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Chapter 233 At least let them have one more good New Year. (2 words, update 55)

Meanwhile, in Shangjing City, on the ancient street of Chang'an.

The riverbank, quiet in the dead of night, is long since quieter than during the day.

The dim streetlights cast long shadows of the weeping willows onto the quiet bluestone path, while the river flowed silently, reflecting a few scattered starlight and the neon lights of distant high-rise buildings.

Hong Qitian was still sitting on his old, worn-out stool.

His cloudy old eyes were half-closed, and his fishing rod was leaning diagonally on the support, as if he had blended into the night and become a frozen stone sculpture on the riverbank.

Suddenly, the light and shadow around him distorted in an extremely subtle way.

A middle-aged man, dressed in a faded, coarse cloth jacket stained with fresh mud, with his trousers rolled up high to reveal his muscular calves, appeared silently on the riverbank beside him, as if he had grown out of the ground.

The man had a rugged face, dark skin bearing the marks of years of hard work in the wind and sun, and messy hair, as if he had just crawled out of a field.

He didn't even glance at Hong Qitian.

He plopped down on the cold bluestone slab and plunged his muddy feet directly into the murky river water.

"Wow."

The soft sound of water broke the silence.

What's chilling is that the "black mud" on his feet seems to be something extraordinary.

Upon contact with the river water, it dissolved and spread rapidly, as if it were a living thing.

The blackness spread rapidly, like ink dripping into clear water.

The river, which had originally reflected the lights, was visibly stained a murky black, and even the ripples seemed to become stagnant and heavy.

The middle-aged man casually splashed the icy river water with his feet.

He spoke in a muffled voice, his tone heavy with exhaustion and barely suppressed frustration:
"Dad, we really can't delay any longer! We're almost out of manpower! The brothers can't hold on any longer! Let them in. It's better than having all the brothers thrown in!"

Hong Qitian's withered hand holding the fishing rod remained motionless, as if he hadn't heard anything.

However, there was a noticeable twitching at the temple.

When the middle-aged man saw that he didn't respond, his voice suddenly rose a few decibels, carrying a hint of grievance and anger:

"How am I supposed to fight them?! They know that territory in the middle way better than we do! They appear and disappear like ghosts, like mice burrowing into holes! The brothers have to be on high alert all the time, they even have to sleep with one eye open! The worst part is..."

He slapped his thigh hard, splashing up a few drops of viscous black liquid:
"Every now and then, a few brainless idiots pop out from who-knows-where, either trying to get some benefits or just causing trouble! They stir up trouble! It's impossible to guard against them! The brothers are human too, not made of iron! It's been over ten years, over ten years, Dad! They get tired too, they really can't take it anymore."

"Boom!"

A crisp knocking sound suddenly rang out.

Hong Qitian raised his left hand at some point, his index and middle fingers joined together like a hammer, and with a force of disappointment and frustration, he slammed it hard on the middle-aged man's forehead!
The force was so great that the middle-aged man cried out "Ouch!" and clutched his head, grimacing in pain.

"What use are you!"

Hong Qitian finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, carrying an indescribable weariness and anger at their incompetence, "Can't even handle this little situation? Back in my day..."

"Back then, back then!" The middle-aged man covered his head, retorting defiantly, "You were right back then! What's the situation now? We risked our lives to fill those pits! How many brothers have died over the years? Have you counted them? Do you really think we're just leeks, that we can be harvested and then another crop will grow?!"

Hong Qitian raised his hand, seemingly wanting to knock again, but looking at the middle-aged man's bloodshot, tired, and aggrieved eyes, and the thick, dark stains that had spread across the river like maggots clinging to bones, he finally lowered his wrinkled hand.

His cloudy old eyes gazed at the dark river surface, reflecting a faint, struggling light.

The river breeze ruffled his graying temples, and his once straight spine seemed to hunch over even more at that moment.

A long time passed, so long that the darkness on the river surface seemed to solidify.

Hong Qitian spoke slowly, in an almost inaudible voice, with a heavy sigh:
"Let's wait until after the New Year."

"We'll announce it after the New Year."

