Hua Alliance, Star District.
Inside a heavily guarded military base.
A crimson alarm suddenly went off: "Wormhole reaction detected!"
A large number of military personnel came to their senses and quickly sprang into action, activating an emergency command center.
"Spirit Realm is opening!"
"Confirming coordinates... It’s... Star City District!"
A trembling voice from an observer quickly pulled up the surveillance: "This wormhole reaction is occurring at Jiahe Garden Residential District in Star District!"
On the screen, a thin layer of mist arose from nowhere, slowly spreading, and within it, a fierce and indistinct black shadow seemed to emerge.
Inside Jiahe Garden Residential District, ordinary citizens were still unaware of what was happening, continuing their tired yet pleasant daily lives.
The commander, with a solemn face, spoke in a deep voice, "Immediately seal off the area, proceed according to Plan One... Contact the Martial Artist Association, prepare to deploy Martial Artists for ’exorcism’... Also, bring in those who are preparing for the assessment, let them participate in the evacuation of the public, try to minimize casualties."
One command after another was methodically issued.
The entire base began to operate rapidly.
"Emergency assembly? Is it starting now?"
Zhong Shenxiu, looking at the military helicopters in the sky and Bai Yu with an anxious expression, walked over in silence.
This incident had erupted much earlier than he expected.
"Fortunately, I just gathered another stream of White Bone Evil Qi. On the way, I can practice the Three Yin Bone Searching Claw spellcraft. With one offensive and one defensive, I barely have some strength."
High in the sky, Zhong Shenxiu closed his eyes and thought indifferently.
Beside him, Bai Yu handed over classified information: "This time, the outbreak of the Spirit Realm is located in Jiahe Garden District, Star District."
"A residential area?!" Zhong Shenxiu was somewhat surprised.
In the past, wormholes mostly appeared in the wilderness or near some villages, inflicting weaker damage and causing less panic.
But this time, it had erupted directly in the residential area of a large district. If they weren’t careful, the casualties could undoubtedly be significant.
"There have been such situations before, but very seldom... This time the assessment by the Martial Artist Association is primarily about rescue. You guys take charge of rescuing and evacuating the citizens first. Heavenly Demon will be dealt with by formal Martial Artists."
Bai Yu’s voice was solemn.
Zhong Shenxiu closed his eyes, focused on practicing the Three Yin Bone Searching Claw spellcraft. Once mastered, this spellcraft could manipulate up to nine giant bone claws to strike from the air, especially lethal as each claw carried a toxic force that could kill an ordinary Innate Expert with just a touch. Even a Cultivator and Magic Artifacts of the same level would suffer corrosion.
Using it against Martial Artists was likely to be a child’s play for each claw.
When Zhong Shenxiu opened his eyes again, he found the helicopter had reached a temporary base, where tents had just been pitched everywhere.
Not far off, a mist emerged, enveloping a small district, making the surroundings hazy as if dividing it into two worlds.
"The expansion of the Spirit Realm has stopped."
"The first group of Martial Artists has arrived, get ready to enter!"
Broadcasts communicated sounds intermittently.
Zhong Shenxiu followed the arrangement, entered a tent, began changing clothes while listening to the messages.
"This martial arts uniform is specially designed by our research to be unaffected by the Spirit Realm, optimizing the material mix to maximize function."
Bai Yu brought a set of martial arts uniform: "This time your task is primarily rescue. If you encounter a Heavenly Demon, you’ll need to engage, which is very dangerous, be very careful. Please follow me."
Zhong Shenxiu followed her, passing through multiple checkpoints, approaching the edge of the mist.
There, a group of prospective Martial Artists was already waiting.
As fellow Martial Artists, Zhong Shenxiu felt this intensely when he scanned the area and identified roughly twenty people, each brimming with surging Qi-Blood, all of whom were considered experts.
Noticing Zhong Shenxiu approaching, a bunch of eyes immediately turned his way.
"Hey brother, I’m from the Feixing District, my name is Guo Shi, I practice the Rolling Stone Strength, what about you?"
A man with a square face, appearing naive and straightforward, who looked to be in his thirties, came over and asked in a hushed tone.
"Hua Wu, from the Xingcai District."
Zhong Shenxiu nodded in acknowledgment, "Just the twenty-plus of us here?"
"The official Martial Artists have already entered and started their free hunt. As for the prospective Martial Artists, although there are more of them, fewer dare to engage in battle."
Guo Shi sighed before responding.
"I’m here to fulfill some wishes, why have you come?" Zhong Shenxiu asked curiously.
"The greatest form of heroism is serving one’s country and its people. There are demons emerging here, and since I happen to have the strength, how could I not come?" Guo Shi replied righteously.
"I admire that," Zhong Shenxiu immediately showed his respect.
Just then, a group approached, silencing any private conversations.
"The Blade Team has already entered, your mission is to rescue! Led by the Martial Artist Association’s prospective martial artists, with an elite team cultivated by the Association as support, you must do your best to save people."
A person who looked like a commander shouted, "The assessment task will be based on the number of people you manage to rescue. Let’s go!"
Zhong Shenxiu looked around, he was assigned eleven people, all muscle-bound and with a certain special aura.
"Mr. Hua, the scope assigned to us this time is from building A to building C, totaling fifteen buildings. My name is Wang Jiangang!"
The leading member among them saluted Zhong Shenxiu, "Trained in Golden Bell Shield, haven’t mastered Qi-Blood."
Seeing that some teams had already ventured into the fog, Zhong Shenxiu nodded.
He couldn’t be bothered to observe the other prospective Martial Artists and walked straight into the fog.
As soon as he entered the fog, he felt a sensation akin to an electric shock spread through his body instantaneously.
The scenery around him was somewhat blurred and indistinct, almost unrealistic.
Zhong Shenxiu looked at his special clothing that remained unchanged and suddenly pulled out a bunch of keys he had deliberately brought along.
The keys quickly corroded as a gentle breeze blew, disintegrating like sand over the ground.
"Banning technology... Could it indeed be the invasion of the rules from another world, altering some physical parameters here?"
Zhong Shenxiu murmured to himself, then asked Wang Jiangang to bring the map, "Let’s go."
Jiahe Garden District.
The previously serene area now resembled purgatory.
Bloodstains were everywhere, human limbs and remains were carelessly discarded, and looming large demonic shadows roamed about as if hunting.
They were over two meters tall, covered in scales, and each had a black horn on their heads, the most common type of Heavenly Demon.
At that moment, one of the horned demons sniffed the air, having caught the scent of humans, and turned into a small supermarket, where it spotted a mother and son shivering behind the cashier counter.
It raised its palm, ready to relish the taste of fresh blood.
Suddenly, a wall shattered, a figure somersaulted through, legs whirling. "Twelve Linked Legs Tan Zheng, to protect my country, kill!"
His iron-like leg lashed out at the right brain area of the demon’s cornea, a move that would kill an ordinary person instantly, only managed to knock down and slightly daze the horned demon, who struggled crawling back up.
The figure shouted, engaging the horned demon in close combat.
This type of fight incessantly occurred throughout the district...