An invasion from the Abyss? I, a demonic cultivator, laughed.

Chapter 198 The Power of Nuclear Bombs

"Are you fucking insane?!"

Seeing Chu Xiu rapidly approaching, Qin Xiang's face was filled with disbelief, and his thick eyebrows and big eyes concealed deep shock and anger.

What the hell does this mean? Are they offering themselves up to die?

This is a chance to live that I risked my life for you!
Before Qin Xiang could even utter a curse, Chu Xiu reached out and grabbed Li Zhan. Strangely, Li Zhan didn't resist at all. Instead, he began chanting some kind of incantation, and strange ripples began to spread around his body, forming shields.

This startled Qin Xiang for a moment, then he instantly realized what was going on.

In that brief moment of thought, Chu Xiu, propelled by the rapid flight of the flying corpse, rushed to Qin Xiang and grabbed him.

Qin Xiang did not resist either, and instead lifted the blockade on Wen Feiyan. However, at this time, the Buddha statue's body had completely curled up, and there was no gap in its golden body. Even without Qin Xiang's restraint, Wen Feiyan could not leave.

At this moment, Chu Xiu, carrying a King-level weapon in each hand, rushed headlong toward Wen Feiyan's location!
Seeing this, Wen Feiyan was only slightly taken aback, but made a decision in an instant, opening a small gap in the defense she had set up to let Chu Xiu and the other two in.

Allowing a powerful figure like Qin Xiang to get close would undoubtedly be suicidal, but in this extremely short time, the three King-level beings simultaneously understood the current situation and made a reasonable decision!
None of them could withstand a nuclear attack. The only way to maximize their chances of survival was for all four of them to work together!

Thus, without exchanging a single word, the four who had been fighting to the death before began to work together to set up a defense with remarkable tacit understanding!
The moment they entered Wen Feiyan's shield, Qin Xiang and Li Zhan simultaneously activated their strongest defensive skills, beginning to construct layer upon layer of defensive lines!
Li Zhan took out a square box with four corners. As he grasped it with his demonic arm in his left hand, a large amount of energy immediately poured in. In the blink of an eye, the box expanded into a cube with a diameter of over ten meters. Then, the gaps were quickly filled by countless metal scales that were only the size of a palm.

The King-Rank [Perfect] item [Black Prison] is a common item used by patrolling jailers in the [Asura Purgatory] world.

This is a cruel world with an extremely high level of power, inhabited by a large number of infernal demons. Even the weakest of them have the strength of a general upon reaching adulthood, and each demon is born with the ability to wield extremely powerful destructive spells.

The Black Prison is a tool used to capture wild demons as slaves.

It can transform destructive energy, which is usually used for destruction, into a sturdy cage. As long as enough destructive power is injected, the strength of the cage can reach dozens of times that of super steel, making it a perfect match for Li Zhan's Demon Hand.

This was originally an extremely powerful binding and control tool, but it is very suitable for use in the current defense.

Qin Xiang also pulled out his trump card to save his life, throwing out all sorts of treasured life-saving items as if they were free.

Energy-absorbing shields, barriers that deflect attacks, bronze mirrors that reflect energy, and so on—Chu Xiu was secretly amazed.

As for Chu Xiu himself, he calmly stood in the very center of the three king-level beings, directing the ghosts to construct a defense around him with their bodies, while the hardened shell of the iron-clad corpse rapidly spread in all directions to form a defensive sphere.

Li Zhan glanced sideways and quickly transmitted his voice: "Chen Ce, you can't stay in the very center and let your ghosts form a defense on the outside."

"Now is not the time for intrigue. We don't know how many nuclear bombs are here, or what their yields are. Even if the four of us work together, we have no chance of stopping a nuclear explosion!"

He transmitted his voice extremely quickly, and Wen Feiyan followed suit, echoing, "That's right. If you don't send out the ghosts, my shadow will only protect myself. You should think carefully about whether to cooperate or to distrust each other at this time!"

These two, as expected of experienced King-level beings, quickly made the best decision even at this moment.

No one knew whether their defenses could withstand the impact of a nuclear explosion; all the four could do was unleash their strongest defensive measures.

However, this does not mean that two King-level beings would focus solely on defense and completely disregard future considerations. King-level beings are not those who are so short-sighted.

