Chapter 98: Battle (Part II)

Whoosh!

Blinding steel spheres erupted outward, hurtling toward the heads of Commissar Gong and Jing Hui. Liang Jing harbored the deepest hatred for these two—even more so than for Tu Guiwu. Both men had repeatedly sought to kill him, despite the fact that Liang Jing had never provoked them; they were the ones who had initiated every attempt on his life. Even Tu Guiwu, whom he derisively called "Tu the Turtle," could at least be excused by the fact that Liang Jing had interfered with his plans first, though it was largely due to his own henchmen’s provocative behavior.

"You’re courting death!"

"Hah!"

Gao Yaotai, standing nearby, grabbed a steel shield of unknown origin and held it in front of Commissar Gong. Simultaneously, Jing Hui activated his secondary talent skill, "Ice Armor," instantly encasing his entire body in a thick, transparent layer of crystalline ice.

Bang! Splat!

Boom!

The incoming metal sphere tore directly through the nearly two-centimeter-thick steel shield. The impact deflected its trajectory, causing it to slam into Commissar Gong’s right arm instead. Fueled by Liang Jing’s raw physical strength—thirty-two times that of an average human—the sphere shattered the man’s arm, tearing it completely from his body and sending the limb flying. The force of the sphere, combined with the shield’s movement, slammed the metal plate into Commissar Gong’s chest before he could even scream in pain. With a muffled thud, the sheer kinetic energy lifted the ordinary man off his feet, sending him flying backward as he vomited a massive spray of blood in mid-air.

Jing Hui, on the other side, was not so fortunate. Misled by faulty intelligence, he had assumed that a simple, sturdy defense would be enough to neutralize the small steel spheres—a mistake that led to a grim end. Jing Hui himself didn't fully understand the origins of his powers; after being chased by Liang Jing and falling into a river, he had been submerged and rendered unconscious. When he awoke, he was not only alive but fully healed and awakened. He possessed two talent skills: Ice Arrow and the Ice Armor he was currently using. This skill consumed half of his current "True Qi," forming a three-centimeter-thick layer of ice so hard that it could withstand sniper fire if not struck repeatedly in the same spot. Its only drawback was that it rendered him nearly immobile. He had been immensely confident in his own strength.

Unfortunately, he had encountered one of Liang Jing’s "enhanced" metal spheres—a one-pound projectile launched with 32 times the force of an average human. The resulting impact was devastating. With a thunderous boom, the sphere struck Jing Hui’s head. Like a meteor hitting the Earth, the ice armor shattered along with his skull and brain matter, sending fragments flying in all directions. He didn't even have time to let out a scream; his death was instantaneous and absolute.

The scene fell into a sudden, eerie silence. The spectacle was so horrific that the onlookers were stunned, unable to process what had just happened. They hadn't expected that beyond his ability to mentally subvert others, Liang Jing’s ranged attacks were equally lethal. Looking at the massive weapon on his back, they realized his close-quarters combat ability must be just as formidable. He appeared to be a warrior without a single weakness.

Now was the time!

Seizing the moment of their hesitation, Liang Jing charged. He knew that if he didn't neutralize the two machine guns, he would be trapped and eventually picked off. Even though the last bullet had struck the incredibly tough greatsword on his back—a blade ten times more resilient than his "Short Blade"—the impact had still wounded him, causing him to vomit blood and hampering his mobility. He knew he couldn't survive a prolonged stand.

More importantly, Liang Jing knew the machine guns possessed armor-piercing rounds. If the grenades were wide-area, low-damage attacks, the armor-piercing rounds were dedicated, high-intensity, single-target killers. Liang Jing dared not risk it. He lacked the ability to block every shell with his greatsword; against two machine guns, even with their reduced fire rate compared to the pre-apocalyptic era, it was nearly impossible.

