I can receive unlimited protection; my parents handed me over to the state.

"Holy crap! How the hell am I supposed to fight like this?"

Gu Tianye looked at the overwhelming, endless army of sand soldiers before him, his voice becoming shrill with extreme fear.

Tens of thousands!

Tens of thousands of level 50 elite monsters!

What the hell does that even mean?

Even if all the troops in the entire Northern War Zone were transferred here, it might not be enough to stop such a terrifying undead scourge.

"It's over...it's all over..."

Xiang Batian also looked ashen-faced.

Although the Heaven-Opening Battle Axe in his hand could split one in two with a single blow, facing such a terrifying number, even if he exhausted all his strength, he could only kill a hundred or so at most.

The remaining tens of thousands of sand soldiers could drown him alive with just a spit from each of them!

"All units! Hold the line! Hold the line!"

Ice Blade's hoarse roar echoed wildly through the communication channel.

"Holy Light Tower, maximize energy! We absolutely cannot let them break through the defenses!"

However, his orders seemed so pale and powerless in the face of such a desperate power disparity.

"roar--!!"

The undead legion, composed of tens of thousands of sand soldiers, let out a unified, earth-shattering roar under the control of the desert king's cold will!

Then, it transformed into a golden torrent of death, charging fiercely towards the fragile defenses of the Chinese army!

It’s over.

This was the only thought that simultaneously crossed the minds of everyone present.

Faced with such a terrifying undead calamity, they had absolutely no chance of winning!

"Damn it! I'll fight to the death!" Gu Tianye stared at the golden wave surging in like a tsunami, his eyes bloodshot, a crazed look on his face. "Even if I die, I'll take a few of them down with me!"

He raised the [Thousand Transformations] battle axe high, preparing to activate "Night Parade of Beasts" for a final, desperate struggle.

"Calm down! You idiot!" Xiang Batian grabbed him and pressed him down. "What's the point of using your ultimate move now? You'll be down after you use it, and you'll die even faster!"

"Then what do you suggest we do? Wait to die?" Gu Tianye roared.

"I..." Xiang Batian opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Yes, what else can they do but wait to die?

despair.

An unprecedented, suffocating despair, like an icy tide, instantly engulfed everyone.

Just then.

Inside the cockpit of [Pangu].

Lu Yuan frowned deeply as he looked at the young faces filled with despair and resentment on the holographic screen.

"No, we can't let them die like this."

Lu Yuan knew very well that these people were not just his "classmates," but his future "treasure hunters," the most important link on his path to becoming a "master craftsman," and the hope for the future of China. He could not afford to lose any of them.

"It seems we have no choice but to use that trick ahead of time."

Lu Yuan took a deep breath, his eyes instantly sharpening.

He slowly closed his eyes, and his immense spiritual power, like a surging river, connected without reservation with the central control system of the entire [Pangu]!

"[Pangu], the energy core, power increased to 120%!"

"Mental Power Amplification Matrix, activated!"

"Spatial coordinates locked: Northern Frontier, Deathly Desert, T-03 Forward Position!"

"Target locked: [Opening Heaven], [Thousand Transformations], [Asura], [Nine Heavens Jade Pendant - Ice Soul]..."

As Lu Yuan issued his commands, all the runes on the massive, silver-white Pangu sphere shone brightly! An invisible yet incredibly powerful energy, strong enough to distort space, began to gather wildly at its core!

"When I forged these weapons, I left a 'backdoor' inside each one that only I can activate." Lu Yuan's brain was working at an incredibly high speed. "This 'backdoor' is normally dormant and won't affect the weapons at all. But when necessary, I can use this backdoor to remotely project my mental energy and will to temporarily 'overclock' the weapons!"

This is Lu Yuan's true trump card that allows him to challenge an S-class BOSS!

He not only had to be a master craftsman working behind the scenes, but also a behind-the-scenes "mastermind" who could control the entire battle situation anytime, anywhere!

"Found it!"

Lu Yuan's consciousness traversed thousands of kilometers of space and instantly connected with the four divine weapons he had personally crafted!

"Alright, let's begin."

"Let these ignorant spirits witness what true 'divine power' really means!"

……

The Desert of Death.

The golden torrent of death was less than 500 meters from the defense line.

Everyone had closed their eyes, preparing to face death.

However, at that moment, something unexpected happened!

"Buzz—!!"

Four distinct, yet equally majestic, sounds of weapons suddenly resounded throughout the entire world!

The ancient Titan runes on the [Heaven-Opening] Battle Axe in Xiang Batian's hand instantly shone with an incomparably dazzling dark golden light! A heavy, immortal, and terrifying power, seemingly capable of suppressing the primordial era, erupted from the axe!

