CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 44: TASK COMPLETED, GENEROUS REWARD

The Demon General before him had transformed into a Magma Beast, its once black shell now a deep dark red, its body enveloped by thick, bright red flames.

Wu Changfeng, clutching his belly, moved to the side. Molten iron trickled down between his fingers, solidifying into bright red clumps of metal once it hit the ground.

Exotic Beasts naturally have an advantage in Star Power. At the same level, their Star Power is several times, or even tens of times, that of a human. Scientists have researched and proposed a conclusion that has never been confirmed: Soul Beads can rapidly absorb and transform Star Power.

Both Exotic Beasts and the Demon Clan possess Soul Beads. These are part of their power, their very essence. Humans, while possessing Star Power and Star Palaces, do not have Soul Beads.

Earlier, Wu Changfeng’s abdomen had been carelessly pierced by a spike on the Demon General’s armor. Blood gushed out, mixing with other fluids as it dripped. Wu Changfeng couldn’t metallize the wound. The wound brought not only intense pain but also impaired his mobility.

And the Demon General before him...

Though seemingly covered in numerous wounds, they were visibly healing at a rapid pace.

The battle behind him had concluded, but Wu Changfeng knew that the true decisive factor, the one that could change the battle’s outcome, lay here. If the Demon General won, none of his comrades behind him would be a match for it. The Elementary Trial Grounds would soon be cleared out, then destroyed and shut down. Therefore, Wu Changfeng could not lose; he not only had to win, he absolutely had to.

Once the mission was clear, the method no longer mattered.

The stabbing pain in his lower abdomen made each breath Wu Changfeng took excruciatingly difficult.

It’s time to set off the fireworks... I wonder if Qin Qin can handle it when she finds out... The kid is still young... When he grows up, I wonder if he’ll even remember me, his old dad...

HEH HEH HEH... A ferocious smile suddenly appeared on Wu Changfeng’s lips as the Demon General charged toward him at breakneck speed.

"Come on!" Wu Changfeng roared to the heavens, his aura soaring. Gazing at the sky, with his sword in hand, he felt like a hero whose ambitions reached the clouds, stirring them in all directions.

BOOM—

The Demon General before him was sent flying backward, Wu Changfeng’s ferocious expression frozen in place.

Had he finally steeled himself to be a hero, only to be denied the chance?

"Brother Wu, how are you?" Wang Lan clapped his hands, looking at the fresh blood still dripping from Wu Changfeng’s abdomen.

"Why are you here?" Wu Changfeng exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the Phoenix Tail Flower at Wang Lan’s brow and the blood-red mist around his body that burned like flames.

Phoenix Form! Indeed, it was the Phoenix Form...

Wang Lan rushed forward, placing his hand on Wu Changfeng’s lower abdomen. Surging Star Power flowed, and within merely two seconds, Wu Changfeng’s wound was as good as new. Then, Wang Lan pulled out the Spider King Soul Bead and held it in front of Brother Wu.

"Brother Wu, can this be reimbursed?"

"Tch, it’s just a high-grade Soul Bead. Those aren’t rare in the military. Consider it reimbursed!" Wu Changfeng laughed heartily, snatching the Spider King Soul Bead and instantly reviving to full health.

"Two Galaxy Stage Star Martial Warriors. We’ve got this battle in the bag."

"No, I can only hold out for three minutes. We must finish the battle within three minutes. Brother Wu, I will create an opportunity for you to deliver the killing blow."

"Okay!"

The Demon General, sent flying by an Inch Strength Fist, staggered to its feet. Glaring with blood-red eyes, it let out a heaven-shattering roar.

In Phoenix Form, Wang Lan had once punched the Spider King into oblivion mid-air, but the Demon General before him seemed hardly affected. The gap between the Galaxy Stage and Star Cloud Stage was indeed immense.

「Darkness falls!」

Time was running out for Wang Lan. Once the plan was set, he immediately dashed toward the Demon General, his speed so swift that he left trails of afterimages behind him.

The Demon General, realizing Wang Lan was no easy foe, unleashed flames that swirled around its body, forming a complete cover. Such blistering flames would be unbearable for even Wu Changfeng for more than three seconds.

But before Wang Lan in his Phoenix Form, did these flames even have a temperature?

The Phoenix, a divine bird reborn from fire, considered flames its swimming pool. In Phoenix Form, Wang Lan was immune to all fire-attribute attacks.

Instantly, Wang Lan was in front of the Demon General.

"Inch Strength Fist!"

BOOM—

A ripple of force exploded across the Demon General’s chest, the flames surrounding its body instantly spreading out with the shockwave.

So tough! Wang Lan’s expression changed drastically.

The Demon General’s armor provided one hundred percent coverage, and its hardness was comparable to high-strength alloys, with a hardness rating of at least eighty.

In an instant, Wang Lan realized that a normal Inch Strength Fist could not breach the Demon General’s defenses.

The Demon General was sent flying once again. Wang Lan had underestimated its defense, while the Demon General had overestimated its own flame protection. It hadn’t expected someone could ignore its Hell Demon Flame and take Wang Lan’s punch head-on.

Its body flew back once more, smashing hard against the cliff face behind it.

Wang Lan swiftly closed in, reaching the Demon General’s chest amidst the scattering debris the instant its body froze.

"Inch Strength Fist, Triple Force!"

Fingertips, knuckles, fist—within an inch, three forces stacked, unleashing triple the power of an Inch Strength Fist.

