However, they soon had no need to continue discussing whether such a bizarre structure should appear or if it was reasonable at all.
Before them, several hundred chanical Armored Beasts appeared, seemingly having been waiting in strict formation for their arrival.
So chanical Armored Beasts opened compartnts on their backs, from which cannon muzzles erged. Others had sides that opened to reveal sharp blades. So beasts were even more extre, with saw-toothed blades protruding from all over their bodies—clearly the butchers of the battlefield.
In terms of transformation, chanical beings were indeed far superior to biological ones. chanical beings even possessed signal transmission speeds exceeding ten thousand ters per second and could freely modify their bodies to adapt to their environnts. Biological life, on the other hand, could only evolve through death and natural selection, forced to change.
This was also why Cybertron Planet had undergone an evolutionary process in less than two years that took Sky Blue Star approximately two to three hundred million years.
"Forget it. It’s only a few hundred more ters. Let’s push through in one go," Bai Xiaofeng said lightly, gently rubbing his wrists with a faint smile.
Suddenly, Bai Xiaofeng’s figure flashed, appearing at the forefront of the group. Star Power surged around him, and electric arcs sparked into existence. The mont Bai Xiaofeng activated his Star Power, Wang Lan clearly felt the Heavenly Earth Star Power being drawn by sothing, then densely arranging into an impressive array formation.
Wang Lan looked at Bai Xiaofeng with a trace of astonishnt on his face.
Ever since Wang Lan’s strength had caught up to that of a Titled Strongman, although he hadn’t shown it, a hint of contempt for their power had ford in his heart. Titled Strongn... they were just so-so, he thought.
But, which Titled Strongman wasn’t once a prodigy? In areas where Wang Lan excelled, Titled Strongn might fall short. Conversely, in areas where Titled Strongn excelled, Wang Lan might not fare as well.
What were Wang Lan’s advantages? He could unleash Super S-Level Star Martial Skills as if they cost nothing. He even possessed several sets of ancient cultivation Star Martial Skills. Moreover, his fighting style was flexible and varied, lacking a fixed pattern, allowing him to adapt his combat thods to different situations.
Although Wang Lan now also possessed a title, had he truly reached the comprehensive level of a Titled Strongman in all aspects?
Previously, Wang Lan had thought so. But now, he silently shook his head.
At least the technique Bai Xiaofeng demonstrated was beyond Wang Lan’s current understanding. He had never imagined that Star Martial Skills could resonate with the Heavenly Earth Star Power, allowing one to harness it to unleash even more potent Star Martial Skills.
For Wang Lan, it was as if a brand-new door had opened.
In Wang Lan’s perception, the Heavenly Earth Star Power resonated, and in an instant, a huge array ford from electric arcs materialized before Bai Xiaofeng. Suddenly, a thunderous laser cannon blasted out from the array.
Breaking free from the array, it transford into a gigantic thunder dragon, which then charged with the speed of Swift Thunder towards the chanical Armored Beasts’ formation.
BOOM—
Mountains shattered and the earth cracked. Countless fragnts of rock and the bodies of chanical Armored Beasts were inexplicably drawn into the sky, then disintegrated and lted amidst the milky-white electric light.
Where the white light had passed, a colossal tunnel, seemingly endless, had been carved into the landscape. The continuous mountain range looked as if a giant worm had gnawed through it, leaving behind a ghastly scar.
The several hundred chanical Armored Beasts that had stood before them monts ago had vanished completely.
CLAP! CLAP! Bai Xiaofeng clapped his hands. "Stop gawking! Let’s get moving! That blast definitely alerted the Exotic Beast horde." With that, he instantly darted due south.
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR—
The continuous roars of Exotic Beasts echoed from afar. From all directions, Exotic Beasts sward madly towards Wang Lan’s group.
This was now the domain of the Exotic Beasts, their world. Ordinarily, they fought endlessly amongst themselves. But when humans trespassed into their territory and caused such a massive disturbance, the entire Exotic Beast population would beco enraged.
It was due to this trait that even Titled Strongn, when scouting, would remain as covert as possible—sneaking in quietly and avoiding any confrontation.
The instant the group charged out of the Geo-crystal Region, they saw an endless tide of Exotic Beasts swarming over the hills and plains.
Qiao Shan hastily activated his Star Martial Skill, enveloping everyone. With a WHOOSH, they plunged underground and vanished. Even after subrging, they could faintly hear the furious roars of the Exotic Beasts above.
While the Exotic Beasts unleashed their fury upon the spot Wang Lan’s group had just vacated, they had already traveled more than a kiloter away underground.
This ti, their subterranean journey was uneventful. Within half an hour, they had successfully traveled over a hundred kiloters. Slowly erging from the ground, they found a cave to rest in temporarily.
Qiao Shan’s Earth Travel Skill allowed for rapid movent, but it exacted a terrifying toll on him. Covering a hundred kiloters in one go was a severe challenge not only to his Star Power reserves but also to his spiritual power.
After absorbing a high-grade Soul Bead, Qiao Shan slumped limply against the cave wall, utterly spent.
"This place seems to be..." Bai Xiaofeng mused, studying the terrain outside the cave. "It looks like we’re near the third defensive line. Old Qiao, how about we go scout it out?"
"How far is it?" Qiao Shan asked, propping himself up.
"Not far, just about three kiloters. Or, should I go alone?"
"Alright. Be back within half an hour, both of you. And Bai Xiaofeng, I know your tendencies—don’t do anything reckless. Stirring up the Exotic Beasts won’t do us any good," Qiao Shan warned.
"I’ll go with you," Wang Lan stood up and said suddenly.
"Alright," Bai Xiaofeng agreed.