The old man's voice lowered, carrying a barely perceptible hint of pleading:

"At least let them have one more good New Year."

As soon as he finished speaking, the riverbank fell silent once again.

Only the murky river flowed silently, carrying the ever-spreading, thick darkness that seemed like an ominous premonition, slowly drifting downstream.

Fang Qingyu's thoughts sank into his mind.

Skill Points: 43

The cold, hard numbers came into view.

Fortunately? Or unfortunately?
Fortunately, each of the five waves of incredibly brutal battles was accompanied by the emergence of new types of life demons, some with bizarre forms and others with ferocious abilities.

From the very first wave, notifications for the inclusion of the atlas have been almost constant.

A variant of the Shadowhound, an enhanced form of the Rock Golem, a previously unseen venomous sac worm, and a Shadow Hunter capable of brief invisibility.
The variety was far greater than the types mentioned in Zhou Zhenguo's intelligence.

43 skill points are a testament to countless deaths and bloodshed, spoils earned through countless battles on the brink of death.

Unfortunately.

The sheer number of skill points is a testament to just how terrifying the Ghost Festival tide is.

From the first wave of impact at dawn to the deep of night now, there have been five waves!

Each wave was like a raging tsunami, lasting for more than an hour before the battlefield could be barely cleared. After less than two hours of respite, the next wave would arrive in quick succession!

The number and quality of the ghosts far exceeded previous records.

Except for Jiang Wei's small, seemingly bottomless figure, who still stood on the giant rock in the center of the valley, sucking on a lollipop with a blank expression on her face.

Wei Banmeng, Chu Kuanglan, and Lu Jiuyuan were already at their last gasp.

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 of his arms was broken and simply held in place with torn strips of cloth and tree branches.

His blood-stained face was expressionless, except for his bloodshot eyes, which were fixed on the mutilated corpse of a new recruit in front of him.

The recruit's chest was ripped open, his internal organs spilling out onto the ground, his face frozen in horror and bewilderment.

The entire valley entrance area was like a slaughterhouse in hell, with corpses scattered everywhere and blood flowing like rivers.

Exhaustion, pain, the heavy stench of blood and the atmosphere of despair weighed heavily on the hearts of every survivor.

The battle is not over yet.

This is only the fifth wave.

How many more are there? Nobody knows.

But the defense line cannot collapse.

Fang Qingyu's gaze swept over his exhausted teammates, over the Tiger Company soldiers who had suffered heavy casualties but remained silent and steadfast, and finally landed on the cold 43 skill points.

He must seize every opportunity to become stronger during this brief but precious respite!
My mind instantly sank into the page about the Dragon Fist Grandmaster.

Their gazes fixed on the two core skills:

【Core Skill 1: Tai Xu Nine Revolutions Primordial Chaos Visualization Method - Fifth Realm Lv.1 (0/1000)】

【Core Skill 2: Crimson Bright Nine Revolutions Jade Scripture - Fourth Revolution Lv.1 (0/1000)】

"promote!"

Fang Qingyu's mind was made up!
【Consume 10 skill points to upgrade [Tai Xu Nine Revolutions Primordial Contemplation Method - Fifth Realm] to Lv.2 (0/2000)?】

【Yes! 】

【Consume 10 skill points to upgrade [Crimson Bright Nine Revolutions Jade Scripture - Fourth Revolution] to Lv.2 (0/2000)?】

【Yes! 】

boom--! ! !
Two completely different yet equally powerful forces exploded within his body in an instant!

First, it's deep in the mind.

The "Pillar Supporting the Sky" visualization, which was already imprinted in his soul, suddenly lit up and burst out with unprecedented brilliance!
The great dragon of the spine transformed into a real jade pillar reaching the heavens!

Each vertebra is as if cast from divine gold, crystal clear, and within the marrow cavity, golden-red marrow flows like boiling mercury, exuding a magnificent and ancient aura.

At the top of the spine, the hazy phantom of the Heavenly Gate suddenly became clear, as if a crack had been opened, from which boundless pure light descended, cleansing the soul! At the bottom of the spine, it was as if deeply rooted in the endless earth, with the powerful and heavy earth veins surging upwards, merging and connecting with the pure light of the Heavenly Gate.

