—My beloved is a peerless hero. One day he will don the Golden Armor, step on seven-colored clouds, and come to marry me.
Just like boys who want to be scientists, most girls have harbored similar dreams in their childhood.
Ei was no exception.
Unfortunately, when that naginata ruthlessly pierced through the sisters' chests amidst hideous laughter, the peerless hero from her dreams did not descend from the sky.
At that moment, all of the girl's unrealistic fantasies shattered like bubbles, leaving only bone-chilling coldness and dead silence of despair.
Never did she expect that more than ten days later, in this rainy cemetery, someone would heavily throw the culprit of everything before her like a dying wild dog.
Ei looked up blankly. That person stood there with his back to her.
Invincible golden armor flickered on his body surface like molten liquid sunlight.
His tall figure was like a boundary marker separating life and death, isolating the girl and the flames of revenge behind him, facing the dark army surging like a tide from the foot of the mountain alone.
The peerless hero in golden armor did exist; he just came a little late, only in time to save her alone.
Words lost their effect at this moment. Ei withdrew her gaze and turned resolutely, walking towards the enemy curled up in the mud, her irreconcilable foe.
The power of God King Baal erupted for the first time, constructing a mythological kingdom filled with sorrow and destruction, enveloping both the avenger and the nemesis.
At the same time, Fuli's gaze pierced through the rain curtain, scrutinizing the Anti-Honkai Administration's direct-subordinate Rapid Response Unit gathering at the foot of the mountain.
No earth-shaking slogans, no messy footsteps, only the uniform, heavy, and rhythmic sound of metal stamping on the ground, like the heartbeat of a giant beating the rain-soaked earth. It was a silence more suffocating than any roar.
"What a big formation. Impatient to come out in full force upon discovering it's me?"
His voice remained cheerful, the Plasma Kagehide drawing an irregular arc. "Doesn't feel like it, though. I hid my tracks pretty well before."
"Your Excellency Fuli?"
A slightly hesitant but clear female voice penetrated the sound of rain. The dark array of soldiers parted like a tide to both sides, and a fully armed woman stepped out.
A white shirt outlined her exquisite curves, black trousers were neat and capable, and under her dark brown bob cut was a clear and soft face. The employee badge hanging on her full left chest swayed slightly.
"I remember you."
His gaze landing on her face, Fuli recalled and said, "Mu Hanyin, right? The City God of the Kanas region in Sky Frontier."
"Yes."
Mu Hanyin, being named, was flattered. She didn't have much interaction with this person in the previous volume, never expecting him to remember her name.
"Strange, a City God of a border stronghold not guarding her jurisdiction, but running here to Sapphire City for what?" Fuli took the initiative, curious. "Got promoted? Then I should congratulate you first."
"Not really." Rainwater dripped from Mu Hanyin's hair tips, and she shook her head. "It's just that the Luminary Wardance Ceremony is about to be held. City Gods from all over the country have rushed to Sapphire for a meeting to ensure this grand ceremony is foolproof."
"Good grief."
Fuli, playing with a feather, understood. His gaze swept over the dark crowd behind Mu Hanyin, lamenting that he really came at a bad time.
The startling information fed back by Cold River Reflecting the Moon told him:
There were more than three-digit A-rank combat units nearby, densely distributed in this unit like stars in the night.
More than three digits of A-rank units! This number is enough to shock anyone!
Compared to Cocolia, the leader of the Anti-Entropy radicals, who only had a mere four A-ranks under her command, it gave a sense of déjà vu that the combat power was inflating super fast as the plot unfolded.
But one had to consider that, firstly, Anti-Entropy's foundation was various unmanned mechas. Conventional mass-produced Titans could exert powerful strength close to B-rank Valkyries, not to mention higher levels.
Secondly, the land under Fuli's feet was a vast country with the world's second-largest population. These people before him were screened through a complete system of education, monitoring, and training.
With a total base of 1.4 billion, even if martial arts geniuses were one in ten thousand, there would be a full 140,000 of them.
