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Chapter 232 If you're tired, take a rest. (Update 45 of 2 words)

Fang Qingyu stood beside the mandrill's remains, its head shattered.

He slowly exhaled a breath of foul air, thick with the smell of blood.

His molten gold eyes calmly swept over Zhang Tiezhu, and he nodded without saying a word.

Of course he knew.

From that rainy night in Qingjian City, he understood better than anyone the cruelty of the Fate Ghost and the continuous tides.

These experiences were gained through countless brushes with death, blood, flesh, and willpower.

The battlefield cleanup began swiftly under Zhang Tiezhu's hoarse command.

The soldiers worked silently and efficiently, in pairs: one would be alert to potential spatial fluctuations that might reappear deep within the ruins, while the other would quickly inspect the remains of the dead ghosts on the ground to ensure they were completely dead.

At the same time, they carefully collected the remains of their fallen comrades.

The young soldier who was the first to greet Fang Qingyu with a smile that morning was now just a mangled upper body, carefully wrapped in a body bag.

The chipped sword, which was being held tightly, was silently picked up by an old soldier.

He vigorously wiped away the blood and grime, then sheathed his spare dagger at his waist.

"Captain Fang."

Zhang Tiezhu strode over, his voice low and deep, “We’ll have to ‘move’ soon. With the Ghost Festival starting, the area inside the force field will be the front line. Ghosts could emerge from any crack in the valley at any time, so we must be on standby inside! The camp outside will be responsible for logistical support; food, water, and medicine will be delivered regularly. It’s just that the conditions will be a bit harsh, so you’ll have to make do with settling in this ‘ghost village’.”

Fang Qingyu looked around at the ruins, which were filled with the aura of death, and nodded: "It's alright."

The five then proceeded to their respective defensive zones as planned, preparing to seize this precious break to rest.

The temporary positions inside the valley entrance were quickly cleared, and simple shelters and rest areas were set up.

Chu Kuanglan plopped down on the leeward side of the ruins on the left wing, wincing in pain.

The medics from the Tiger Company quickly stepped forward, used disinfectant to clean the bloodstains and corrosive stains on his arms and ribs from the mandrill's claws, and wrapped them with bandages.

The medic's technique was very efficient.

However, the intense pain caused by the medicine irritating the wound still made Chu Kuanglan gasp several times.

"Damn it."

He grumbled and cursed, but pulled a crumpled cigarette case out of the inner pocket of his training uniform.

He pulled out one and put it in his mouth, then pulled out another and tossed it to Lu Jiuyuan, who was sitting cross-legged and recovering.

Lu Jiuyuan opened his eyes, said nothing, silently caught it, and put it in his mouth as well.

Chu Kuanglan looked towards the valley entrance again, raised his chin, and gestured to Fang Qingyu.

Fang Qingyu was sitting cross-legged on a relatively clean stone inside the valley entrance, closing his eyes and regulating his breathing.

Chu Kuanglan flicked his wrist, and a cigarette flew precisely towards Fang Qingyu.

Fang Qingyu didn't even open his eyes. He raised his hand and caught it steadily, then put it in the corner of his mouth, but didn't light it.

Chu Kuanglan lit a cigarette with a lighter and took a deep drag. The pungent taste of the cheap tobacco seemed to dilute the stimulation of blood and gunpowder.

He exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, gazing at the ravaged battlefield before him, and said in a deep voice, "Damn, the density of ghouls here is really fierce. Even more troublesome than I imagined."

Fang Qingyu, with a cigarette dangling from his lips and his eyes still closed, had a subtle, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.

A calm voice came: "Back then, you guys were the ones clamoring to move to another place, saying that staying in the capital would make your bones rust."

Upon hearing this, Chu Kuanglan's face immediately showed a sullen expression. He scratched his arm, which had just been bandaged, and said, "I know, I know! Fang Shen, I was just saying a few words! Just venting! We'll do our jobs just the right thing! Don't worry, with us brothers here, we'll definitely be able to plug this hole completely!"

