The Stars Beyond

Chapter 312: Let’s Kill Some Demons!

In the vast expanse of outer space, an imposing fleet of steel warships formed a formidable array, ready for action. The terrestrial forces remained discreet to avoid alarming the demons prematurely, while the space fleet was more than sufficient to handle the task at hand. The key players from various conglomerates had gathered, emphasizing precision in their strike to eliminate the demons without causing widespread destruction.

Wang Xuan and Chen Yongjie had previously inspected the fleet to ensure no demons had infiltrated it, confirming that everything was secure and operating as intended.

In the cold vacuum of space, the warships, like foreboding clouds, shone with an intimidating luster. With preparations complete, Zhao Zejun, aboard a super warship, calmly gave the command to fire. This marked the commencement of their demon-hunting operation. Blinding beams of light, like celestial swords, pierced down from the heavens towards the earth, with the Zhao family leading the assault.

Their primary target was a club in the same city as the Zhao family, seemingly normal but covertly occupied by demons. The close proximity to the Zhao family indicated their intent to subvert it and take over the bodies of its members.

Escaped blood shadows and newly arrived flesh-and-blood demons had been hiding in this club, biding their time for an attack. Although their previous attempt to seize the Zhao family had failed, their ambition remained undeterred.

The beams of light struck the club with terrifying force, disintegrating the buildings instantly. The ground caved in, completely penetrated and melted by the onslaught. The flesh-and-blood demons bore the brunt of this attack; they found themselves trapped in a nightmare scenario. Their screams echoed as they were shattered and incinerated, even their protective talismans unable to withstand the power of modern weaponry.

In the current era, where supernatural forces were waning, many ancient artifacts could barely activate their primary runes, let alone defend against such advanced technological firepower.

The blood shadows, known for their agility, suffered similarly. To avoid detection, they had possessed human bodies, consuming their hosts' spirits and acquiring legal identities. Now, they paid the price for their actions, destroyed within the bodies they had usurped.

This fierce and decisive attack marked a significant moment in the struggle against the demons, showcasing the power and resolve of humanity in this new era.

The demons, once powerful and intimidating, found their perception and control significantly diminished when hiding within human bodies compared to when their demonic blood enveloped their true bones. Their demonic bones, akin to artifacts, were carried on the bodies they controlled, without releasing any spiritual glow or essence.

This horrifying hunt and the resultant explosions caused the area to sink, and some demonic bones cracked, revealing fissures that leaked out their "demonic essence." This was a poignant representation of ordinary humans' retaliatory hunt against the supernatural demons.

The demons, after their return, had chosen the most luxurious environments to dwell in, such as this club surrounded by parks and lakes, which allowed Zhao Zejun to unleash his full force without worrying about impacting nearby residential areas.

The demons screamed in fury and shock amidst the fiery onslaught, unable to comprehend humanity's bold and decisive strike against them.

With blinding light descending, the flesh-and-blood demons were annihilated, and the possessed ones burst with rage as their true bones shattered under the assault.

Some, in a desperate attempt to survive, fled underground, escaping through sewage systems in a most undignified manner, leaving behind a stench of defeat and desperation.

Those who barely escaped the vortex as spiritual entities soon faced another grave danger: Chen Yongjie was waiting outside. With the Locking Soul Bell, he effortlessly trapped the weakened spirits, cutting them down like chaff.

Despite the consumption of mystical energy, Chen Yongjie's actions were ruthlessly efficient, quickly collecting the cracked demonic bones that fell to the ground. His cold demeanor reflected his satisfaction in slaying the demons, considering it a profitable exchange in this war of attrition.

He swiftly boarded a small warship and headed to the next location, separating from Wang Xuan to maximize their efforts in eradicating the surviving pure spiritual entities of the demons.

In outer space, Wu Yin's uncle, Wu Chenglin, displayed a stark contrast to his usual gentle demeanor. With a solemn and focused expression, he closely monitored the battle's progress on the large screen, reflecting the drastic change in humanity's stance against these supernatural threats.

Wu Chenglin, determined and resolute, had given the order to attack a significant life science research base, notorious for "incubating" various extinct ancient organisms using genetic technology. However, the true horror lay in the fact that most of the active substances soaking in the incubation chambers of this facility were not ordinary species, but the flesh and true bodies of demons.

After their return, the demons exhibited a keen interest in such research facilities, hoping they could expedite their return to their true forms. This life science research base had become a critical stronghold for the demons.

Realizing the severity of the threat, especially given its proximity to the Wu family's main base, Wu Chenglin issued a ruthless order to obliterate the facility. The demons had secretly taken over a small warship base belonging to the Wu family, intending to use it against them. His first command was to destroy this military base.

Located in a suburban area near the woods, the biological research base suffered a devastating attack, with a colossal beam connecting outer space to the ground. Far from the city, Wu Chenglin could unleash his full wrath, creating a massive umbrella-shaped blast that eradicated all life in the area.

Even the notoriously resilient demons couldn't withstand such bombardment, especially since many were in the process of regenerating their flesh, deeply submerged in nutrient fluids, and in a state of deep hibernation.

Wang Xuan arrived at the scene, initially expecting it to be a significant stronghold due to the numerous old demons in hiding. However, he was slightly disappointed to find only a few cracked demonic bones left. The demons, in their vulnerable state of hibernation, had been unable to defend themselves effectively against the onslaught.

