236: Chapter 236 I...I made Ming-ge numb? (Part 2)

A fierce wind whipped sand and gravel across the sinkhole, and fine stones pelted the landing gear of the warplane, making a pattering sound.

Zheng Baichuan's hand remained frozen in mid-air from his salute.

He looked at Marshal Huo Tianxing, then shifted his gaze to Su Ming, his neck turning stiffly.

"A Rank 9 evil cultivator? And he took him down?"

Su Ming was grinning, clearly still thinking about the military merits and resources Marshal Huo Tianxing had just promised.

"Marshal, please... please don't tease me!"

Zheng Baichuan lowered his hand and pointed at Su Ming, his voice stuttering.

"Student Su doesn't even have a trace of Source Energy fluctuation on him; how could he possibly..."

Marshal Huo Tianxing lifted his foot to kick away the rubble blocking his path.

"Too much nonsense."

He shot a glance at Zheng Baichuan from the corner of his eye.

"Why don't you go up, shake his hand, and experience it for yourself?"

"Oh, right, let's get this straight first." Marshal Huo Tianxing added lazily, "If your hand breaks, it won't count as a work injury. I won't pay you a single cent for it."

The amount of information in that sentence was too much; Zheng Baichuan couldn't process it for a moment.

But he understood the second half.

An insult!

This was a blatant insult!

He, Zheng Baichuan, was the Commander of the Federal Western Frontier Source Abyss Garrison Division, a Peak Rank 8 Enhancement Type, with an S-Rank talent [Extreme Wild Blood]!

With a body of copper and bones of iron, he was a tough guy who ranked high in the entire Western Military Region.

You're telling me that if I shake hands with a student who has no strength to truss a chicken, my hand will break?

Zheng Baichuan didn't believe it!

He puffed out his chest, suppressed the absurdity and grievance in his heart, and strode directly toward Su Ming with the clanging Aura characteristic of a soldier.

"Student Su, nice to meet you!"

His voice was like a booming bell, and he extended that massive, fan-like hand capable of crushing alloy.

"Commander Zheng, you are too kind."

Su Ming smiled and extended his right hand. It was fair and slender, with distinct knuckles, looking more like a hand for playing the piano than for fighting.

The two hands, completely mismatched in size, skin tone, and style, clasped together under the complex gazes of the crowd.

Now!

Zheng Baichuan held his breath, his palm muscles tensing suddenly, preparing to give this kid a show of force so he would know the weight of a soldier!

However, just a second before he exerted force, Su Ming's hand gave a gentle squeeze and then yanked downward.

The movement was as effortless as pulling up an unruly radish.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound rang out!

It wasn't Zheng Baichuan's hand bones, but the half-meter-thick layer of hard rock beneath his feet that instantly cracked like a spiderweb, centered on his feet!

Zheng Baichuan only felt a terrifying force, completely beyond his cognition, pouring in from the other party's palm.

That wasn't force.

That was... mass.

It was a planet, a mountain, the weight of the entire Universe pressing down through that hand!

"Thud!"

His knees suddenly sank down, his kneecaps colliding with the rock and emitting a dull, thunderous sound.

He uncontrollably slumped down by half a head, almost kneeling before Su Ming on the spot!

His complexion changed instantly!

"Roar!"

At this life-or-death moment, the Bloodline instinct within Zheng Baichuan was triggered, and a suppressed low roar rolled out from the depths of his throat.

[Extreme Wild Blood]!

His S-Rank talent erupted without reservation!

Densely packed blood-colored patterns instantly appeared all over his skin, and even his palms swelled red.

The Peak Rank 8 Source Energy in his body surged wildly toward his right arm, attempting to resist that earth-shattering force!

He felt his grip strength had soared to at least five hundred tons!

This power was enough to arm-wrestle a Peak Rank 8 Dragon!

But it was useless!

It was completely useless!

His finger bones, inside that seemingly delicate palm, still emitted an unbearable "click" sound, and in the next second, they were about to be crushed into powder.