Even in this life-or-death situation, the two kings quickly realized a crucial point: although they were cooperating now, they would quickly revert to an adversarial state once the crisis was over.

Therefore, preserving one's own condition and abilities is extremely important.

It is clear that those who are in the innermost layers are more likely to preserve their trump cards.

For example, if the outermost layer is Li Zhan, then Wen Feiyan, and then the other two, and the power of the nuclear explosion is blocked by them, then the items of the inner layer people will be preserved, and Li Zhan and Wen Feiyan will suffer a huge loss.

More importantly, resisting nuclear bombs would consume a huge amount of energy, and if a battle broke out afterward, they would be at a great disadvantage because their defensive measures would be exhausted and their energy consumption would be too great.

Therefore, the most reasonable decision would be to place the four people in layers, alternating with each other, so that no one gains an advantage.

But right now, Chu Xiu has made all his ghosts shrink to the innermost layer, clearly intending to conserve their strength. How could Li Zhan and Wen Feiyan allow this?

If the impact of the nuclear bomb explosion is dissipated before it reaches the innermost layer, wouldn't that mean that the two of them, whose defensive measures are exhausted and whose magic power is almost gone, would have to face Chu Xiu's full-strength ghost army?
That's why they suggested that Chu Xiu place the ghosts on the outer layer.

The two men were extremely resolute, clearly indicating that if Chu Xiu did not comply, they would fight each other independently. Both of them, being shrewd and calculating, knew that this was a necessary quality when bargaining.

Especially with time so pressing, the slightest hesitation could mean the death of all four of them under a nuclear bomb! They didn't believe that Chu Xiu, an eighteen-year-old boy, could withstand such pressure!

Not to mention Chu Xiu, even Qin Xiang readily compromised under these circumstances.

With the chance to survive right in front of them, who would insist on arguing about something whose very existence is uncertain? It's possible that even if the four of them worked together, they still wouldn't be able to stop the nuclear bomb from exploding!
However, Chu Xiu simply smiled calmly in the face of pressure from both of them.

Next, without any argument or discussion, he simply extended a finger and gently pointed to his mouth.

However, this seemingly inexplicable action made Li Zhan and Wen Feiyan realize something at the same time, and their expressions turned extremely ugly!

"Oh shit!"

Even Li Zhan, who was usually calm and collected, couldn't help but curse. He then stopped talking and began to focus on building defenses. Wen Feiyan did the same.

Qin Xiang gave Chu Xiu a deep look.

In fact, Chu Xiu's meaning was very simple: "I don't have your ability to communicate through sound or thought. If you want to argue with me, you can only speak honestly. Are you sure you want to negotiate with me at this time?"

Although the four of them did a lot of things just now, with the King-level speed, less than two seconds had actually passed, and no one knew when the nuclear bomb would be detonated!
In this situation, all of Li Zhan and Wen Feiyan's negotiation skills became useless. How could they possibly have the courage to perish together with Chu Xiu?
Chu Xiu cut off the communication path at the source, which meant that even if the two had a lot to say, they could only swallow it all and focus their attention on the current defense.

This made them extremely frustrated.

At the same time, both of them and Qin Xiang couldn't help but marvel again. Thinking of this method was not difficult; what was difficult was being able to remain calm and have the courage to execute it under the current extreme circumstances.

It's like a two-car collision where whoever swerves first loses – a cowardly game. Both sides know the other can't really go down together, but how many can withstand the pressure and hold on until the very end? And who can guarantee that an accident won't happen while they're playing this game?
But Chu Xiu responded without the slightest hesitation, a truly rare quality.

"That alone would be one thing, but considering his terrifying talent..."

All three of them knew how terrifying someone without any weaknesses could be. They could almost foresee that if Chu Xiu could survive this ordeal, he would likely grow rapidly to a level they would have to look up to.

Just as the three were pondering this, a barely perceptible soft sound reached their ears.

However, this sound, which even King-level Awakened Ones could hardly detect, caused everyone's expressions to change drastically!

"It's coming! Hurry!"

Qin Xiang quickly transmitted his voice, but before he could finish speaking, the extreme light and heat instantly engulfed everything!
"Boom!"