Moreover, Shenzhou also held the trump card of the "Project South Heaven Gate". As long as one was selected as a City God within a region, even if they would turn back into ordinary people once leaving the territory of the Taixu Front, they could instantly obtain combat literacy close to A-rank and the blessing of complex local spells.
While Fuli conversed with Mu Hanyin, the Rapid Response Unit completely surrounded the Lianshan Cemetery, blocking it tightly.
However, they did not take further action, merely standing silently in the rain, allowing them to talk there.
The reason wasn't complicated. At first glance, Fuli had just finished the battle, and the Anti-Honkai troops followed closely, creating a tense situation.
In fact, these people didn't know he was here at all.
They rushed here so quickly because they detected the severe space-time distortion caused by the mythological territory. Fuli's appearance was purely an unexpected surprise.
And don't forget, to this day, the Taixu Front's high-level official attitude towards Fuli was still to invite him to Yingtian Prefecture.
Unless absolutely necessary, no one was willing to break this delicate balance first and use force.
However, silence would eventually be broken.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
A miserable scream, so wretched it didn't sound human, suddenly came from the mythological kingdom unfolded by Ei. Its misery made many battle-hardened soldiers subconsciously tense their nerves.
Many City Gods in the rear crowd also frowned. They didn't know the grievances between these people, but as a generation that grew up in the new era, they had an instinctive resistance and aversion to the abuse of prisoners.
Fuli whistled casually, as if it were just irrelevant background noise.
He glanced at the time casually and found that three minutes had passed while he was bluffing.
Another City God walked out from the crowd. It was Tie Shi Yixia with short dark brown hair, Mu Hanyin's best friend, and also one of the squad leaders who pursued Fuli at the Kanas border last time.
"Mr. Fuli, could you step aside?"
This person was decisive, getting straight to the point as soon as she spoke.
Her gaze also bypassed Fuli, landing on the mythological territory blocking the line of sight. "The person inside is the source triggering the alarm and should be detained and handled by the Taixu Front."
"No, can't step aside."
Fuli's answer was also decisive. He pointed to the scorched blade mark cut by the Plasma Kagehide on the ground. "I promised the employer lady that the next twenty-seven minutes are her private execution time. I will absolutely not let anyone cross this red line."
"Ah—!!!"
As if to verify his words, a painful shriek far more miserable than before echoed in the mountains again.
This time, finally, someone couldn't hold back.
"Hey!"
A burly City God stood out. Judging by his aura, he belonged to the stronger batch among A-ranks.
He crossed his arms, muscles bulging on them. "I don't know what deep hatred exists between you, but isn't doing this a bit too much?"
"Ah, ah, there are always people like this."
Fuli spread his hands, looking speechless. "Nowhere to be found when the villain commits evil, but stepping out to uphold justice when the victim can't bear it anymore and rises up for revenge."
"Have you watched Guo Degang's crosstalk? Advising people to be magnanimous gets you struck by lightning, brother."
He waved his hand, activating the power of the Outer Ways, slightly using the power of God King Baal usurped from Ei.
Boom!
Without warning, a pale bolt of wild lightning tore through the thick dark clouds, carrying an aura of destruction, striking precisely on the burly man's head.
The power wasn't great; it was easily blocked and neutralized by the Honkai energy shield on his body.
This act was undoubtedly a provocation. Several other veteran City Gods hiding in the dark also frowned.
As knowledgeable grassroots public servants, they dealt with many complicated trivial matters daily.
Many cases where the person who seemingly suffered grievances and reported first turned out to be the perpetrator were not uncommon.
Therefore, many of them had developed the good habit of thinking in others' shoes and investigating carefully, rarely jumping to conclusions based on first impressions.
Otherwise, it would be as absurd as comparing the Magdeburg hemispheres experiment to Shang Yang's dismemberment by five horses, finally concluding that Shang Yang had poor airtightness.
So these people were just observing the situation in the dark, not getting filled with righteous indignation at someone's call.