Om-!
An indescribable "Heavenly Pillar Force" instantly flowed through his entire body.

Their muscles and bones resonated, producing a thunderous roar like the cry of a dragon and the howl of a tiger!
The density and strength of his bones surged dramatically in an instant, and a jade-like luster shone faintly beneath his skin, as if he had truly transformed into an immortal divine weapon.

The power of the Five Elements, the power of the internal organs, the power of the acupoints and stars, and the power of the dragon and tiger in the dantian are perfectly integrated under this all-encompassing "Heavenly Pillar Force".

A powerful and unparalleled force, seemingly capable of collapsing the heavens and earth, silently brewed around him, causing even the viscous air around him to groan under its strain.

At the same time, a powerful vitality and tenacious recovery force surged forth from the depths of the bone marrow.

It rapidly nourished Fang Qingyu's scarred body!

Next, we go deep into the internal organs.

Like a volcano that has been dormant for millions of years suddenly erupting.

The Crimson Blaze instantly ignited his internal organs!

The ultimate nirvana!
The blood and qi surged and roared through the body like molten obsidian that had been ignited!
The internal organs are frantically melted in the fire of calamity, impurities are burned away, and finally, in the core positions of the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

Each of them coalesced into a dazzlingly hot point of light.

It merges with the Dragon Ball that the Dragon Fist Master transformed into, and with each pulse it pumps out far more violent power than before.

Fang Qingyu's body surface instantly became more viscous and deep, like flowing dark red magma, and the temperature was so high that the dirty blood and mud under his feet made a "hissing" evaporation sound.

The area under the skin corresponding to the location of the internal organs.

The five blazing points of light were clearly visible, like stars embedded in lava armor.

A powerful defensive force field naturally formed, carrying scorching heat and a recoil force!

Upgrade complete!

Fang Qingyu suddenly opened his eyes!

In the depths of his molten gold eyes, it seemed as if a jade pillar supported the sky, and the phantom of a burning furnace flashed by.

An even more profound and domineering aura, seemingly capable of bearing the weight of heaven and earth, suddenly spread out from Fang Qingyu's center!
Although the wounds on his body were still gruesome.

But the emptiness and depletion within were instantly filled, replaced by stronger bones and muscles, more surging power, and a terrifying power and defensive boost from the depths of the internal organs.

"call"

A breath of hot white liquid escaped Fang Qingyu's mouth, briefly clearing away the drifting smoke in front of him.

This commotion was quite significant and immediately attracted everyone's attention.

"What the hell?"

Chu Kuanglan, sprawled among the rubble, struggled to lift his head. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as he stared at Fang Qingyu's body, at the flowing dark red molten blood and the blazing light emanating from his internal organs, and at the noticeably stronger and more concentrated aura emanating from him. "Fang Shen...you...you've...broken through again?!"

Lu Jiuyuan, supporting his sword, wore an expression of disbelief on his pale face.

Wei Banmeng opened her tired eyes, a strange light flashing in her clear, cold gaze.

Even Jiang Wei, perched on the giant rock, raised her little head, her clear, molten gold eyes glancing at Fang Qingyu, and she slowed down her sucking on the lollipop in her little mouth.

Zhang Tiezhu and the soldiers of the Fierce Tiger Company were completely dumbfounded.

They didn't understand what kind of breakthrough this was, but they could clearly feel that the figure standing with his sword had, in that instant, transformed into an even more unshakeable mountain.

The oppressive feeling was so intense that they instinctively held their breath. "We need to recover as quickly as possible!"

Fang Qingyu's steady and powerful voice broke the brief silence. His gaze swept over everyone, "This is just a temporary respite!"

His words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the slight excitement that had just arisen from his breakthrough.

Yes, an even bigger storm is yet to come.

The atmosphere became heavy and oppressive once again.

Exhaustion surged like a tide, and the pain from the wound intensified as soon as the tense nerves relaxed.