Fang Qingyu slowly opened his eyes, his molten gold-like eyes sweeping over Chu Kuanglan, then looking at Lu Jiuyuan who was also looking over, and Wei Banmeng who had just walked over from the stone wall behind them.

He removed the cigarette from his lips, twirling it gently between his fingers, his tone carrying an undeniable solemnity:

"Do not."

"If we can't hold them off any longer, we should immediately retreat and rest. Holding out is not the solution; it will only increase casualties."

He paused for a moment, then his gaze became deep and calm.

"Furthermore, if the frequency of these ghostly apparitions exceeds our tolerance limit..."

"The four of you will split into two groups. Chu Kuanglan and Lu Jiuyuan will be in one group, and Wei Banmeng and Xiao Jiang will be in the other. The two groups will take turns resting, and you must make sure to maintain sufficient physical strength and condition."

Fang Qingyu's gaze swept over the four people, and he emphasized, "Only by maintaining peak condition can we minimize unnecessary casualties and ensure that this defensive line is not breached!"

Chu Kuanglan, Lu Jiuyuan, and Wei Banmeng were all taken aback upon hearing this.

Taking turns to rest?

Who will guarantee absolute dominance at the front of the valley?

Who will tackle the toughest challenges?
Chu Kuanglan blurted out instinctively, "Then we'll take turns, Fang Shen, what about you?!"

Lu Jiuyuan and Wei Banmeng's gazes also instantly focused on Fang Qingyu, with the same question in mind.

Fang Qingyu met their gazes.

He casually put the unlit cigarette back into his mouth.

Slowly turning his head, he looked into the depths of the village, a place of deathly silence, darkness, and ruins, where a deadly spatial rift could erupt at any moment.

The sound of the cigarette dangling from his lips, penetrating the swirling smoke, reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying a resolute and unquestionable calm:
"I?"

"I'll stay here."

More than ten hours later.

boom! ! !
The fifth wave of the Ghost Tide was even more ferocious than the previous four combined!

Deep within the village, the space seemed to boil over!
Countless twisted and filthy spatial rifts, like boiling festering sores, covered the sky, the ground, and the ruined walls!

Roars, howls, the scraping of metal, the colliding of rocks.
Countless horrifying sounds mingled together to create a destructive symphony!

The black tide of ghostly life no longer "surges out," but "sprays out"!
It poured out wildly from every crack!

Shadowhounds, Corruption Flies, and Rock Golems formed a black sandstorm, obscuring the already dim light!
In this surging tide, what truly makes one's heart tremble are those enormous creatures!
The three-headed mandrill, like a moving battering ram, locked its crimson eyes on the valley entrance, roaring as it crushed the ruins along the way!

The two Shadow Weavers silently coalesced in the heavy shadows at the edge of the battlefield, and an invisible "net of pain" instantly spread out, attempting to cover the valley entrance defense line!
But the most deadly part is right in front of the valley entrance!

A monster far larger than any of the previous Iron-Eating Demons is emerging completely from the largest spatial rift!
It still looks like a steel centipede, but it's much bigger!

It is over 15 meters long!
Its limbs are as thick as beams and pillars, covered with a cold metallic luster, and its jet-black armor is covered with strange runes!

The head is no longer a drill bit or a shredder, but a rotating cutting edge with sharp teeth that opens up in layers like giant chrysanthemum petals!
Iron Centipede!

An elite variant of the Iron Eater.

Defense, strength, and metal manipulation abilities all increase exponentially!
Its enormous body almost completely blocked the narrow valley.

The spinning, tooth-like cutting edge emitted a piercing shriek, carrying the force to tear everything apart, as it crashed violently into the already violently fluctuating force field barrier!

"Roar--!!!"

Fang Qingyu's roar was like a dragon's cry, overpowering the shriek of the Thousand-Legged Iron Centipede!

Standing at the very front of the valley entrance.