Xiang Batian felt as if the battle axe in his hand had become infinitely heavy at this moment! He felt as if he was holding not an axe, but the weight of an entire planet!

"This...this is..." Xiang Batian's eyes widened as he felt the unprecedented surge of power within his body, his face filled with disbelief.

Beside him, the [Thousand Transformations] Battle Axe in Gu Tianye's hand also underwent an astonishing transformation! On the blood-blue axe blade, the dozens of "Beast Soul Cores" that had already been lit up seemed to come alive at this moment!

The roar of the Earth Bear! The howl of the Bloodthirsty Ape! The neigh of the Thunderous White Tiger! ... The roars of countless ferocious beasts converged in his mind into a violent and primal war symphony!

He felt the Beast God bloodline within him boiling like never before!

"roar--!"

He couldn't help but let out a long, beast-like howl as he looked up at the sky!

Meanwhile, on the other side, strange blood-red patterns reappeared on the jet-black blade of [Asura] in Ye Cang's hand! A chilling, pure, and supreme killing intent, seemingly capable of severing cause and effect and tearing apart reincarnation, soared into the sky! Even the eerie blood-red sun in the sky dimmed slightly under this killing intent!

The most astonishing change was in Mu Bingli.

The ancient zither in front of her, which was as clear as ice, completely melted at this moment, turning into billions of ice crystal particles like stars, which enveloped her entire body!

Immediately afterwards, these ice crystal particles re-condensed in an incredible way: they condensed on her body into an incomparably gorgeous and holy ice crystal feather robe, and on her back into a pair of huge ice crystal phoenix wings with a wingspan of more than ten meters!

At this moment, she seemed no longer to be a mortal, but a true ice and snow goddess who descended from the heavens to the mortal world and held the power of "ice" and "judgment"!

"This...this power..."

"It's Master Lu!"

"It's Master Lu who's helping us!"

Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian exchanged a glance, both seeing in each other's eyes the ecstasy of regaining what was lost and the boundless fighting spirit!

They didn't know how Lu Yuan did it, they only knew that they felt stronger than ever before, so strong that they felt they could even fight against the gods!

"Haha...hahahaha!"

As Xiang Batian looked at the torrent of golden sand soldiers that had rushed towards him, there was no longer any fear on his face. Instead, there was endless arrogance and disdain!

"Well done!"

He raised the Heaven-Opening Battle Axe in his hand high, a weapon that seemed to bear the weight of the entire world!

"I'll show you pathetic undead who can't even control your own lives what real power is!"

Xiang Batian's roar, like that of a god or demon, echoed across the entire Sea of ​​Death.

His eyes, bloodshot with extreme excitement, were fixed on the undead army that was sweeping in like a golden tsunami!

He could clearly feel a continuous, immense power, seemingly emanating from the depths of the earth, surging wildly into his body through the Heaven-Opening Battle Axe in his hand!

His power was amplified tenfold at this moment! No, a hundredfold!

"Aaaaaaahh ...

Xiang Batian let out a hearty roar!

He gripped the incredibly heavy battle axe with both hands, and his body suddenly spun around like a high-speed top! He wielded the [Heaven-Opening] weapon in his hands into an impenetrable, dark golden wheel of death!

"Go to hell, you all!"

"Titan - Whirlwind Slash!!"

He transformed into a dark golden storm of destruction, charging headlong into the golden torrent of death!

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The destructive storm and the torrent of death collided violently!

What erupted in that instant was not a violent explosion, but a pure crushing sound that made your teeth ache!

Those elite level 50 sand soldiers, made of yellow sand and standing ten meters tall, were as fragile as paper in the face of Xiang Batian's terrifying power, amplified a hundredfold, and the abnormal attribute of [Opening Heaven] that ignored all defenses!

"Snap! Snap! Snap!"

If they are even slightly touched by that dark golden wheel of death, their bodies will be instantly crushed into the most primitive golden sand by that irresistible and terrifying force!

Xiang Batian was like an icebreaker at full power, carving out a death tunnel tens of meters wide in that golden ocean of tens of thousands of sand soldiers!

Wherever he went, the sand soldiers were shattered and their corpses were nowhere to be found!

The scene was extremely violent and extremely bloody!

"I...I'm so damn stupid...this brute...is he...is he on performance-enhancing drugs?"

Gu Tianye, watching from afar, was so envious of Xiang Batian, who had charged in and out of the enemy ranks seven times as if they were nothing.

He knew it was all thanks to Master Lu's "remote overclocking," but he never expected the effect of this "overclocking" to be so outrageous!

"No way! We can't let him steal all the limelight!"

A fierce competitive spirit also ignited in Gu Tianye's eyes!

He glanced at the blood-blue [Thousand Transformations] battle axe in his hand, the dozens of "Beast Soul Cores" on the axe blade now radiating an unprecedentedly dazzling light!

