183: Bad news

Rumble!!!

All that could be seen was various colors of lightning erupting from the Void Realm within the endless black ocean, instantly.

Carrying an extremely terrifying power, it furiously unleashed itself upon the Ocean Gu Demon Emperor.

The ultimate power was so immense that even the ocean beneath the Ocean Gu Demon Emperor was annihilated in a certain area, creating a vacuum zone.

"Sage of Literature!!!"

From the depths of the ocean came the Ocean Gu Demon Emperor's tragic roar.

"Must you truly exterminate us?"

A faint glow flickered in the Sage of Literature's eyes.

"Exterminate? Do you, the alien demons, even have the right to say such words?"

"There's no reason why that old fellow Wu Lin could emerge from the Jianghu and slay a Devil King, but I, upon emerging, couldn't kill a Devil King-level expert!"

The Sage of Literature sneered.

A calligraphy brush quietly appeared in his hand.

Holding the brush, the Sage of Literature lightly sketched in the Void Realm.

"Execute!!!"

Two large characters, instantly flickering with black light and carrying a rich ink fragrance, permeated the battlefield.

The moment these two characters appeared, the entire battlefield seemed to be enveloped by an unparalleled aura of slaughter.

It was as if it had transformed into a human purgatory.

In an instant, those two characters directly transformed into a saber and a sword, instantly striking towards the depths of the ocean Domain.

Powerful forces, carrying ultimate might, erupted in a flash.

"No!!!"

Only a tragic scream could be heard from the depths of the ocean Domain.

The next moment, ultimate power suddenly erupted.

A mushroom cloud directly exploded in the depths of the ocean.

Terrifying power wreaked havoc, annihilating some of the deep-sea alien demons the moment the Sage of Literature made his move.

Vaguely, a blue figure could be seen struggling madly within the mushroom cloud at the energy's center.

However, that blue figure did not struggle for long before losing strength and ceasing to move.

Ultimately… it was annihilated little by little within that terrifying energy mushroom cloud.

Watching this scene, the Sage of Literature withdrew his gaze and looked at the dense alien demon army on the battlefield.

Among the alien demon army at this moment, there were quite a few Creation Realm experts, and even one or two Dao Entry Realm alien demons.

However, when they looked at the depths of the ocean, at the now annihilated Ocean Gu Demon Emperor, their bodies trembled slightly as they met the Sage of Literature's indifferent gaze.

"Retreat!!"

A Dao Entry Stage ocean alien demon shouted from above, but no sooner had his voice fallen than a bolt of lightning suddenly descended, striking him directly.

The terrifying power instantly slew that Dao Entry Stage Demon Marquis!

Rumble!!!

Following that, more and more lightning descended from the sky, each bolt containing endless power, destroying and annihilating everything.

Ultimate power was completely unleashed at this moment.

In just a flash, no matter if they were Demon Marquises, Devil Kings, or even Demon Marquises.

Under the descent of the lightning bolts, they all turned to dust.

In an instant, at least half of the dense ocean alien demons on the battlefield were instantly killed!

"I say… pursue the victory!!"

A faint voice came from the Sage of Literature's mouth, and abstruse energy instantly rushed into the clouds, as golden clouds gathered in the sky.

Along with the appearance of these golden clouds, rays of auspicious light shone upon the battlefield.

Every Great Xia Martial Artist illuminated by this golden light instantly felt their strength increase.

Immediately after, their eyes revealed a fervent expression.

They all picked up their weapons and charged at the retreating alien demon army.

"Kill!"

Zhao Ge, holding the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, had an unprecedentedly bright gaze as he wielded the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, constantly slaying ocean alien demons.

Whether it was the Ocean Gu Demon Emperor, Demon Marquises, or even Devil King-level experts.

They had long been completely slain by the methods of the Great Xia Sage of Culture.

Now, as a Dao Entry Stage expert, he descended upon the battlefield like a god of slaughter.

All alien demons were as easy to cut down as melons and vegetables before Zhao Ge.

In an instant, the alien demon army, which was already retreating steadily, was completely slaughtered.

It didn't even take an incense stick's time; the alien demons on the battlefield either died in the hands of the Shan Hai Army or retreated in disarray back into the ocean Domain.