Beneath his feet lay mountains of mangled remains and thick, sticky blood!

His bare, bronze-colored upper body was already soaked in dark green and dark red filthy blood, as if he were wearing a layer of ferocious armor!

On his arms, the dark gold dragon scale patterns still radiated an indomitable light despite the blood and grime!
Within the abyss-like cracks on the blade of the Dragon Sparrow Slash in his hand, the platinum-gold liquid lightning had already boiled to its limit!

Faced with this unprecedented steel behemoth, Fang Qingyu did not retreat a single step.

Thunderclap and Shadow!

boom!
Purple and blue lightning crackled around the pale golden dragon shadow, and Fang Qingyu's figure vanished from the spot in an instant!

Fast! Extremely fast!

Just as the terrifying slit of the centipede was about to touch the barrier!

Fang Qingyu's figure appeared as if teleported above and to the side of its enormous head!
"The Imperial Edict of Yuanyue!!!"

Fang Qingyu gripped the knife with both hands, and his spine emitted a roar like a dragon's cry!
All the power in his body, the true meaning of the dragon, the Heavenly Pillar Force, and the boiling bone-corroding lightning were concentrated on the blade!
From bottom to top!

Reverse Slash!

boom--! ! !
A destructive blade of light, condensed to its extreme, seemingly forged from burning dark gold calamity fire and boiling platinum lightning!
It roared out!

The moment the blade leaves the body, it swells in the wind!
It transformed into a lifelike, dark gold, thunder and fire dragon that was over ten meters long!

"hold head high--!!!"

A dragon's roar that shook the depths of the valley!
The Thunderfire Dragon Form carries the supreme will to incinerate all things and judge heaven and earth.

It crashed headlong into the core of the Thousand-Legged Iron Centipede's rotating cutting edge.

clang--! ! ! !

A deafening, deafening explosion, more piercing and deafening than any previous collision, followed.

It was like two giant metal mountains colliding with a deafening roar!

Blinding sparks cascaded down like a waterfall!

A violent energy shockwave swept across instantly!

The shadow hounds and rock golems within a radius of tens of meters were torn apart like pieces of paper.

The Thousand-Legged Iron Centipede's cutting edge, capable of tearing through steel, suddenly froze.

The surface covered with black rune armor was actually cleaved open with a deep, lightning-burning blade mark!
Dark golden lightning and bone-corroding lightning frantically eroded the pitch-black armor.

“Ouch——!!!”

The centipede let out a painful and furious hiss!

The massive body was slightly thrown backward by this ferocious slash!

But it was not defeated.

The serrated cutting edge spun wildly, attempting to shred the embedded Dragon Sparrow Blade Qi.

At the same time, countless segmented limbs covered in black armor swung violently on both sides of its massive body!
hum!
The metal fragments floating in the air, and even the scattered metal remains of the dead on the ground, were instantly stirred by an invisible force!

Like a torrent of steel drawn by a magnet!

It transformed into countless metallic storms shimmering with a chilling, eerie light.

From all directions.

Like countless scythes of death.

With a piercing scream that tore everything apart!

It viciously attacked Fang Qingyu, who had nowhere to gain leverage in mid-air!

A decisive victory!

……

"Fang Shen!"

"team leader!"

On the high ground of the left wing ruins, Chu Kuanglan and Lu Jiuyuan, who had just been rotated up, saw this scene and their eyes widened in horror!

"Roar!"

Chu Kuanglan roared, and his body erupted with molten lava energy, making him resemble a human-shaped volcano, ready to pounce down and provide support at all costs!

"do not move!"

From behind the valley entrance, Wei Banmeng's cool voice carried an undeniable penetrating force, "Hold your positions! I'm going!"

Before she could finish speaking!
hum!
The icy blue blade domain shrank instantly; although the area was small, its chill and sharpness increased several times over.

His figure transformed into a streak of icy blue light.

The two Xuan Chi swords were drawn simultaneously.