The others remained hidden in the cave. As a pair, Wang Lan and Bai Xiaofeng could move with greater stealth and flexibility. Stepping out of the cave, Bai Xiaofeng was about to use his flash movent when Wang Lan grabbed his arm.
"I’ll take you over using the Earth Travel Skill."
"You know the Earth Travel Skill too? Then why didn’t you coordinate with Old Qiao? If you two took turns, we wouldn’t have needed to stop and rest, would we?"
"Uncle Bai, do you think everyone is a monster like Uncle Qiao? Traveling a hundred kiloters stealthily at three hundred kiloters per hour? The most I can manage is three kiloters."
Bai Xiaofeng glanced back at the exhausted Qiao Shan, scratched his head, and gave a wry smile. "Right, I almost forgot Qiao Shan’s moniker—’The Beast’."
Using the Earth Travel Skill to cover a hundred kiloters at high speed was truly unprecedented, a feat unheard of.
Wang Lan took Bai Xiaofeng underground. Not having been to this area before, Wang Lan didn’t know the direction, but Bai Xiaofeng was very familiar with it. Although Wang Lan couldn’t travel far with his Earth Travel Skill, his control over its ergence point was very precise.
The place where the two of them surfaced was right in the middle of the third defensive line’s camp. The camp was large, with intact bunkers, walls, and trenches. However, the buildings within the camp had been completely destroyed.
"Obvious signs of battle," Bai Xiaofeng noted after a quick glance, grasping the general situation. "The fortifications, like the walls and bunkers, are intact, but the camp itself has suffered extensive damage."
"The Exotic Beasts attacked very suddenly. The Pioneer Team stationed here was caught completely unaware when the beasts breached the camp. A fierce battle ensued within the camp, and ultimately, everyone was killed."
"Are you sure they were all wiped out?" Wang Lan asked, beginning to search the camp cautiously.
"Under such a beast tide, it’s impossible for anyone to have survived."
"But how could the Exotic Beasts overrun the camp without anyone noticing?" Wang Lan walked over to a bunker, inspecting its layout. "There are seven bunkers. Each one must have had Pioneers on duty, right?"
"The field of vision here is wide; they should have been able to spot movent at least three kiloters out. Even if the beast tide charged at seventy kiloters per hour, there should have been an early warning. And even if the alarm was raised too late for the main camp, the garrison would have had ti to deploy defenses at the walls and trenches to cover a retreat, while also arranging for so personnel to evacuate."
"Yet the bunkers, walls, and trenches are all undamaged. This implies the Exotic Beasts bypassed them easily and silently. So, where were the sentries of the third defensive line? Were they all dead already?"
Wang Lan’s questions made Bai Xiaofeng’s face turn deathly pale and grim.
Could there be any other explanation? No, there was none. Impossible.
Even if it was carelessness or a lapse in vigilance—this was a beast tide! How could the commotion from a beast tide be minor? For one sentry to be lax or careless might be plausible, but all seven of them?
Besides the bunkers, there were posts on the walls and in the trenches, all of which should have been manned by sentries. How could none of them have noticed anything? The only explanation was that they were already dead.
So, how did they die?
It was highly unlikely to be the work of Exotic Beasts. Exotic Beasts wouldn’t dispatch scouts or special forces to infiltrate enemy lines, take down all the sentries, and then open the defenses for an easy breach.
Only Star Martial Warriors were capable of such a thing.
At this thought, murderous intent flared in Bai Xiaofeng’s eyes.
"Other Star Martial Warriors must have interfered," Bai Xiaofeng deduced, his voice grim. "That’s the only way to explain how not a single warning was issued along the entire five-hundred-kiloter stretch from the frontline to the fifth defensive line."
"Paradise Bird? Or the Demon Clan?" Wang Lan asked, his voice dangerously low.
"It could also be neighboring countries," Bai Xiaofeng said gravely. "Cloud Sea borders the Titanium Kingdom, Vine Country, Nest Country, and other South Asian nations. During an El Nino period, the Different Dinsional Spaces of various countries can collide and overlap. They could use these spatial convergences to enter Cloud Sea’s Pioneer Space."
"But what’s the benefit of attacking us?" Wang Lan asked, not understanding.
"There are always benefits—resources, Soul Beads, and so on. Besides, so might attack simply for the sake of it. Jade Country is vast and powerful, but just because you’re strong doesn’t an others won’t dare to provoke you or try to tear off a piece of your flesh."
"For so countries, even if they were utterly crushed, their losses would be minimal. But if they could take a bite out of Jade Country, they could feast for a long ti. Wouldn’t you say they’d be tempted?"
"But what could they gain specifically within a Different Dinsional Space?"
"I’m speaking about the fundantal issue, not just this Pioneer Space. When such incidents happen frequently, Jade Country definitely won’t ignore them. That leads to sanctions, and then to friction."
"Brainwashed by the higher-ups in their governnts, the people of these smaller nations see themselves as victims and our Jade Country as the oppressor. Don’t you think Star Martial Warriors raised in such an environnt would jump at any chance to harm Jade Country?"
"This sort of thing has happened many tis. I once captured a Star Martial Warrior from Vine Country and asked him why he attacked Jade Country’s Star Martial Warriors. Guess what he said? ’Do I need a reason to attack Star Martial Warriors from Jade Country? Even in death, I’d be a martyr!’"
Hearing Bai Xiaofeng’s words, Wang Lan felt his heart clench painfully.
"However," Bai Xiaofeng added, "anyone capable of orchestrating this would need strength at least at the Titled Strongman level, if not higher. So, while Star Martial Warriors from other countries are a possibility, it’s not a very high one. We can’t jump to conclusions without a thorough investigation."
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