It was as if the entire world was surrounded by a deafening roar. To the horror of the group, their defenses, which they had built with all their might as King-level Awakeners, were pierced through like thin paper. No, it shouldn't be said that they were pierced through, but rather that they were directly submerged in the light and heat!

The dazzling light filled every corner, and the four of them couldn't even see each other. Even with their eyes closed, they still felt that they were surrounded by dazzling white light!

The next instant, the terrifying nuclear storm created at the center of the nuclear explosion completely engulfed the four people!

Li Zhan's Black Prison was annihilated in an instant, not by the impact, but by the extreme energy directly transforming it into basic particle form. Next came the barrier that Wen Feiyan and Qin Xiang had jointly erected, constructing dozens of layers of shields. However, faced with the millions of degrees Celsius of the nuclear explosion's epicenter, these shields were like a spider web blocking a tsunami, shattered layer by layer in less than a fraction of a second. The next moment, the immense energy crashed into the last defensive line the three had jointly erected!
That was the strongest defense, composed of three people's life-saving trump cards!
"boom!"

One after another, precious props worth hundreds of millions were destroyed, and one barrier after another was breached!
Fortunately, Wang Jie's defensive trump card was not to be underestimated. He constructed a buffer zone of forty meters for the four of them. Instead of using energy to withstand the attack, each shield had a unique structure that acted like a deflector to disperse the energy of the nuclear bomb in all directions.

This means that when the energy reaches a position ten meters away from the crowd, it is only one-tenth of the power of the central explosion.

Even so, it still possesses the power to melt a king-level being instantly.

"Hold on tight!!!"

The three kings roared together, their energy surging into their bodies like it was free. They were fighting desperately, but the shockwave from the inner layer of the nuclear bomb still broke through all the defenses!

"What a pity, I'll have to sacrifice my ghost too." Chu Xiu said with some regret.

The energy of the nuclear bomb was terrifying; even with the combined efforts of three King-level beings, it still broke through layers of obstacles.

The energy released by nuclear weapons is mainly in the form of light radiation and shock waves.

The former's overpressure can still destroy reinforced concrete buildings hundreds of meters away from the center, while the latter can generate temperatures of thousands of degrees in the central area!

The four people were about 100 meters away from the center of the nuclear explosion. At this distance, the most terrifying thing was the super-high temperature firestorm formed by the combination of the two! This is what people usually see as the mushroom cloud of fire produced by a nuclear explosion.

It can heat everything around it to thousands, or even tens of thousands of degrees in a matter of seconds! And the power of the shockwave is enough to destroy everything!
Fortunately, the initial and strongest nuclear explosion power had been largely neutralized by the three King-level beings, especially the high pressure of the shockwave from the first burst. What Chu Xiu needed to do was to resist the continuous light radiation until the power of the nuclear bomb spread further away.

He had already summoned all the ghosts, which formed a huge flesh and blood shield in front of the four of them!
These creatures, even the weakest Yin Ghost, have a physique comparable to an elephant, and the defensive capabilities of the fierce ghosts are comparable to those of a heavy tank. Therefore, although they are made of flesh and blood, they are actually no less than a steel wall composed of thousands of tons of steel!
Furthermore, under the control of the Ghost General, light and heat can rapidly diffuse inward to maximize the ability to resist.

Chu Xiu also directly consumed the last of his mana to add the [General's Command - Fortify] effect to all the ghosts.
But when the light and heat arrived, the ghost's body was immediately ignited, emitting a painful scream! And before it could even be burned to ashes, it began to melt at a speed visible to the naked eye!

First came the outermost layer of thousands of malevolent ghosts and evil spirits, followed by the remaining four hundred evil spirits in the inner layer! And finally, there were ten enormous ghost generals!

Watching the ghosts he had painstakingly gathered burn to ashes before him, Chu Xiu's heart bled!

Fortunately, this last line of defense finally withstood the power of the nuclear explosion.

When there were less than a hundred vengeful ghosts left, the all-consuming light around them began to dim, which meant that the light radiation was gradually weakening.

Once the light radiation is fully released, the surrounding temperature will not rise further; instead, it will cool down rapidly.

Chu Xiu estimated that the Iron-Clad Corpse would be able to withstand the upcoming energy.