The problem was, Fuli's act of attacking the muscle man just now constituted a serious provocation. Using a real-world example, it was publicly assaulting a police officer.
Regardless of the truth behind the matter, when a colleague was attacked, as City Gods, they had to stand on the same front.
As for later, that was a matter for later.
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
Figures appeared in the rain, standing at the forefront of the troops.
Either holding talismans, unsheathing long swords, or distorting the air with energy fields around them. Sharp gazes pierced towards Fuli like tangible blades, and the oppression in the air skyrocketed instantly.
Mu Hanyin's lips moved slightly, seemingly wanting to say something, but her hem was tugged discreetly by Tie Shi Yixia beside her.
She bit her lower lip, finally taking a silent step forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with her colleagues.
Scary, truly scary.
Fuli glanced at his watch with ease, finding that another transformation time of an old-school Ultraman bad passed.
Hundreds of battle-hardened A-ranks connected their auras into one, turning into an invisible raging wave rushing towards him. The silent Rapid Response Unit was like a torrent of steel ready to go.
The rain between heaven and earth was suppressed into hanging upside down, making one feel as if standing before the Rashomon of Avici Hell, facing the gaze of thousands of Asuras and evil ghosts.
But regret?
Definitely not.
Once the Taixu Front troops took Beelzebub back for trial, the latter, trying to save his life, would definitely offer the secret ritual of usurping Golden Blood as a pledge of allegiance.
Golden Blood is a dominant sign of Chrysos Heirs. Any country with a bit of knowledge would strictly guard against it during newborn screenings to ensure no fish slipped through the net.
Even if the vast majority of Taixu Front's high-level officials could maintain their integrity (lol), once one or two bad apples appeared, unable to suppress their inner greed and reaching out to those innocent babies...
Fuli's moral bottom line was very flexible, often fluctuating according to specific needs.
But he still felt that only beasts would lay hands on little babies.
So—
"Using numbers to overwhelm people, huh? I can do that too."
Fuli grinned, a blazing light like molten gold exploding in his eyes!
Crack—Snap—!
The sky covered with dark clouds cracked open.
Tangible intense spirit collided with the majestic momentum of hundreds of City Gods. Invisible shockwaves formed visible ring-shaped ripples, exploding brazenly in all directions!
Wherever it passed, the rain curtain was evaporated into a vast white vacuum zone. The muddy earth underfoot cracked inch by inch as if crushed by an invisible giant object!
"..."
As if their souls were smashed by an invisible giant hammer, the soldiers forming the encirclement didn't even have time to groan before falling in swathes like harvested wheat waves!
Although the A-rank City Gods could barely stand firm, they also suffered heavy blows. Breathing became incredibly difficult, and their minds buzzed as if billions of poisonous bees were screaming crazily!
[Name: Pure-Blood Dragon's Might]
[Grade: B]
[Category: Active]
[Effect: Using one's own spirit to simulate the natural dragon's might of a pure-blood dragon species as if facing an entire universe. Causing absolute spiritual shock to creatures within a certain range without attacking. Just by majesty, one can intimidate, deter, or even scare enemies into fainting or death.
When used, the eyes will turn into a molten gold color. The stronger one's spirit, the better the deterrence effect. But if not controlled well, surrounding people will be implicated together.]
[Note: Clash of Conqueror's Haki!]
This was an unexpected gain from the last ten-draw lottery, jokingly called a "mob-clearing divine skill" by Fuli.
Pure-Blood Dragon's Might was particularly rare. It couldn't improve its effectiveness by inputting Honkai energy; it could only grow by enhancing one's own spirit.
And Fuli, in the Previous Loop, had reached a level above S-rank before dying.
Even starting a new account, this superior spirit engraved in the origin of the soul wouldn't be lost too much.
"Thud! Thud!"
In the clash of Dragon's Might and momentum, the Rapid Response Unit fell in droves.
After all, they were just soldiers relying on technological means; expecting them to resist Dragon's Might was obviously asking too much.