Wielding the Pre-Qin Jade Dragon Saber, a weapon specifically designed to slay spirits, Wang Xuan emitted dazzling saber light, swiftly eliminating the five strongest demons that had managed to survive the initial attack. The rest, weakened by the bombardment, posed little threat.

In the end, Wang Xuan's haul from this location was meager, consisting of only three cracked demonic bones. The truly formidable and dangerous demons had perished before they could even awaken.

Wang Xuan arrived at the site where the Fairy Bar, a location previously occupied by demons, had been attacked by the Li family. The demons, overconfident since their return, had enjoyed the luxuries of modern life, including this famous bar, which they took over for their exclusive use.

However, their presence couldn't escape the notice of the major organizations in such a technologically advanced world. When the Fairy Bar was destroyed in a brilliant explosion, some demons managed to survive due to the Li family's cautious use of firepower in the bustling city area.

Wang Xuan, utilizing his spiritual out-of-body ability and his Heavenly Eye, quickly located the remaining demons' escape route. Discovering they had fled through the sewage system, he encountered a familiar demon, the Green Wolf.

He silently left the city, waiting for them to emerge from underground, intending to use the cover of the forest to escape surveillance. At a distance, Wang Xuan activated the Golden Tree, and its nine golden birds chirped harmoniously, swooping down like nine suns in the night sky, pecking the escaping spiritual bodies to death.

The demons that had chosen to stay at the Fairy Bar were relatively young and originally had flesh bodies, but now only three remained, bloodied and battered. The Green Wolf was there, not accompanying Hei Lian and Yin Fu, because it had been injured by a weapon at the Zhao family's place, losing a forelimb and its tail chopped off by Chen Yongjie's black sword. It had been licking its wounds in the bar.

Wang Xuan, covered in a transcendent light and unable to stand the stench, confronted them. Recognizing Wang Xuan, the Green Wolf, filled with hatred and realization that this attack might be his doing, went into a frenzy.

"Shut up, big wolf dog," Wang Xuan commanded, his disdainful gaze and disgusted expression deeply wounding the Green Wolf's pride.

The Green Wolf, bloodied and severely injured, expressed its disbelief at how the tides had turned in this era. It lamented how humans, once their prey, were now actively hunting them, putting them in a reactive position.

Wang Xuan, looking down on the Green Wolf, was unimpressed. He had initially wanted to use it to test his cultivation progress, but seeing its pathetic state, he decided it wasn't worth his effort. He coldly suggested finishing it off completely.

Furious and unable to accept this humiliation, the Green Wolf, reminiscent of the glory days when demons reigned supreme, felt deeply humiliated by Wang Xuan's disdainful treatment. It, along with two other flesh and blood demons, decided to attack in a desperate attempt to regain some dignity.

Wang Xuan stood firm like a mountain, calmly facing them. He decided to test the peculiar energy he had acquired from the void. One of the demons, a winged creature with a broken wing, launched a ferocious attack, while another, resembling a bloodied black bear, charged with such force that the ground trembled.

Despite their impressive demonic powers and formidable attacks, Wang Xuan effortlessly countered. Using a technique from the Daoist ancestral hall, he sliced through the air with his hand, producing a streak of silver light resembling a starry river. With swift strikes, he decapitated the winged demon and split the bear-like demon in two, annihilating their spiritual essences with the silver light.

Wang Xuan, somewhat disappointed, remarked on their weakness. Even though these two demons were a realm higher than him, they fell too easily to his might.

“It’s your turn” He then turned his attention to the Green Wolf, ready to deal with it next.

......

"How have you become so much stronger in just one day?" the Green Wolf exclaimed in horror. It wasn't long since they had parted, yet something profound had changed in Wang Xuan.

Channeling all its might, the Green Wolf burst into a surge of green light, transforming into a massive, divine green wolf with radiant fur and wide, sharp fangs. It leaped towards Wang Xuan, unleashing a terrifying demonic light from its gaping maw.

"You seem to have weakened; has your realm actually fallen?" Wang Xuan asked in surprise, noting that the Green Wolf had regressed from the early stage of the eighth realm to the seventh.

"I can't believe this!" the Green Wolf gasped in shock. Wang Xuan's increase in strength wasn't just a minor improvement but a breakthrough beyond his original realm. This defied all logic.

During the day, the remnants of supernatural forces had stirred, aggravating the Green Wolf as it realized the decay of mythology was intensifying, causing its own realm to fall. Meanwhile, Wang Xuan's realm had risen!

The battle was decidedly one-sided. Wang Xuan's fist, radiating a light, struck the Green Wolf, shattering it into a downpour of blood.

"The Demon Ancestor will cross realms and slaughter all of you, turning the earth into a river of blood!" the spirit of the Green Wolf howled.

"The Demon Ancestor Qi Yi, the ultimate demon? No matter. I'll take him down when he crosses over," Wang Xuan calmly declared, his silver fist light slashing through the air again.

The Green Wolf, shocked and then horrified, realized a single person's fist light could annihilate a spirit without even using psychic power. Before it could ponder further, it exploded, completely obliterated.

"This silver secret power is potent!" Wang Xuan assessed. The newly emerged energy, transcending the supernatural, was incredibly powerful and bolstered his confidence in the new path he was forging.

...

Above the new moon, "Old Zhang" gazed into a bronze mirror, spotting a spaceship laden with the weight of years.

In the depths of space, an ancient and immensely large spaceship was slowly approaching the New World.