"Fortunately, the ghost general was saved amidst the misfortune."

In fact, Chu Xiu had already prepared to consume the [Primordial Blood] and instantly evolve the Heavenly Blood Vine to its full General rank to withstand the nuclear explosion, but fortunately, it didn't come to that in the end.

Chu Xiu let out a soft breath, collected the remaining ghosts, and hid quietly among the iron-clad corpses, waiting.

A few minutes later, the massive body of the Iron-Clad Corpse smashed through the rubble and rushed to the ground. Then, its body opened up, and Qin Xiang and Chu Xiu stepped out from within.

As for Li Zhan and Wen Feiyan
Their concerns were valid. The moment the crisis was averted, Chu Xiu and Qin Xiang launched a coordinated attack on the two.

It was also due to their bad luck that Chu Xiu suffered heavy losses, but compared to the others, he still retained relatively intact strength.

The four engaged in a fierce battle amidst the still intense heat of thousands of degrees Celsius. Li Zhan, whose energy was nearly depleted, was the first to give up. After dispelling his defensive skills, he was immediately ignited by the intense heat of the arena and then had his head smashed by a hammer from the ghost general who had surrounded him.

Wen Feiyan fared no better; after being imprisoned by Qin Xiang, she too died at the hands of the ghost general, her face filled with resentment.

This improved Chu Xiu's mood somewhat; killing two King-level beings was more than enough to make up for his losses and could even far exceed them.

After all, as long as there is enough flesh and blood, the ghosts can quickly replenish themselves, and the wealth of a King-level being is filled with countless treasures.

"Thank you so much, Chen." Qin Xiang, with a look of relief on his face, sincerely thanked Chu Xiu.

Having survived such a desperate situation, even someone as composed as him couldn't help but show a look of ecstatic joy on his face.

"I will not take a single penny of what Li Zhan and Wen Feiyan have given me, and I will repay them handsomely in the future," Qin Xiang said solemnly.

Chu Xiu nodded; he would naturally not refuse if there were benefits to be had.

However, Qin Xiang seemed to have thought of something else at this moment, and said seriously, "But Chen, your plan is still too risky. How can you be sure that the four of us can withstand a nuclear bomb? Although I am grateful that you saved me, I hope that next time you will prioritize your own safety!"

As he spoke, a look of emotion involuntarily flashed in his eyes. To be honest, he hadn't expected Chu Xiu to come back and save him.

However, Chu Xiu only gave him a strange look: "Senior Qin, you're overthinking it. This is a military base, and a military base under combat readiness, the last bastion of mankind. There must be more than one nuclear bomb here."

"And if I were a calamity, I would bury nuclear bombs in other places in advance to maximize the damage."

Qin Xiang: "."

He was speechless for a moment, and after a long while he chuckled dryly, "Uh, it seems so."

He should have thought of this, but at the time he was certain of death and didn't think about it carefully. Not only was he negligent, but he also seriously lectured Chu Xiu.
Thinking of this, his face immediately turned red.

Shame on you!
At this moment, Chu Xiu's voice continued to ring in my ears: "Look at the horrific scene below, you should be able to tell that there was definitely more than one nuclear bomb that was detonated."

Qin Xiang looked down and was met with a scene that resembled hell.

The extreme heat melted a large amount of rock, forming scalding lava. At the same time, the shockwave completely destroyed the geological structure, triggering a massive mountain earthquake that caused the entire underground shelter to collapse completely.

The bottom of the once relatively flat pit is now riddled with crisscrossing ravines and fissures.
The bodies of awakened beings were crushed into minced meat by the earthquake and buried in the rubble.

In this sudden and widespread landslide, even warrior-level awakened individuals could lose their lives if they were careless, while for mortal-level awakened individuals, whether they survived depended entirely on luck.

The surviving Awakened Ones gasped for breath, still shaken. Those whose legs or arms had been crushed lay groaning and howling amidst the rubble.

A rough estimate suggests that at least three hundred Awakened Ones died in this disaster!

Qin Xiang's face was extremely ugly, and even Chu Xiu was silent for a moment.

But now is not the time for them to mourn.

Deeper underground, lava is still churning.

Both of them could feel a powerful aura rapidly approaching the ground.

The calamity is still alive.

(End of this chapter)