Several armed helicopters that lost control also spun and crashed to the ground after emitting a "Man!". The surviving City Gods reacted extremely quickly; several figures turned into streams of light soaring into the sky, rescuing the unconscious personnel inside the cabins.
But this was just the Boss's opening mob-clearing AOE; it didn't even consume a shred of MP (Honkai energy).
Tie Shi Yixia, realizing this, forcibly suppressed her churning internal organs, staring fixedly at the tall figure standing proudly on the mountainside.
The handsome black-haired boy stood under the sunlight where the dark clouds were torn apart, holding the long blade casually in his left hand, his posture as relaxed as taking a walk in his own courtyard.
Those golden pupils containing a smile swept across the field, finally landing on Tie Shi Yixia and meeting her gaze. The approval in his eyes seemed to be encouraging her to be the first, to hurry up and be the bird that sticks out its head to lead the charge.
Do you think I'm stupid!
Tie Shi Yixia, not wanting to give her life away at light speed, shouted loudly in her heart. Pulling the still somewhat dazed Mu Hanyin, she retreated half a step without a trace, shielding the other City Gods in front of her.
She wasn't stubborn, but someone was.
"You bastard!!!"
It was the injustice-fighting muscle man from before, with scorch marks from the lightning strike still on his head.
"Heaven and Earth, Dark and Yellow, the Root of Ten Thousand Qi! Cultivate through vast tribulations, prove my supernatural powers!"
With the loud chanting of the incantation, majestic golden light wrapped around his body surface.
Part of it turned into a giant light blade dozens of meters long, tearing through the air with the determination of mutual destruction, slashing down at the boy in the distance!
Golden Light Curse? A Taoist from Longhu Mountain?
Fuli raised an eyebrow.
This explains the righteous indignation. Most likely he just came down from the mountain not long ago and hasn't come into contact with this shitty society yet.
Just like those newly demobilized soldiers whose settlement fees are always borrowed by friends and relatives coming upon the news for various reasons, even if the instructor's thousands of warnings before leaving were useless.
The boy raised his hand, his fingertips glowing with Honkai energy. "Since you haven't been down the mountain for long, how about I teach you a lesson?"
With a subtle freezing sound, a crystal blue phantom formed by the Shadow-Trailing Sword appeared like a ghost behind the Taoist. A flash of sword light severed the Taoist surnamed Zhang, who was immobilized by the Body-Binding Spell, at the waist.
"First, the Honkai side isn't the mountain. No one will spoil you like your master and fellow disciples."
Fuli's voice fell as he stood in place. Blood sprayed like rain but was blocked by a thin barrier.
"Old Zhang!!!"
Sorrowful roars turned into wild winds. Some eyes were about to split with rage, while others looked at Fuli with complete coldness.
No matter what, they hadn't thought of killing anyone before, and were even cautious about making a move.
As a result, the opponent not only showed no mercy but directly cut their companion in half with one slash!
"By the prestige of Taiyi True Lord, sweep away the evil qi and miasma here! Hurry as the law commands!"
"Unbound Molten Fire!"
"Simple Field Expansion!"
"Rainbow Piercing the Sun!"
Talismans ignited with clear light, violent flames rose, invisible domains were constructed in the blink of an eye, and sword lights struck straight like white silk.
The most impulsive City Gods attacked first, and the rest followed closely.
Even Mu Hanyin was infected by this tragic scene and the atmosphere of shared hatred. Gritting her teeth, she swung the door-sized broadsword in her hand and was about to drive straight in!
A hand grabbed her back collar precisely again.
"Yixia, let go of me! I want to fight him to the death! Fight to the death!"
"Calm down!"
Tie Shi Yixia shouted in a low voice, reaching out to point at the muscle Taoist Old Zhang on the ground who was turning into 2.5 parts (split in half). "Look carefully, what is that?"
Upholding trust in her best friend, the struggling Mu Hanyin shifted her gaze.