At this moment, countless Shan Hai Army soldiers stood on the coastline, gazing at the rolling black ocean, and couldn't help but let out cheers and long shouts.

Watching this scene, the Sage of Literature also smiled slightly, glanced at the location of the Shan Hai Great Wall's gate, waved his hand, and, carrying the unconscious Lu Sheng, disappeared into the Shan Hai Great Wall… The news from the Shan Hai Great Wall spread like wildfire throughout the entire Great Xia Territory.

The news of the Great Xia Sage of Culture slaying a Devil King and several Demon Marquises and Devil Kings reached the ears of every Great Xia Martial Artist.

For a time, the Great Xia Human Clan, already invigorated by the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination, was even more energized by this news.

There had been too much good news for Great Xia recently.

First, the Great Xia Sword Saint appeared and injured a Demon God.

Then, the Great Xia Martial Saint slew the Ape Demon Emperor and cleared out many demonic cult members.

Now, the Great Xia Sage of Culture had also made a move, slaying the Ocean Gu Demon Emperor hidden within the Great Xia Territory, as well as many Demon Marquises and Devil King-level experts.

The Martial Arts College Entrance Examination was also successfully concluded.

For a time, countless pieces of good news impacted Great Xia, causing waves of cheers on Great Xia's internet.

However, the cheers on Great Xia's internet did not last too long, as an extremely heavy piece of news also spread throughout the Great Xia Territory.

Alien demons invaded the Tianxing Great Wall on a large scale, and two Devil Kings made powerful moves!

The Tianxing Army at Tianxing Great Wall suffered over thirty percent casualties, and two Dao Entry Stage experts were killed in battle, while the Star Academy's principal, who also served as the Legion Commander of the Tianxing Army, was severely wounded.

All second and third-year students of Star Academy were injured.

The Demon Extermination-level combat team [Seven Stars] was completely wiped out.

The Demon Extermination-level combat team [Xuanji] was completely wiped out.

The Elite-level combat team [Night Owl] suffered eighty percent casualties!

...A series of casualty reports appeared on Great Xia's internet, instantly like a basin of cold water, dousing the heads of many Great Xia Martial Artists.

Looking at these messages posted online, many people instantly fell silent.

Two Devil Kings invaded the Tianxing Great Wall!

Ultimately, it was only when Dao Saint, one of the Ten Saints of Great Xia, arrived at the Tianxing Great Wall and, by himself, repelled the two Devil Kings, that the Tianxing Great Wall was barely saved.

Otherwise... in this invasion, Tianxing City, one of Great Xia's nine front-line cities, would likely have been breached!

For a time, the joy that had previously permeated every corner of the internet was instantly swept away.

The Tianxing Great Wall suffered too heavily in this battle!

Two Dao Entry Stage experts were lost!

Even the principal of Star Academy was severely wounded!

One must know that Dao Entry Stage experts, apart from the Ten Saints of Great Xia, were the true pillars of Great Xia!

Throughout Great Xia, the number of Dao Entry Stage experts definitely did not exceed three digits.

Yet, in this battle, two were lost!

And the principal of Star Academy, who was hailed as one of the top experts below the Ten Saints of Great Xia, was now also severely wounded.

Especially all the students of Star Academy, all severely wounded.

Even two Demon Extermination-level combat teams of Star Academy were completely wiped out, and many Elite-level and Ordinary-level combat teams were annihilated!

The Tianxing Army's casualties exceeded thirty percent!

Such a tragic battle situation... even made many Great Xia Martial Artists feel despair!!

Time flowed by, little by little.

On the third day after the Tianxing Great Wall was invaded, in a room behind the Haoran Tea House courtyard in the Shan Hai Great Wall.

Lu Sheng lay quietly on the bed.

A ray of sunlight gently passed through the window, striking Lu Sheng's eyelids.

Lu Sheng slowly opened his eyes, and then, the extremely familiar pain throughout his body once again lingered in his mind.

"Hiss!!"

Lu Sheng felt as if countless steel needles had pierced all the muscles in his body at this moment.

The side effects of Heaven and Earth Hammer reappeared at this moment.

Fortunately, Lu Sheng was not experiencing the side effects of Heaven and Earth Hammer for the first time; he skillfully circulated Hidden Dragon Formless Sword, mobilizing the Qi and blood throughout his body, nourishing his flesh and blood little by little.