He strained so hard that the veins on his forehead bulged, his entire face turning purple-black, yet he didn't even have the strength to pull his hand back.

Zheng Baichuan's mind went blank, leaving only that persistent thought circling. Just what kind of monster was he holding onto?

Just as Zheng Baichuan felt his right arm was about to retire honorably, a calm and breezy voice reached his ears.

"Commander Zheng, you have quite a strong grip."

After Su Ming finished speaking, he released his hand without warning.

Zheng Baichuan looked as if all the bones had been drained from his body; he stumbled back three or four steps in exhaustion and sat down on the ground with a thud.

He clutched his trembling right wrist tightly with his left hand. His palm had completely lost sensation, leaving only a needle-pricking numbness.

He looked up, and his eyes now looked at Su Ming as if he were looking at a prehistoric Vicious Beast wearing human skin.

"You f***... You didn't use even a fraction of your strength! My wrist was almost crushed to the point of fracture by you! And you turn around and praise me for having a strong grip? You call this having a strong grip?!"

Zheng Baichuan's heart was roaring, churning, and doubting life itself. But on his face, he could only squeeze out a smile uglier than crying, while dragging himself backward with his hands and stammering: "Heh, it's not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning... Compared to Mr. Su, it's... it's far behind."

He finally understood what Marshal Huo Tianxing meant by "If your hand breaks, it won't count as a work injury."

This wasn't a handshake?

This was a unilateral dimension-reduction strike!

Marshal Huo Tianxing stood to the side, watching Zheng Baichuan's face, which had turned the color of liver, and felt a surge of secret pleasure. Even the frustration from being slapped away by Su Ming earlier dissipated significantly.

"Let you usually brag in front of me about your tempered muscles and invincible Physical Body! Let you show off your S-Rank Enhancement Type talent every day! Now you know what it means to have people above people, and heavens above heavens, right? You asked for it! You and your brown-nosing! You kicked the horse's leg, didn't you! Serves you right!"

Marshal Huo Tianxing was thrilled inside, but his face wore a serious, business-like expression.

He walked over to Zheng Baichuan, pulled him up from the ground, patted the dirt off his shoulders, and then turned to point at the unconscious Zhou Kui on the ground.

"Alright, stop making a fool of yourself here."

"Here, the culprit behind this incident." Marshal Huo Tianxing said in a deep voice, "He has major intelligence on him, involving the Divine Court, the Tongyuan Society, and possibly even things from a higher dimension. Take him back immediately and hand him over to the 'Source Tracing Department' for the highest level of custody. I want every bit of information in the deepest parts of his brain dug out completely!"

Zheng Baichuan finally shifted his attention away from his wrist and looked at Zhou Kui on the ground.

At just one glance, the pupils of this iron-blooded commander shrank.

It was too miserable.

Half of his body was almost completely smashed, with a hole through his chest. Dark red bone armor was shattered like porcelain shards, stuck in the flesh.

What shocked him the most was the Silver Blood scattered all over the ground, still emitting an ominous luster in the sand.

Silver Blood!

Zheng Baichuan's gaze turned sharp, and he immediately realized the severity of the problem.

He stepped forward quickly, took off his trench coat, and covered the pool of Silver Blood to prevent its Aura from spreading further.

He crouched down, preparing to put special Source-suppressing shackles on Zhou Kui, but looking at that muddy half-body, he didn't know where to start.

Should he shackle the arm or... the neck?

Only half of him was left.

In the end, he simply took a medium-sized alloy cage used for transporting high-Rank Source Beasts from his spatial ring.

"Suffer a little, Rank 9 prisoner."

Zheng Baichuan muttered expressionlessly and, together with a few personal guards, scrambled to stuff Zhou Kui, like a pile of rotten meat, into it.

The metal of this cage contained a very high "Source Energy blocking impedance." Once it came into contact with a living body, it would form a reverse magnetic field, instantly forcibly cutting off the Source Energy nodes in the body. Forget about Rank 9; even if an immortal came, they would have to become an ordinary person.

