Chapter 33: Countermeasures

The eldest grandson of General Huang Yuan stepped forward and spoke:

"Although it is unclear why monsters have fallen from the sky, Steward Xu has ordered all generals to proceed immediately to the main hall to protect the officials from the Ministry of Personnel who are here for the inspection."

"All those at the Spirit Transformation stage, form a perimeter outside the main hall."

"All those at the Spirit Refinement stage, form teams to slay the monsters."

"All those at the Qi Refining stage, retreat inside the main hall."

Huang Zhengliang knew that as long as Chu Chen agreed, Bai Ning would agree. He only needed to convey the instructions to Chu Chen.

Chu Chen made a quick judgment. It was not just the Ministry of Personnel officials in the Demon Suppression Division who lacked cultivation experience. He immediately went to his temperamental master.

"Master, the generals are all in the main hall protecting the officials. You should take Xiao Yao to the main hall; it is safe there."

"And what about you?"

Chu Chen decided to stop pretending. Suddenly, a coiled-serpent sword appeared in his hand, with restless golden lightning dancing along its blade.

Huang Zhengliang’s pupils dilated instantly. This was an enchanted divine weapon. As expected of the only disciple of General Bai Ning, he didn't need to fight or scramble for anything good.

"I am going to start a massacre!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Chen’s consciousness sank into the Illustrated Handbook Gallery. He found half a bottle of ancient monster essence blood and quietly took it out, hiding it in his palm.

"Master, hurry and take Xiao Yao to the main hall; it is safer there."

As he spoke, Chu Chen glanced at the night sky. Monsters of the sixth and seventh ranks, both large and small, were falling one after another. He urged, "Master, go quickly, don't worry about me!"

Just as Chu Chen was speaking, a seventh-rank monster crashed into the courtyard. To prove he could protect himself, Chu Chen didn't wait for anyone to speak. Clutching the enchanted coiled-serpent sword, crackling with electric arcs, he lunged at the monster before it had even found its footing.

This strike laid bare the gap between him and his master. Not only did he fail to injure the monster, but he was also slapped back by it. Using the momentum of his flight, Chu Chen popped the cork, accurately poured out a drop of essence blood, and smeared it on his forehead.

As his feet touched the ground, he leaped forward once more toward the monster. He thrust his sword into the creature's body, and the Profound Thunder Sword Technique detonated within it. The monster's massive body flickered like a faulty old lightbulb. Chu Chen pulled out his sword, and the monster swayed before collapsing in the courtyard.

He quickly returned to his temperamental master. "Master, Steward Xu's side must be more important; leave this to us."

While speaking, he took a purple egg from his sleeve and handed it to Xiao Yao. "Keep this safe. If you lose it, your life is forfeit."

Bai Ning lifted her eyes slightly, her gaze moving away from the purple egg. Seeing the four people in the courtyard working together to slay a monster, she felt a bit more at ease regarding her disciple.

A white shadow vanished like a ghost. The five-person team had no time to communicate; three more seventh-rank monsters fell from the sky in succession.

Chu Chen’s incredible performance completely ignited the fighting spirit of the other four. A peak Qi Refining cultivator with an enchanted weapon was not much worse than a mid-stage Spirit Refinement cultivator. Their five-man squad still had the strength to take on seventh-rank monsters.

"I'll take the lead!" Huang Zhengliang roared, circulating his internal energy as his physique visibly expanded. His swelling bones and muscles burst his loose robes, leaving strips of cloth hanging at his waist—he looked exactly like an Oriental version of the Hulk.

Huang Zhengliang let out a bellow and charged at a monster like a tank at full throttle. Zheng Zhong, who excelled at demon-slaying swords, followed closely behind. It seemed these four had been teaming up on missions for a long time; their movements were perfectly coordinated without a second of delay.

As the "little tank" collided with the monster, Zheng Zhong, who had been hiding behind him, leaped into the air. The demon-slaying sword in his hand unleashed a wave of air in mid-air, thrusting directly at the monster's skull. Had this been a sixth-rank monster, it would have been killed instantly. Because of a slight difference in defensive strength, the seventh-rank monster survived the blow.

Before it could counterattack, several streaks of light struck its body.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The streaks hit the monster, emitting thudding sounds. Walnut-sized metal spheres fell at the monster's feet. Seeing this, Huang Zhengliang and Zheng Zhong immediately dodged. Before the two could land, all the metal spheres exploded.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion rang out. A flash of fire flickered through the smoke, and the smell of gunpowder permeated the air.

"Damn, grenades!"

"This girl is a demolition expert."

After a combination of attacks, even a seventh-rank monster was left half-dead. A smile touched Chu Chen's lips; he would deliver the final blow.

"Profound Thunder Sword Technique!"

A streak of golden lightning danced in a zigzag arc through the air, piercing into the dissipating smoke.

Another one down.

There was no time to claim rewards; there were two more in the courtyard to deal with. Chu Chen suddenly raised his arm and flicked his sleeve towards the night sky. The thousand-silk needles became a one-time use weapon, with every fine needle firing off. They shimmered with a faint light, causing minimal damage to the falling monsters. The lucky ones pierced into soft spots like armpits, eyes, or nostrils, while the unlucky ones were ineffective attacks.

Chu Chen didn't care; he was going all-in, hoping for any reward he could get. No one knew the purpose of his gesture; they assumed the previous technique had caused some discomfort in his arm.

"How is it? Are you okay?" Huang Zhengliang asked with concern.

"I'm fine."

"Come on, there are two more here waiting for us to send them on their way."

The five stood back-to-back. Zhou Mi’s demon-slaying sword was just for show, as he held a silver spear with both hands. The Oriental Hulk didn't use his sword either, his hands empty. Sun Xinxin, the only female member, clutched three iron balls in her hand, twirling them like an old man in a park, emitting a squeaking sound. Zheng Zhong held his sword, his spirit energy wrapping the blade in a faint green glow. Chu Chen was the only other person here holding a sword—an enchanted fifth-rank divine weapon.

"Charge!"

Huang Zhengliang shouted. The five-person squad split into two groups, with one person remaining stationary. Huang Zhengliang and Zheng Zhong charged to the right, while Chu Chen and Zhou Mi charged to the left. Sun Xinxin stayed put, waiting for the right moment to throw her hidden weapons.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion sounded. The left side finished the battle first and immediately moved to support the right. With the combined strength of all five, they easily resolved the battle on the right.

Just as they prepared to leave the courtyard, two more seventh-rank monsters fell from the sky with a thud.

"When will this end?" Chu Chen complained inwardly.

Meng Ran, of course, knew that both of them possessed Handbook rewards. A few seventh-rank monsters would not only fail to eliminate Chu Chen but would instead provide him with "warmth" (rewards). Throwing hundreds of seventh-rank monsters at once, however, would have a different result. It would exhaust the spiritual energy reserves of this group.

Hidden on a mountain peak outside the city, Meng Ran took an egg-sized sphere from a cloth bag and threw it toward the Demon Suppression Division in the city. The sphere slowly expanded in mid-air, transforming into a seventh-rank monster that landed in the courtyard of the Jinan County Demon Suppression Division. This bag was not a reward from the Human Hero Handbook; it was a trophy he had seized from a monk he had killed—a monster-storing bag capable of holding a hundred demons.

Meng Ran spoke to the figure behind him:

"It’s your turn."

"Yes."

The person who replied was dressed as a tea house waiter. As he spoke, his face and physique shifted until he looked exactly like Chu Chen, indistinguishable from the real one.