Two condensed, ice-blue blade energies slashed out like crescent moons.

The target was not the centipede itself, but the densest metal storm beside Fang Qingyu.

Click!Click!
The biting cold instantly froze dozens of high-speed metal fragments.

The blade's energy precisely sliced ​​into the storm's crevice, disrupting it.

This gave Fang Qingyu extremely valuable room to maneuver.

Almost at the same time that Wei Banmeng made her move!
The top of the giant rock in the center of the valley.

Jiang Wei's small figure remained motionless.

Those clear, molten gold eyes coldly locked onto a shadowy ruin!
Just as a Shadow Weaver had formed most of its body, an invisible web of pain was about to cover the valley entrance defenses!
"laugh!"

A beam of dark red light, condensed to its extreme, pierced through the void in an instant, like a red-hot steel needle!

It shot with perfect accuracy into the deepest part of that shadow!

"Ugh—!"

The Shadow Weaver let out a silent, soul-wrenching wail, and the shadow instantly dissipated.

Meanwhile, another dark red beam of light, as if it were a prophetic vision, shot towards a gap in the armor of the Thousand-Legged Iron Centipede's head that had just been cleaved open by Fang Qingyu and was corroded by lightning and fire.

puff!

A dark red beam of light pierced through the crevice, instantly detonating the remaining bone-corroding mines inside! Boom!
A muffled explosion came from inside the head of the centipede!

The frantic cutting suddenly stopped.

In mid-air!
Fang Qingyu was caught in the moment when Wei Banmeng's sword energy disrupted the metal storm!

Thunderclap Shadow Strike erupts once more!

His figure narrowly escaped being transformed into a twisted streak of purple-blue lightning.

It emerged from the gaps between countless cold metal fragments.

He stomped heavily on one of the armored limbs of the centipede!
boom!
Use the force to take off!

Dragon Sparrow Slashes Calamity once again unleashed blinding lightning and fire!

"Thunderous World-Burning Slash"

The blade stabbed fiercely at the weak point of the head that had been detonated by the dark red beam, causing the gaps in the armor to widen and lightning to leap out!
Pfft——! ! !
The blade, burning with lightning, was like a red-hot dagger piercing into butter.

It sank deep into the enormous head of the centipede.

"hold head high--!!!"

The centipede let out an unprecedentedly mournful wail.

Its massive body twisted and rolled wildly.

He tried to shake off Fang Qingyu.

Fang Qingyu gripped the knife handle tightly.

Its feet were rooted to its rune-covered armor.

My arm muscles are bulging!

"Open it!!!"

Amidst the roar!

The Dragon Sparrow Slashes Calamity, unleashing its final, blinding burst of fire.

Boom——! ! !
The enormous head of the Thousand-Legged Iron Centipede was blasted open from the inside by the violent lightning and blade energy.

Dark green filthy blood mixed with broken metal components sprayed out like a torrential rain.

The massive steel body crashed to the ground, causing the earth to tremble violently and crushing countless small and medium-sized ghosts that surged forward!

The biggest threat to the valley entrance has been eliminated.

But the battle is far from over!
The two mandrills are already charging in!

The enormous rock claws, accompanied by a fierce wind, slammed towards Fang Qingyu, who had just landed.

The mental shock from Ying Zhiniang spread like an invisible tide once again.

"Fang Shen! Leave it to us!"

Chu Kuanglan roared and pounced down from the left!
The Lava Burst Fist slammed into the side of a mandrill.

Lu Jiuyuan's blade flashed like lightning, tightly binding the other end.

Wei Banmeng's Ice Blue Blade Domain was unleashed once more, as she fought with all her might against Ying Zhiniang's mental pollution and the slowing effect on small and medium-sized life ghosts!
Jiang Wei's dark red beam of light was like the Grim Reaper calling her name, constantly eliminating new Shadow Weavers and high-threat targets attempting to ambush her.

"Tiger Company! Hold on! Hold on for me!"