After doing all this, just as Zheng Baichuan straightened his back, he heard a faint sound of rolling gravel from behind the ruins in the corner of the sinkhole.

His gaze sharpened, and he shouted sternly: "Who?!"

Behind the ruins, two figures poked their heads out, shivering.

It was Mountain Ghoul and Tiger Fiend.

These two Beast Seal Envoys, who had been arrogant just moments ago, were now no different from two stray dogs caught in the rain, their faces full of despair.

Especially Mountain Ghoul. When he saw Zheng Baichuan's face, which was full of "iron-blooded" and "ruthlessness," his last shred of luck was shattered.

It was over.

Today, he was completely finished.

Falling into the hands of the Federal military, especially a hawkish faction like the Western Frontier Military Region, would be a fate worse than death.

Tiger Fiend's brain turned quickly.

Rolling his eyes, he didn't care about any Beast Emperor dignity. He fell to his knees with a thud and, facing Su Ming's direction, shouted with all his might:

"Big Boss! Boss! Do you want a lackey?! I... I can climb trees! I can also meow like a cat! Meow~"

This "meow" was sincere and soul-stirring.

Su Ming was calculating how much the cage for Zhou Kui could be sold for, and was almost disgusted to the point of vomiting by this meow.

He frowned in disgust and flicked his fingers to the side: "Hurry up, get them out of here, don't let them be an eyesore."

"Yes!"

Two ferocious personal guards immediately stepped forward, one for each, and used the same style of Source-suppressing shackles to escort the two dejected Beast Seal Envoys away.

After dealing with this, Night Crow supported Ye Canglan and walked in front of Marshal Huo Tianxing and Zheng Baichuan.

Half of Ye Canglan's face was still covered in chitin, and the broken energy spider legs on his back made him look somewhat ferocious, but the iron-blooded Aura of a Federal soldier on him had not diminished in the slightest.

He first nodded solemnly to Su Ming, expressing his deepest gratitude.

Then, he turned to Marshal Huo Tianxing, broke free from Night Crow's support, brought his legs together, and performed a perfectly standard military salute with his intact human arm.

"Federal Shadow Legion Western Frontier Branch, E735, Ye Canglan, reporting to the Marshal!"

Marshal Huo Tianxing returned the salute. Looking at his former subordinate turned into this state, his eyes were complex, and in the end, he just sighed deeply: "It's good that you're alive."

He looked at Zheng Baichuan beside him.

Zheng Baichuan was also looking at Ye Canglan, looking at those broken spider legs on his back. In his tiger-like eyes were shock, heartache, and the relief of a long-awaited reunion.

Two iron-willed men, with no extra words.

Zheng Baichuan extended his fist.

Ye Canglan also extended his fist.

"Bang!"

The two fists collided heavily.

"Welcome back, old buddy."

"Yes, Commander."

Night Crow stood by, watching this scene, his lips pressed tightly.

When Zheng Baichuan withdrew his fist, his gaze unconsciously swept across Night Crow's face.

That movement was very short, so short it seemed like a subconscious reaction, but Night Crow caught it.

He hesitated for a long time, but finally mustered the courage to step forward.

"Zheng... Uncle Zheng..."

He paused, his Adam's apple rolled, and his voice was very low.

"... Thank you for these years."

Zheng Baichuan was stunned for a beat, then smiled bitterly and helplessly. He raised that fan-like hand, wanting to rub Night Crow's head like he did when he was a child, but realized this kid was almost as tall as him now.

He had to awkwardly pat Night Crow's shoulder and sighed.

"We're all family... What's with the thank yous!"

"Xiao Mo... has also grown up."

Ye Canglan watched this scene from the side, his broken spider legs trembling slightly, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Seeing this reunion scene, Su Ming sensibly didn't join in the fun.

He dragged Ye Xiao and Young Master Gu Lingfeng, who were still watching the show, and turned to walk toward the mountain piled up with Magic Spider corpses.

"Let's go, let's go, what are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen an eight o'clock family drama?"

"Hurry up and work! Clean up our loot, don't leave a single piece behind!"