"Damn it," Chu Kuanglan cursed, his voice hoarse, "This godforsaken place... it's not fit for a human being. All I want to do right now is take a hot bath, drink a few bottles of ice-cold beer, and then sleep for three days and three nights."

"beer!?"

A young recruit with a childlike face and bandaged arms next to him swallowed unconsciously and whispered, "My mom's rice wine is the best! It's so sweet and fragrant. I'll treat Brother Chu to some after the war."

"Hey kid, you better keep your word!"

Chu Kuanglan grinned, wanting to laugh, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to wince in pain.

Lu Jiuyuan leaned against a half-broken wall, closed his eyes, and whispered, "I heard there's a place in Qingjian City that makes the best knife-cut noodles. They're chewy and the broth is flavorful."

"Ah."

Jiang Wei's voice rang out, adding, "And the osmanthus cake from that old-established shop in the south of the city, it melts in your mouth."

When they talked about their hometown and food, these usually tough men, as well as the aloof Wei Banmeng, all revealed a rare tenderness and longing in their eyes.

This is the simplest thought that keeps them going through the ordeal of being ground up in blood and flesh.

Zhang Tiezhu wiped the blood and sweat from his face with his uninjured hand, his voice hoarse but with a hint of a smile: "Our brigade's old sergeant, that's real skill! He can make even communal meals look amazing! Especially that braised pork, tsk, fatty but not greasy, melts in your mouth. When we get back this time, I'll treat you guys to your fill!"

"The company commander keeps his word!"

Several veterans' eyes lit up, and they licked their chapped lips.

"You promised! All you can eat!"

Zhang Tiezhu nodded vigorously.

"Fang Shen," Chu Kuanglan said to Fang Qingyu, "after the war is over, you have to take us to try Qingjian's knife-cut noodles."

Fang Qingyu stood in the filthy mud.

Looking at his comrades' tired yet radiant faces, a hint of warmth flickered in the depths of his molten gold eyes.

He was about to speak.

Boom boom boom——!!!!

No warning!

The entire ruins of Heisong'ao suddenly trembled violently!

This tremor far surpasses any previous one.

It is not a spatial rift from the sky.

It comes from deep within the earth.

It was as if some terrifying behemoth slumbering deep within the earth was being forcibly awakened.

boom! boom! boom!
The ground undulated violently like waves!
The mountain of remains of the dead and warriors was shaken and rolled down.

Large sections of the ruins collapsed, and smoke and dust billowed into the sky!

"What's going on?!" Zhang Tiezhu's expression changed drastically, and he almost lost his balance.

Chu Kuanglan, Lu Jiuyuan, and Wei Banmeng gripped their weapons tightly, forcibly mustering their last bit of strength, and stared in horror at the epicenter.

The deepest part of the valley, the area near the back mountain wall!
Click! Click! Click!

A sickeningly loud, teeth-grinding sound rang out as a massive rock was torn apart!

From the depths of the depression, a massive, terrifying bulge, over fifty meters in diameter, suddenly rose up!
The mud, gravel, and ruins on the surface of the mound cascaded down like a waterfall.

Next!

An unimaginably huge hand suddenly burst out of the ground from the center of the bulge.

That hand!

Skin covered in a dark gold color, with a texture like that of an ancient temple Buddha statue!
His skin was covered with mysterious and twisted Sanskrit characters, but at this moment those Sanskrit characters were emitting an ominous dark red light.

This giant hand that just broke through the ground is comparable to a three-story building!
His five fingers were spread out like five towering pillars! The tips of his fingers gleamed with a cold, metallic light!

Boom——! ! !
The giant hand slammed heavily onto the ground!
The entire valley floor trembled violently once again!

Centered on the point where the giant hand landed, a massive, spiderweb-like crack instantly spread for hundreds of meters.

The terrifying shockwave completely leveled the nearby ruins!
To everyone's utter astonishment!

A terrifying figure, so enormous it blotted out the stars and moon, slowly rose from the ground!
It is over 20 meters tall and has a massive, mountain-like body!

Its entire body was covered in dark gold, like the skin of a bronze Buddha statue, and covered with twisted dark red Sanskrit characters.