He could clearly feel that the Beast God bloodline within him and this battle axe had achieved an unprecedented and perfect resonance!

"Since you're going to play strength, then I'll play numbers with you!"

Gu Tianye grinned, revealing a ferocious smile.

He raised the "Thousand Transformations" weapon high in his hand!

"【Soul of All Beasts】!"

"Ultimate Technique - Beast Soul Legion!!"

With a roar, the dozens of "Beast Soul Cores" that had been lit up on the blade of the [Thousand Transformations] Battle Axe in his hand instantly detached from the axe body and transformed into dozens of streams of light of different colors!

These streaks of light grew longer in mid-air, transforming into enormous, ferocious energy beasts in just one second!

There's the Berserker Ape, over twenty meters tall, its body ablaze with raging flames! There's the Thunderous White Tiger, over thirty meters long, its entire body covered in lightning! There's the Earth-Shattering Bear, as large as a small mountain, with thick, tough hide! ...

Dozens of perfect energy replicas of powerful star beasts, each at least level 40, appeared out of thin air on the battlefield!

"roar--!!"

This "Beast Soul Legion," summoned by Gu Tianye alone, let out a deafening collective roar. Then, under his control, it slammed into the golden sea of ​​sand soldiers from another direction, like a well-trained, iron-blooded army!

If Xiang Batian was an unparalleled warrior who charged into battle amidst thousands of troops, then Gu Tianye was an unparalleled commander who strategized and led thousands of soldiers!

The "Beast Soul Legion" he summoned was engaged in a fierce battle with the endless sand soldiers!

The Berserker Ape can smash dozens of sand soldiers into dust with a single punch! The Thunderous White Tiger can clear out a large area with a single bolt of lightning! The Earth Bear even activates its taunt skill, attracting all the surrounding sand soldiers to its location, creating an environment for the other "Beast Souls" to deal damage!

In an instant, the entire battlefield descended into complete chaos!

While these two "macho men" were wreaking havoc on the front lines, a cold, deathly shadow was quietly descending from the other side.

Holding the [Asura] weapon, Ye Cang transformed into a black lightning bolt invisible to the naked eye.

He didn't confront those tough, fleshy sand soldiers head-on; instead, he moved like a top-tier assassin, darting across the battlefield at high speed.

His only target was the "Desert Priests" hidden within the Sand Soldiers' Legion, responsible for command and coordination!

Although these "desert priests" are not strong in combat themselves, they are the "brain" of the entire sand army, maintaining the formation and morale of the entire army!

"Whoosh!"

Ye Cang's figure appeared like a ghost behind a "Desert Priest" who was chanting a group buff spell.

The [Asura] in his hand carried a chilling killing intent capable of severing everything, silently slicing across the other's neck.

There was no sound, no blood.

The "Desert Priest" froze, and then its body, made of yellow sand, along with its soul, was instantly annihilated by the domineering "Spell-Breaking" attribute of [Asura], turning into a handful of purest energy particles, which were absorbed by [Asura].

The blade of 【Asura】 seemed to have deepened in its black color.

Having landed a successful blow, Ye Cang didn't linger. With a flicker, he disappeared once again into the chaotic battlefield, searching for his next target.

He was like a cold-blooded judge of death, stirring up a silent, bloody storm in this golden sea!

Three top combat geniuses and three powerful weapons crafted by the "divine craftsman" unleashed unprecedented terrifying power at this moment, forcefully stopping the death charge of tens of thousands of undead legions!

However, just as everyone was thrilled by this miraculous victory, a cold, ethereal sound, seemingly capable of freezing the soul, once again resounded throughout the world.

"Zheng—"

It's Mu Bingli.

She made her move too.

Her slender, jade-like hands gently plucked at the air in front of her, as if there were an invisible zither there.

As she moved the knob, snowflakes as big as goose feathers began to fall from the sky above the entire Death Sand Sea! A biting cold wind howled past, and even the eerie blood-red sun hanging high in the sky trembled under this extreme cold, its light dimming slightly!

"The Jade Pendant of the Nine Heavens, First Movement - The Ice Age".

Mu Bingli's cool voice slowly rang out.

The next second, everything within a radius of several thousand meters centered on her—whether it was the charging sand soldiers, the burning soul fire, or even the flowing air—was completely frozen in that instant!

A colossal, crystal-clear glacier appeared out of nowhere on this scorching sea of ​​death sand, freezing the tens of thousands of undead legions, along with their undying resentment, into eternal silence!

At this moment, the world seemed to have transformed into a still, frozen ice sculpture.

The tens of thousands of bared-toothed, clawing sand soldiers, still in their charging stance, were forever frozen in the crystal-clear glacier, their ferocity and rage on their faces appearing utterly ridiculous.