Zhang Tiezhu's roar was already hoarse, like that of a wounded tiger!

The thick-backed machete in his hand was already dulled, and several deep, bone-revealing wounds had been added to his body, with blood staining half of his body red.

But he remained as steadfast as a rock on the last line of defense inside the valley entrance!

The Tiger Company has lost nearly a third of its soldiers!

The positions of the fallen were silently filled by those behind them.

The newly recruited soldiers still had youthful faces, but their eyes were just as fierce!

"Platoon leader! Watch out!"

A new recruit saw a shadow hound, which had been slowed down by Wei Banmeng's Ice Domain but was not completely frozen, pounce on a platoon leader who was giving orders from the side!

The platoon leader was focused on dealing with the horde of rock golems surging towards him and had no time to spare for anything else!

Zhang Tiezhu caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye.

"Get out of the way!"

He roared!
His figure appeared instantly between the new recruit and the platoon leader.

The thick-backed machete carried all his vital energy!

He slashed fiercely at the shadow dog!

puff!

The shadow dog was cleaved in two!
But just as the blade struck the shadow dog!

Behind Zhang Tiezhu!
An arm covered in deathly gray skin, like dried tree bark, shot out without warning, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue!

fast!
It transcends conventional thinking!

This attack showed no sign of energy leakage, no sound of air being torn apart, and no fluctuation of killing intent.

The target was aimed directly at Zhang Tiezhu's unsuspecting back!

“Company Commander!!!”

The recruit and the platoon leader both let out heart-wrenching screams at the same time!

Zhang Tiezhu felt an extreme chill instantly freeze his spine!
Death has never seemed so close!
He tried desperately to turn around!
But having just unleashed a full-force strike, the old power was gone, and no new power had been generated!

It’s too late!
Just as his fingertips were about to touch Zhang Tiezhu's combat uniform.

"Duh!"

A clear and calm child's voice.

Like a drop of water thrown into boiling oil.

It clearly pierced through the clamor of the battlefield!
Next!

boom--! ! !
An indescribable, seemingly primordial heat and deathly stillness, capable of incinerating all things.

Without warning, in the core area of ​​the space behind Zhang Tiezhu.

Exploded!

The viscous, dark red light, like solidified lava, expanded instantly!

Wherever it passed, the area was like snowflakes thrown into purgatory.

It emitted a hissing sound!
It was instantly ignited, melted, and evaporated!
Not even a ripple could be made.

The center of light!
Jiang Wei's small figure floated up!

A little girl who usually holds a tablet and sucks on a lollipop, with clear eyes that show little emotion.

At this moment, a terrifying aura swirled around him, causing the space to tremble and making his soul feel a burning pain and suffocation!
The hair moved without wind, each strand dyed crimson, like a burning flame.

Those clear, large eyes now transformed into two golden pupils, coldly gazing down below.

She raised her small right hand and gently tapped it in the direction behind Zhang Tiezhu.

"lonely."

A single word of truth, spoken calmly.

laugh--!
A dark red beam of light, condensed to its extreme and seemingly forged from the molten metal of extinct stars, pierced through the void in an instant!

Distance was ignored.

Like a red-hot dagger piercing butter.

It instantly pierced through the not-yet-completely-closed spatial barrier, which resembled a viscous liquid.

"Uhhh-!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream, so shrill it was inhuman, came from the interlayer of space!
The space barrier violently caved and vibrated.

Like a lake surface tossed with a boulder, it ripples outwards in visible concentric circles.

Behind the crack, the hand seemed to have been burned beyond its pain tolerance limit.
He withdrew his hand again.

The spatial fluctuations vanished instantly.

Zhang Tiezhu survived the ordeal, his body drenched in cold sweat!
Turning around abruptly, all I saw was the rapidly dissipating dark red light and Jiang Wei's small figure falling back onto the rock.

Then he looked at the two half-shadow dog corpses on the ground in front of him, and the space behind him that seemed to have been "flattened" by an invisible force.