The head is a huge, compassionate Buddha head, but its eyes are burning with two eerie green ghost flames!

A bizarre smile spread across his lips, revealing his stark white fangs!
Neck, shoulders, arms, waist and abdomen
At every joint of the body, there were countless twisted, struggling, and wailing humanoid bodies embedded in it!

Like decorations made of flesh and blood!
Those humanoid bodies were still writhing slightly, emitting silent, mournful howls!
Behind it, eight incredibly thick arms, covered in bronze scales and ending in giant vajras, stretched out!
Without a doubt, each arm contains pure physical power powerful enough to shake mountains.

A terrifying pressure, heavy enough to suffocate, mixed with Buddhist solemnity and extreme evil, swept across the entire Black Pine Pass like a tangible tsunami!
Second-tier peak, Vajra Buddha!

"Roar--!!!"

The Vajra Buddha's enormous head, a mixture of compassion and malevolence, roared to the sky with a deafening roar.

The sound wave was like a real shockwave, instantly shattering all remaining glass and fragile structures within hundreds of meters!
Several soldiers from the Fierce Tiger Company who were nearby instantly bled from their ears and noses, clutching their ears in pain as they collapsed to the ground!

Those giant eyes, burning with eerie green flames, instantly locked onto the direction of the valley entrance and onto the force field barrier that was violently fluctuating under its pressure!

The enormous, dark gold Buddha's foot rose and took a step forward!
boom--! ! !
The ground was trampled into a deep pit, just like tofu!
The entire valley floor groaned under its footsteps!
It took a step forward, its eight vajra arms raised high, carrying a terrifying aura that could crush everything, like a moving mountain, crushing towards the valley entrance and towards Fang Qingyu and the others!

"withdraw!!!"

Fang Qingyu's roar was like a thunderclap, instantly overpowering the roar of the Vajra Buddha and the rumble of the earth!
He never expected that this time a super-sized ghost would appear.
It's another ghost of a Buddhist being!

Moreover, it was a hundred times more terrifying than the bone Buddha punishment from last time.

He was well aware of the Bone Buddha's combat strength; on that occasion, the Bone Buddha was at the same level as him.
But this Vajra Buddha was two minor realms higher than him!

Fang Qingyu turned around abruptly, his molten gold eyes fixed on Zhang Tiezhu, who was covered in blood and whose eyes were bloodshot.

"Zhang Tiezhu! Take your men and get out! Immediately! Right now!!!"

"What?!" Zhang Tiezhu's eyes instantly turned red. "Captain Fang! We..."

"This is a military order!!!"

Fang Qingyu's voice was resolute and unwavering, even drowning out the terrifying footsteps of the approaching Vajra Buddha, "Tiger Company! All personnel! Withdraw from Black Pine Pass! Execute immediately!!!"

The words "military order" struck Zhang Tiezhu's heart like a heavy hammer.

He looked into Fang Qingyu's eyes, which burned with molten gold flames and left no room for doubt, and then looked at the Vajra Buddha that was crushing down like a world-destroying demon god. His teeth were clenched so hard that they were grinding, and his gums were bleeding.

"But Captain Fang! You..."

He roared, as if trying to say something more.

Fang Qingyu abruptly raised his hand, pointing to an inconspicuous hillside forest behind the camp outside the valley's force field, and shouted sharply, "Go there! Rescue the people down the mountain! Take them all away! Leave no one alive!!!"

Zhang Tiezhu's pupils suddenly contracted!
That spot!

Captain Fang Qingyu... He already knew?!
This realization shook Zhang Tiezhu to his core, and he instantly understood Fang Qingyu's determination.

He wants the area cleared out!

He was determined to fight this terrifying behemoth without any hesitation!
Anyone who stays inside the force field will only be a burden and a death sentence!

"withdraw--!!!!"

Zhang Tiezhu whirled around, and with all his might, let out a blood-curdling roar, his voice distorted, "Tiger Company! All personnel! Execute the order! Withdraw from Black Pine Pass! Now!!!"