This was a move Wang Lan was reluctant to use lightly. If he didn’t hold back with Triple Force, his hand bones would instantly shatter from the impact, resulting in a gruesome comminuted fracture.

The immense power of Triple Force finally left a fine crack on the Demon General’s chest carapace.

Wang Lan’s body instantly withdrew and turned, dodging the Demon General’s Mantis Blade, while his left hand launched another lightning-fast punch.

"Triple Force!"

Another strike, successfully hitting the exact same spot.

CRACK—BOOM—

The Demon General’s chest armor finally burst open under the two applications of Triple Force, cracks spreading across its entire chest like a spider web.

"Brother Wu—" Wang Lan roared, darting to the side.

Wu Changfeng’s figure flashed by Wang Lan, nearly brushing against him as he arrived before the Demon General, his arm completely transformed into a lance like those wielded by medieval knights.

A wild, savage charge, coupled with the terrifying penetrating force of the rapidly spinning knight’s lance.

BOOM—

The bone carapace of the Demon General’s chest shattered into pieces. The lance pierced deeply into the Demon Sword’s chest, and the Demon General’s body was utterly crushed against the hard cliff face.

HISS—

The knight’s lance, having pierced the Demon General’s body, erupted instantly. Countless steel needles blossomed inside the Demon General like fireworks.

The Demon General suddenly let out a piercing scream, which lasted for three seconds before its flames extinguished and its body went completely still.

"Slaying a foe beyond your level: Reward 800 experience points, 80 skill points!"

The system’s notification echoed in Wang Lan’s mind, allowing him to finally relax.

The moment the Demon General was killed, the Biochemical Demon Soldiers blocking reinforcements from the Star Martial Army instantly fell into chaos, indiscriminately fighting each other.

The various squads hastily retreated, watching the unexpected turn of events with dumbfounded expressions.

"The Demon General is dead... Did we win?"

"We won!"

The warriors, realizing what had happened, erupted in cheers. Their shouts echoed over the mountains and valleys, reverberating in the sky above the trial grounds.

"Catch!" Wu Changfeng tossed something to Wang Lan with a flick of his hand.

THWACK! Wang Lan looked and saw an egg-sized Soul Bead land in his palm.

"Reimbursed!"

"Hey, Brother Wu, wasn’t this Soul Bead mine to begin with? Even if we teamed up, it should be split fifty-fifty. You’re reimbursing me with my own thing? Have you no shame?"

"What do you mean, ’your thing’? All spoils of war belong to the Ministry of Defense; soldiers are not allowed to keep them privately. This Soul Bead is neither mine nor yours. I’m already breaking regulations by reimbursing you, so what complaints could you possibly have?" Wu Changfeng glared and retorted.

"I’m taking a loss here!"

"Who said war is profitable? War is inherently a losing proposition."

"Not good!" Suddenly, Wang Lan cried out, his face pale.

"What’s wrong?" Wu Changfeng immediately tensed up and quickly looked around, but he found no immediate danger.

"My... my time... is up!"

As he spoke, the Phoenix Tail Flower on Wang Lan’s forehead disappeared. His body instantly collapsed in an incredibly twisted position, as if his soul had been sapped from him.

His face was pressed to the ground, his rear end high in the air. If not for his continuous convulsions, one might have thought he had achieved immortality in that pose.

"Hah! These side effects sure are timely!" Wu Changfeng chuckled, gently picked up Wang Lan, who was sprawled face down with his rear comically in the air. He then slung Wang Lan over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and turned to leave.

Not long after the battle ended, reinforcements from the Ministry of Defense arrived.

The commander of the Martial Arts Corps, He Jinze, dressed in his military uniform with colonel’s insignia on his shoulders, listened to Wu Changfeng’s report with his hands behind his back.

"Commander, that’s the gist of it. Although we thwarted one of the Demon Clan’s conspiracies, I believe their target isn’t limited to the Elementary Trial Grounds. There may be similar plots in the Advanced Trial Grounds or other trial grounds as well.

"Their plan is strategic. Destroying our trial grounds would sever the foundation for our Star Martial Warriors’ growth. If the plan succeeds, the development of new Star Martial Warriors will be suppressed, the supply of Soul Beads will be obstructed, and humanity’s effective strength will be greatly weakened."

"Hmm! Your speculation is highly likely. After we return, I will submit a risk assessment to the Ministry of Defense and include your conjectures. You’ve done very well this time, thwarting the Demon Clan’s plot with minimal losses. Truly the soldiers I’ve trained!"

"You flatter me, Commander."

"You’re not that modest, from what I know of you! Although the Demon Clan’s plot failed this time, we can’t guarantee that no enemies escaped. We should temporarily close the trial grounds and only reopen them once they’ve been thoroughly cleared."

"Yes!"

"Oh, that Wang Lan... does he really possess the Phoenix Form?"

"Yes!" Wu Changfeng replied with a single word and then fell silent.

"Why? Why don’t you elaborate?"

"I promised him I would keep it a secret!"

"Secret? Nonsense! His file clearly states ’Mother: Wang Ling.’ With those words written so plainly, do you think there’s any point to secrecy?"

Seeing Wu Changfeng’s puzzled look, He Jinze gave a strange laugh. "I’m He Jinze, Imperial Capital Star Martial Academy, class of ’97. Wang Ling was my junior martial sister! And you’re trying to keep secrets from me?"

Eh?