He had considered targeting the machine guns first, but his enemies were not fools. The guns were surrounded by traps and guarded by awakened individuals. As he rushed forward, Liang Jing could sense the danger lurking in the ground—mines and explosives were waiting for him. He had wanted to attack the guns, but the lack of opportunity and his limited practice with "Violent Throw"—compounded by the lack of a red-dot sight—made his accuracy too poor. He had been forced to abandon the plan and target Commissar Gong and Jing Hui instead.

"Savage Burst!"

Boom!

Beneath his metal armor, Liang Jing’s body surged with power. His muscles bulged, stretching the armor to its limits. With his feet pushing off like the pistons of a supercar, he launched himself forward with the ferocity of a tiger. Covering the hundred-meter distance in an instant, his agility boosted by "Savage Burst," he was suddenly right in the middle of their ranks.

"Death to the demon!"

"Kill him!"

Seeing Liang Jing suddenly appear in their midst, the stunned crowd finally reacted with fury. They swarmed him with weapons, though none dared use their guns for fear of hitting their own leaders.

Whoosh!

Liang Jing drew his greatsword, "Baroque’s Sorrow." It weighed 90 kilograms, measured 1.5 meters in length, and was five centimeters thick and eighteen centimeters wide. In his hands, the sword whistled through the air, delivering a sweeping strike with unstoppable momentum.

Slash! Slash!

"Agh! My leg!"

"Demon! Run!"

Those who dared to attack were either cleaved in two or had their weapons shattered. Pandemonium broke out. Those who realized the danger retreated twice as fast as they had advanced, wishing they had more legs to run with. The sweep was devastating; with the reach of his arm and the massive blade, Liang Jing controlled a five-meter radius. The henchmen who had thought to take advantage of him now lay on the ground in a horrific scene of dismembered bodies and agonizing screams.

Dai Wu, who had intended to find an opening to strike, stopped dead in his tracks. Despite his injuries, he was capable of bursts of great power, but the brutal scene froze his blood. The destructive force generated by "Baroque’s Sorrow," combined with Liang Jing’s raw power and veteran combat technique, was terrifying. As a professional assassin, Dai Wu’s heightened senses picked up the intense danger; he felt a physical shiver of dread that made him recoil instinctively.

Tu Guiwu had initially intended to charge, but he was now trembling with fear. He realized that if he hadn't held back while his henchmen and the other leaders rushed in, he would have been the one dead. He began to scramble backward.

Liang Jing didn't even glance at the wailing men on the ground. He kept moving, charging straight at Tu Guiwu. Tu retreated in a panic, but he was no match for Liang Jing’s speed. In two or three strides, Liang Jing was upon him, his greatsword descending with a deathly roar.

Ah!

Tu Guiwu’s face turned crimson as he let out a furious shout. He refused to be treated like a pushover. He drew a 1.2-meter-long, palm-width sword. The blade was clear and ancient, looking like a pool of autumn water—likely a relic from before the Han Dynasty. It was impeccably preserved and radiated a cold, murderous aura.

Clang!

The collision of the two massive blades sent sparks flying and produced a metallic shriek so intense that the nearby onlookers were forced to cover their ears in pain. Tu Guiwu was sent flying backward, though Liang Jing’s blade had failed to make direct contact with his body.

Liang Jing glanced at his own sword, momentarily stunned. He quickly recovered, eyeing the ancient blade that had fallen to the ground unscathed. He hadn't realized such divine weapons still existed; it had actually withstood a clash with his golden greatsword.

"Run! The demon Liang Jing is too strong!"

Liang Jing looked back to see the others fleeing in terror. *Damn it,* he thought, *so many of them, yet not one has the courage to face me.* But he didn't stop, because Tu Guiwu—true to his nickname—was still alive.

"Halt!"

"Slow!"

"Kill him!"

At that moment, a series of shouts erupted from the side. Liang Jing felt a sharp, soul-piercing attack hit his mind, causing him to stagger. Immediately afterward, his body was struck by a barrage of blows.