Without the slightest hesitation, even the seriously wounded, supported by their comrades, carried the bodies of their fallen brothers at top speed, rushing towards the exit of the force field barrier like a flood bursting its banks!
Discipline and obedience are ingrained in our very being!
At the same time, Fang Qingyu's gaze turned to Wei Banmeng, Chu Kuanglan, and Lu Jiuyuan, who were also temporarily forgetting their fatigue due to the shock of this terrifying behemoth.

"You all, retreat too!"

"What?!" Chu Kuanglan's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Fang Shen! Are you kidding me?! We..."

"Believe me!"

Fang Qingyu interrupted him, his voice low but carrying a calm and unwavering resolve, like cutting through steel, "No time! Take them away! Now!"

Wei Banmeng's cold eyes glanced deeply at Fang Qingyu, then at the Vajra Buddha statue that had closed in to within hundreds of meters, its every step causing the earth to tremble. Without the slightest hesitation, she turned abruptly, her voice as icy as ice: "Go!"

"Junior sister!"

Chu Kuanglan roared in desperation, "If we retreat now, we're just sending Fang Shen and the others to their deaths!!!"

Wei Banmeng abruptly stopped, turned around, and stared intently at Chu Kuanglan and Lu Jiuyuan with icy eyes. Each word she spoke pierced the approaching roar of the Vajra Buddha: "Do you think they're fools?! Do you think we can be of any help by staying here, dragging our injuries?! Besides being a burden and holding them back, what can we do?! Have you ever seen Fang Qingyu do anything he wasn't confident about?! Retreat!!!"

The final "Withdraw!" pierced Chu Kuanglan and Lu Jiuyuan's chaotic minds like an ice pick.

The two of them shuddered, looking at Wei Banmeng's cold and resolute face, and then at the figure in the direction of the valley entrance that appeared incredibly small in the huge shadow, yet still stood as tall as a mountain.

"Damn it!" Chu Kuanglan stomped his foot angrily, his eyes bloodshot. "Fang Shen! You son of a bitch, come back here alive!"

After shouting, he turned around abruptly and, together with Lu Jiuyuan, followed closely behind Wei Banmeng, rushed towards the force field exit.

Jiang Wei's small figure floated down from the giant rock and landed next to Fang Qingyu.

She casually tossed the lollipop stick she had been sucking on into the filthy blood at her feet. In her clear, molten gold eyes, the innocence and naivety of a little girl vanished instantly, replaced by a maturity and coldness that had been accumulated over countless years.

She glanced at Fang Qingyu, her small face expressionless, and simply nodded slightly.

Within the force field.

The last batch of Tiger Company soldiers and Wei Banmeng's three figures disappeared into the ripples of the force field barrier.

In the entire Black Pine Valley ruins, apart from the Vajra Buddha that crushed in like a world-destroying demon, only Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei remained.

boom! boom! boom!
With each step of the Vajra Buddha's enormous, dark gold feet, the sound was like a heavy hammer striking a drum, causing the entire valley floor to groan in pain.

It is less than 300 meters from the valley entrance!

The eight arms, covered in bronze scales and ending in massive vajras, were raised high, their terrifying power reaching its peak, locking onto the valley entrance.

They also locked onto the two tiny figures in front of the force field barrier!
The eerie green will-o'-the-wisps danced wildly in the compassionate eyes of the Buddha, whose fangs gleamed with a cold light on his strangely smiling face.

Fang Qingyu slowly pulled out the Dragon Sparrow Slash, which was deeply embedded in the filthy blood.

On the blade, within the abyss-like cracks, the platinum lightning paste began to boil once more, emitting a low hum.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at the small Jiang Wei beside him. Deep in his molten gold eyes was an intense fighting spirit and absolute trust.

"Little Jiang, are you ready?"

Jiang Wei tilted her head back, her molten gold eyes calmly meeting the terrifying, all-encompassing shadow, her soft voice carrying a chill:

"Ah."

next moment!
boom--! ! !
The Vajra Buddha's thickest main arm carries a terrifying power that can crush stars.

Wrapped in tangible dark golden force field ripples, like a pestle of divine punishment, it tore through the air and crashed down towards the valley entrance and the two of them!
(End of this chapter)