Even the black pyramid in the distance, which was slowly cracking open, was covered by a thick layer of frost, and the evil aura it exuded was momentarily suppressed.

"Gurgle..."

Gu Tianye swallowed hard as he watched this scene, which could only be described as "divine punishment." The raging beast soul power within him was somewhat disrupted by this extreme chill.

"This...this woman...she's fucking fierce!"

He turned to look at Xiang Batian and found that the fearless brute was also in a daze, his hand holding the [Heaven-Opening] battle axe trembling slightly.

The two of them, one relying on brute force and the other on sheer numbers, fought for ages and managed to wipe out less than a tenth of the sand soldiers. But Mu Bingli merely played a single tune, and with a single move, she annihilated the remaining tens of thousands of soldiers!

Is there no reasoning involved?

Is this the power of a mage? Is this the power of a half-finished product that Master Lu "overclocked"? What will happen when she gets the real artifact?

For a moment, Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian felt a strong sense of defeat and an even stronger desire for the "ultimate artifact"!

"call……"

In mid-air, Mu Bingli slowly exhaled a breath of white, icy air, and the enormous ice crystal phoenix wings on her back gradually dissipated. Her exquisitely beautiful face bore a trace of exhaustion from releasing powerful energy, but even more so, an unprecedented sense of exhilaration and confidence.

She could clearly feel that, under Lu Yuan's "remote overclocking," the compatibility between the [Nine Heavens Jade Pendant - Ice Soul] in her hand and her soul had reached an unprecedented peak! She no longer needed to deliberately suppress and guide that power; she only needed to play the music in her heart at will, and the icy power that had once caused her so much pain would transform into her most loyal servant, freezing all enemies for her!

"How are you feeling?" Lu Yuan's voice, tinged with amusement, echoed in her mind.

"It's better than ever before." Mu Bingli couldn't help but smile with a beautiful curve, a smile that came from the bottom of her heart.

While everyone was still reeling from this miraculous comeback—

"boom--!!"

A terrifying roar filled with endless rage suddenly erupted from the black pyramid!

The massive glacier that had just been frozen over trembled violently at this roar! Countless spiderweb-like cracks instantly covered the entire ice surface!

"Snap! Snap!"

The glacier is collapsing!

The sand soldiers frozen inside are breaking free of their restraints at an incredible speed!

"Mortals! You have utterly enraged me!"

The voice of Ramses II, the Desert King, filled with supreme authority and boundless rage, rang out once more!

Within the cracked black pyramid, a hundred-meter-tall golden skull slowly rose from its throne! Its empty, abyss-like eye sockets were fixed on Mu Bingli in mid-air!

An S-class pressure, more than ten times more terrifying than before, like a tangible tsunami, pressed down fiercely on everyone!

"puff--!"

Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian, the two who were at the forefront, coughed up blood on the spot! They felt as if an entire ancient divine mountain was pressing down on them, and even their bones were making a "crunching" sound!

"Oh no! The boss has been enraged! He's going to get serious!"

Inside the cockpit of [Pangu], Lu Yuan's expression changed as he watched the rapidly rising energy readings on the screen.

He knew that although Mu Bingli's move was powerful and impressive, it did not cause any real damage to the sand soldiers. Instead, it thoroughly enraged the king who had been asleep for thousands of years.

"Insects, prepare to face my wrath!"

The desert king slowly raised the golden scepter in his hand, and the huge black gem at the top of the scepter shone brightly!

"Abyssal Arcane Art - Sandstorm of the Dead!"

As his voice, like a divine decree, fell—

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The entire Sea of ​​Death erupted in chaos at that moment! The collapsing glacier shattered instantly! Countless golden sands, mixed with the chilling aura of death, shot into the sky, forming a massive, black sandstorm that blotted out the sun!

Within the sandstorm, it seemed as if billions of souls were roaring and wailing! A terrifying power capable of devouring and corroding everything emanated from the sandstorm and then pressed down upon everyone!

"Quick! Defend!"

Xiang Batian's eyes widened in fury at the sight! He wanted to activate the Earth Barrier again, but he found that his power had been almost entirely depleted by the Titan Cyclone Slash. Coupled with the BOSS's terrifying S-rank pressure, he now found it extremely difficult to even lift the Heaven-Opening Battle Axe!

"Oh shit!"

Gu Tianye also wanted to summon the "Beast Soul Legion" again, but he was powerless to do so.

On the other hand, Mu Bingli also fell into a brief period of weakness after releasing "Ice Age".

Finished!

This time, it's really over!

Faced with this S-class ultimate move that can be described as a "natural disaster", they had absolutely no chance to fight back!

At this critical and desperate moment, a cold, yet resolute and obsessive voice suddenly rang out.