Chapter 99: Battle (Part III)

Clang! Thud!
Boom!

Liang Jing felt his body struck repeatedly—arrows, liquid projectiles, and massive earthen orbs rained down. These ranged attacks, however, failed to inflict any significant damage on his formidable defenses. His movements grew labored and sluggish, but almost instantly, he shook off the dizziness. Seeing them at a distance, he broke into a cold sweat; had they not been hesitant or lacking in raw firepower, he might have suffered grave injuries.

Clang, clang!

Run!

All of this had transpired in mere seconds. Seeing the group retreating and the tank turrets turning to track him, Liang Jing knew the tide had turned. He activated [Brutal Burst] once more, fortifying his body as he sprinted away. There was no other choice. Someone on the other side was still calmly directing the operation, deploying men to block his path back to the village. He refused to be pinned down again by ranged fire, even for a moment. In this open field without cover, he lacked the confidence to withstand the autocannon; its sheer force could rob him of control, and its destructive power could leave him mortally wounded or dead.

Mentally, he commanded the items dropped by his fallen foes to be collected—those from Jing Hui and the few awakened ones he had cleaved in two with a single sweep of his blade. They were still dying, but he had no time to spare.

This was fine, he thought. He had no intention of returning to the village anyway. Once he escaped, they would be left to wait in the shadow of endless fear and retribution. As he fled, he glanced back at them. His gaze was deep and detached, yet it sent a chill down their spines. A tremor ran through their bodies as a singular thought surfaced in their minds: this devil had marked them. He would return to bring them nothing but ruin.

Yes, Liang Jing would remember them. If they wanted him dead, they would have to pay with their own lives. He abandoned all thoughts of combat for now; survival was the priority. He activated the Beast Guardian Scroll in his left hand:

Beast Guardian: Upon activation, forms a halo of a thousand beasts, reducing damage by 50%. Duration: 15 seconds.

Hum!

Roar! Roar! Roar!

The scroll dissolved into white light, and a glowing halo materialized around Liang Jing, filled with the images of various beasts snarling and prowling.

Boom! Boom!

Under the effects of [Brutal Burst], his body felt reinforced and powerful, his speed increasing as he surged forward. Behind him, the autocannon spat tongues of fire. Liang Jing dodged frantically, though he was struck occasionally, causing him to stumble and his armor to warp and shatter. Yet, with the Beast Guardian absorbing half the damage, these attacks could no longer stop him.

His life essence was abundant, allowing him to recover quickly. It was a pity that Political Commissar Gong was still alive—a resilient man for a civilian. But it mattered little; even if he survived, he was a cripple with a shattered arm and at least five broken ribs.

"No!"

"It's over! That devil Liang Jing was hit by the autocannon and he's still fine! Is he even human?"

"Quick! Switch to armor-piercing rounds! Kill this monster!"

Tu Guiwu and the others watched in absolute terror. The fact that Liang Jing remained standing after a direct hit from the autocannon’s high-explosive shells shattered their resolve. He was beyond their comprehension.

Wu Yong, who had taken command after Gong was wounded, felt his heart race. This man was terrifying. Despite his calm coordination—using the awakened ones to block the retreat and keeping the autocannon firing—he had failed to inflict a killing blow. His psychic influence, usually so effective, had been utterly useless against Liang Jing. He had felt a murderous intent so dense it nearly shredded his mental focus, and a vitality so potent that his psychic sense felt as if it were being seared by fire. Even without his bloodlust, Liang Jing’s soul appeared shielded by an impenetrable mental fortitude.

This man was a monster. He possessed hypnotic enslavement, overwhelming ranged attacks, brutal melee prowess, and near-invincible defenses. He was a paragon of perfect lethality.

"Faster! Load the armor-piercing rounds!" Wu Yong roared. "Move the tank! Pursue him, and everyone else, follow!"

He could not bear the thought of this man surviving to exact his revenge. The mere idea of living in the shadow of such a person made his skin crawl.

Clang, clang, clang!

The autocannon roared again. Predicting the fire, Liang Jing zig-zagged, avoiding the shells as the uneven terrain made the tank’s aim erratic.

Boom! Boom!

A long streak of fire chased him. Finally, a volley caught him.

"No!"

Liang Jing’s pupils contracted as the armor-piercing round slammed into him. The sheer kinetic force sent him flying forward; he coughed up blood in mid-air but managed to avoid the subsequent shells.

Impressive. He had underestimated the autocannon.

He wasn't as lucky as before—the golden greatsword on his back hadn't blocked this one. Even with the Beast Guardian, he felt the round tear through his armor, his [Steel-Spine Beast Hide], and his bulletproof vest before digging into his flesh. He vomited blood, but his constitution—equivalent to twenty or thirty men—was no joke. His natural defense was formidable, and with the life essence harvested from the dead, his wounds would close rapidly.

"Hit him! We hit him!"

"The devil is bleeding! Look, he's spitting blood! He must be mortally wounded!"

"Pursue! Kill him while he's weak!"

Liang Jing, though seemingly broken, did not stop. He wiped the blood from his lips and sprinted toward the distant mountains, where trees and tall grass awaited. He had ten seconds of Beast Guardian left—enough time to reach the safety of the woods.