"Oh, oh!"

Ye Xiao and Young Master Gu Lingfeng hurried to follow.

Young Master Gu Lingfeng stood before the mountain of corpses, clapped the dust off his palms, his face calm and breezy.

Su Ming was curious about how he was going to pack up these thousands of tons of corpses when he saw Young Master Gu Lingfeng press his hands onto the ground.

"[Sand Carpet Surge]!"

He whispered, and the ground beneath his feet began to flow like liquid.

Countless sand and soil turned into a huge, soft "carpet," sweeping across the bottom of the corpse mountain. Wherever it passed, all the Magic Spider corpses were precisely wrapped, lifted, and then neatly gathered in front of Su Ming.

The whole process was smooth and flowing, not even a single extra spider leg was left behind.

Su Ming was stunned.

"Damn, the Elemental Class can be played like this?"

Young Master Gu Lingfeng withdrew his hand and explained with full pretension: "Standard operation. The foundation of the Earth attribute is Earth Sensing and material flow. As long as you detect the differences in various places underground, you can naturally transport things directionally. Moreover, the sand and soil layer won't damage the corpse structure, which is much more efficient than manual transport."

After finishing, he paused and added proudly: "The most important thing is that my talent is superior, and my control precision and coverage range are top-notch. Others can't do this like I can."

Ye Xiao glanced at the dirty soil and corpses, his mouth twitching, his eyes full of disgust.

Working?

Moving bricks?

This young master is the noble Ultimate Thunder Element; how could I do such dirty, tiring work like a cleaner?

Under the curious gaze of Young Master Gu Lingfeng and Su Ming, Ye Xiao snorted coldly, crossed his arms over his chest, and walked leisurely behind Su Ming.

The next second, his fingertips moved slightly, and crackling blue-gold micro-arcs of electricity leaped in his palms. The fine light reflected on his face, looking exceptionally punchable.

"That crude, menial method of Young Master Gu Lingfeng's is simply a disgrace to our Elemental Class."

Ye Xiao's expression was arrogant, and before his voice faded, his palms pressed precisely onto Su Ming's shoulder and neck Acupoints!

"Brother Ming, tired? Come, your little brother will give you a full set!"

"I guarantee it will relax your muscles and activate your blood, better than a living immortal!"

He had studied proper techniques quite a bit during these few days at Heaven on Earth!

[Zzz—!]

A weak but precisely controlled "micro-current pulse" spread from Su Ming's shoulders throughout his entire body!

[High-purity Thunder Element energy injection detected, currently converting into mass points...]

[mass points + 1500]

[mass points + 1500]

...

A series of System prompts jumped in Su Ming's mind.

In the past, Su Ming would have definitely closed his eyes and let out a sigh of satisfaction.

But now...

Having just experienced the baptism of receiving tens or hundreds of thousands of mass points, this gain of 1500, 1500 was no different from being tickled.

The expression of floating in ecstasy and extreme enjoyment that Ye Xiao expected from Su Ming did not appear.

He didn't even move a brow.

"Huh?"

Ye Xiao was stunned.

What's going on?

What's wrong with Brother Ming's body?

Before this, shouldn't he be groaning with pleasure, eyes closed, shouting "More," or "Don't stop" by now?

Why is there no reaction at all?

He quietly added twenty percent of his Source Energy to his fingertips, and the lightning in his palm brightened by half. Crackling arcs of electricity coiled around Su Ming's back of the neck.

[mass points + 2000]

[mass points + 2000]

...

Su Ming still had no reaction, and even yawned.

"That's strange..."

Ye Xiao muttered in a low voice, unable to help but circle Su Ming for half a turn, looking him up and down.

"Brother, are you insulated? The electricity won't conduct in?"

That's not right. Last time in the exam hall, the effect was clearly outrageously good.

Could it be...

Could it be that during this time...

I've shocked Brother Ming too many times?

Shocked him into numbness...?

He extinguished the arcs in his palm and muttered with his head down.

"Turns out this thing... really does get smaller the more you shock it..."