross states, cities, and counties. Even if the Federation wanted to get these things into his hands, it would take some effort.
After finishing the matter of resources, Guan Lang mentioned one last thing. 'Have you considered leaving Experimental High School and coming to the Patrol Bureau? It is a bit safer here. Even if fierce beasts run rampant, we can protect you. At the very least, we can evacuate you—your safety is very, very important.'
Using 'very' twice showed how much weight Huang Tian carried. There was no help for it; his status was too special now. The whole world was watching him, expecting him, and admiring him. Some people in countries where fierce beasts were running rampant even regarded him as the 'Holy Son of the East' and the 'savior of civilization,' claiming he would lead all humanity to defeat every fierce beast—
If such a person, upon whom the hopes of people around the world rested, were injured or even died within his jurisdiction, Guan Lang would not dare imagine what kind of curses and backlash he would face. Every time he thought of it, his stress exploded!
Huang Tian roughly guessed Guan Lang's state of mind and said gently, 'A strong martial artist must rise through blood and fire. Moreover, countless civilians are suffering and dying. How could I sit by and watch?'
Guan Lang fell silent. After a long while, he sighed softly. 'I understand. However, please take the utmost care of yourself. Whether you like it or not, you are no longer just yourself now. You also carry a glimmer of hope born from the despair of countless people.'
'Don't worry, I know what I am doing,' Huang Tian replied.
After hanging up, Huang Tian returned the phone to Liu Yang and asked, 'Captain Liu, would you be available to help me with something later? I need your side's cooperation.'
Liu Yang was stunned for a moment, but without even asking what it was, he nodded without hesitation. 'I can!'
About twenty minutes later, a Patrol Bureau vehicle drove out of the main gate of Experimental High School and slowly headed down Beicheng Avenue. There were four people in the car: Liu Yang was driving, Lao Gao held a sniper rifle, a patrol officer named Yang Qiu operated equipment to livestream, and Huang Tian sat quietly with his eyes closed, resting.
'The livestream will start soon.' Yang Qiu was somewhat nervous. 'Are we really not going to be surrounded by fierce beasts like this?'
Lao Gao smacked his head in annoyance. 'What are you panicking for? If we die, we die together. Besides, although there are many fierce beasts in the city now, they are relatively scattered and hard to gather together. With Huang Tian's ability and the guns the three of us are carrying, even if we are surrounded by a dozen or so fierce beasts, it shouldn't be a big problem!'
Liu Yang said calmly, 'Xiao Yang, start the livestream.'
'Okay.' Yang Qiu nodded and opened the livestream room. The room was simply named 'Huang Tian'—just two simple characters—and quickly attracted many viewers. Ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million—
Bullet comments were refreshing madly.
'Is this the Huang Tian I am thinking of?'
'Holy shit, it really is! I have a deep impression of this face. I have watched that Spiritual Energy Guidance Technique video more than ten times already.'
'Why is Boss Huang Tian suddenly livestreaming? What is he going to do?'
'Can Boss explain how to calm the mind again? I have tried several times, but I cannot calm my mind at all, let alone sense the spiritual energy in the void.'
'Huh, are you driving around the city? There are many fierce beasts in the city now. It is too dangerous. If we get surrounded by fierce beasts, it will be trouble!'
'In Ruiyang, a nine-person patrol team was surrounded by a dozen fierce beasts and died a heroic death in the end. Sigh—'
While the bullet comments refreshed rapidly, a voice came through Lao Gao's earpiece. His expression turned serious, and he said, 'Surveillance from the bureau shows that near the corner ahead, about a hundred meters away, there is a Beast Soldier-rank green-eyed cat and two ordinary mutant wildcats!'
Hearing this, Yang Qiu became a little tense, and Liu Yang unconsciously tightened his grip on the steering wheel. The car continued slowly. Finally, after passing the corner at the end of the street, they could see three cat-type fierce beasts—one large and two small—roaming and foraging on a straight, wide street.
The group spotted them, and of course, the cats saw Huang Tian and the others too. They immediately arched their backs, their fur standing on end like spikes, and let out low growls.
'Screech!' The car braked. At that instant, Huang Tian leaped from the car, and two throwing axes left his hands instantly, cutting through the air toward the two ordinary wildcats!
'Splurt—' Blood and flesh flew. The two unranked mutant wildcats were instantly pinned to death by the axes!
By then, Huang Tian had already crossed dozens of meters and appeared before the Beast Soldier-rank green-eyed cat in the blink of an eye. With a fire axe in hand, he cut through the whistling wind and chopped down toward its head!
Fast! Accurate! Ruthless!
It was so fast that even the ever-agile green-eyed cat had no time to dodge. Its eyes were filled with humanlike terror. Its front paws instinctively rose, trying to claw at Huang Tian's throat to force him back. However, as soon as its front paws rose, the axe had already fallen on its head!
'Crack!' The sharp axe blade split open its head and body. Blood gushed out, internal organs spilled all over the ground, and a foul stench spread immediately!
'Holy shit!' Yang Qiu, who had almost failed to capture the scene, cried out in shock, his eyes wide and round.
A smile appeared on Liu Yang's face. The car drove up to Huang Tian. The latter, while pulling the two throwing axes out of the wildcat corpses, explained the technique of killing fierce beasts: 'When facing such agile and nimble fierce beasts, you either have to be faster than them or catch them by surprise. Of course, having both is best—like me. This green-eyed cat was clearly not weak in strength, but under my sneak attack, it couldn't survive even a single strike—'
Seeing this, the bullet comments froze for a moment, then refreshed at an even faster pace. Looking up, the entire screen was filled with 'Holy shit'!
Chapter 257