A chill ran from the soles of my feet straight up to the top of my head.

He swallowed hard, his saliva tasting of blood, and with all his might, he roared hoarsely at the small figure atop the giant rock:

"Thank you so much!!!"

Jiang Wei didn't even look up, just sucked on her lollipop, as if she hadn't heard anything.

Without another word, Zhang Tiezhu whirled around, his bloodshot eyes locking onto the surging tide of ghostly beings once more, and his roar exploded once more:

"Tiger Company! Kill them all!!! Don't let a single one escape!!!"

The fifth wave of the Ghost Tide was finally brought to a halt after the Thousand-Legged Iron Centipede was beheaded, the Shadow Weaver was repeatedly targeted and killed, the Mountain Demon was tightly entangled by Chu Kuanglan and Lu Jiuyuan, and the mysterious spatial attacker was frightened away.

When the last mandrill's heart was shattered by Chu Kuanglan's ferocious Lava Burst Fist, its massive body crashed to the ground.

The entire Black Pine Pass fell into a brief silence once again.

Fang Qingyu leaned on the Dragon Sparrow Slaying Calamity.

The blade was stuck diagonally in the ground, supporting his swaying body.

His bare, bronze-colored upper body was covered in the foul blood of various deadly spirits, which dripped continuously.

Fang Qingyu slowly raised his head, his eyes, like molten gold, sweeping across the battlefield.

On the giant rock in the center of the valley, Jiang Wei's small figure still stood tall.

On the high point of the ruins on the left wing, Chu Kuanglan slumped in the pile of rubble, panting heavily, his arms trembling unnaturally, the lava energy long since extinguished.

On the right flank of the battlefield, Lu Jiuyuan leaned on his sword, barely able to stand, but a deep, bone-revealing wound on his waist and abdomen was gushing blood, and his face was ashen.

Behind the valley entrance, Wei Banmeng leaned against the cold stone wall and slowly slid down to the ground. Her pale face was devoid of color, the icy blue blade domain had long since dissipated, and the Xuan Chi twin blades hung limply at her sides.

In front of the Tiger Company's defensive line, corpses piled up like mountains.

Zhang Tiezhu, leaning on his chipped machete, resembled a blood-stained iron tower.

One arm hung limply, clearly broken.

Not far in front of him lay the new recruit who had discovered and issued the warning.

The recruit's chest was torn apart by some unknown force, his internal organs spilling out onto the ground, his face frozen in horror and bewilderment.

Zhang Tiezhu stared at the recruit's corpse, his blood-stained face expressionless.

Only those bloodshot eyes stared intently at the recruit's wide-open eyes, as if trying to etch this scene into the depths of his soul.

After a long while, he slowly raised his head and looked at the figure inside the valley entrance, who was also covered in blood and panting with his sword in hand.

Their eyes met in the air.

No words.

There is only one kind of heaviness, tempered to the extreme by war and soaked in blood and exhaustion.

Fang Qingyu slowly withdrew his gaze.

He struggled to straighten up.

The heavy blade of the Dragon Sparrow Slash was slowly pulled out.

Thick, foul-smelling blood flowed down the slit in the knife.

Looking around at this battlefield, completely shrouded in death and smoke.

Looking at his teammates who were almost at their limit.

Looking at the dark green figures falling one by one in front of the defense line, never to rise again.

A single, hoarse, almost inaudible syllable, yet carrying a resolute determination like cutting through steel, was squeezed out with difficulty from his blood-stained lips:
"rest."

The words fell.

Fang Qingyu stopped looking at anyone.

He slowly sat down.

He sat down at his feet in the thick, cold mud and filth, soaked with the blood of countless ghosts and his own.

He stood with his back against the cold, steel remains of the centipede he had personally beheaded.

Closed his eyes.

Lines of cold, impersonal prompts silently appeared on the graph:

[New type of Fate Ghost added: Thousand-Legged Iron Centipede, reward 4 skill points]

(End of this chapter)