Suddenly, from within Lu Sheng's body, a series of crisp cracking sounds emerged, followed by a surge of rich Qi and blood that instantly poured into every part of Lu Sheng's body, accompanied by a powerful pressure that slowly diffused outwards.

Shackles Realm Fourth Layer!!

This use of Heaven and Earth Hammer also successfully allowed Lu Sheng to break a Shackle within his body unknowingly, stepping into the Shackles Realm Fourth Layer.

His Qi and blood also increased from the previous 80,000 points to 100,000 points!

A full 100,000 points of Qi and blood, that was comparable to an ordinary Shackles Realm Peak Martial Artist, and he could even contend with a Martial Artist who had just entered the Body Storage Realm!

Under the nourishment of these 100,000 points of Qi and blood, the side effects brought by Heaven and Earth Hammer gradually dissipated.

After only one minute, Lu Sheng returned to normal.

Lu Sheng let out a long breath, slowly opened his eyes, looked at the unfamiliar room around him, sat on the bed, and fell into deep thought.

A moment later, he took out a pocket watch from his spatial ring.

Blood was still stained on the pocket watch.

Lu Sheng opened the pocket watch, and what met his eyes was a photo of Old Wang's daughter.

"Old Wang..."

Lu Sheng silently looked at the pocket watch in front of him, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes.

A moment later, it was filled with a dim luster.

He silently put the pocket watch back into his spatial ring.

Old Wang died.

But Lu Sheng remembered Old Wang's previous words.

He couldn't do anything for Old Wang, so he could only make up for it with Old Wang's family.

Sighing slightly in his heart, Lu Sheng slowly got out of bed and pushed open the door.

Looking at everything around him, Lu Sheng finally knew where he was.

Lu Sheng followed the memory in his mind and walked towards the stone pavilion, and sure enough, he saw the Sage of Literature sitting under the stone pavilion, concentrating on writing something.

Lu Sheng walked over, waiting for the Sage of Literature to finish writing.

A moment later, the Sage of Literature finally stopped the brush in his hand.

On the white Xuan paper were four characters that Lu Sheng was extremely familiar with.

"God and Demon Contemplation!"

The Sage of Literature put down his pen and said faintly, "You're awake, then go check the news online!"

Listening to the Sage of Literature's words, Lu Sheng's brow furrowed slightly, and he didn't know why, but a feeling of unease emerged in his heart.

He quickly took out his phone and saw the messages pushed by the software on his phone.

Among them, most were about the Tianxing Great Wall being invaded by the alien demons, resulting in heavy losses in Tianxing City, as well as information about casualties.

Looking at the information on his phone, Lu Sheng's breathing became a little heavy.

This time... the losses of the Tianxing Great Wall were truly too heavy.

"Teacher..."

"Wang Long, Nightingale, Li Ming, Senior Zhang, Senior Bai..."

Thoughts flashed through Lu Sheng's mind one by one. He kept flipping through the news, wanting to see if there were any familiar names on the casualty list.

When Lu Sheng saw that the Night Owl team had over eighty percent casualties, his entire breathing completely froze.

Eighty percent!

What did this mean?

The Night Owl team only had seven or eight people in total, and eighty percent casualties meant that only two people were left in the Night Owl team at this moment!!

For a moment, Lu Sheng only felt as if countless thunderbolts suddenly exploded in his mind, followed by a stinging sensation emerging in his heart.

In Shanhai City, his relationship with all the members of the Night Owl team was already very familiar, and Lu Sheng had unknowingly come to regard them as his friends.

But after he simply woke up... his friends could only appear on this casualty list.

The color in Lu Sheng's face began to fade little by little.

He took a deep breath, and his fingers trembled slightly as he continued to scroll the phone screen, checking the casualty list below.

However, after finishing reading and not seeing any of the names he was familiar with, Lu Sheng finally let out a long sigh of relief.

He sat weakly on the stone bench, his gaze gradually becoming somewhat dazed.

The Sage of Literature glanced at Lu Sheng and said faintly, "You're very confused, aren't you? But this is the reality!"

The Sage of Literature's voice fell into Lu Sheng's ears, and Lu Sheng looked at the Sage of Literature blankly.

The Sage of Literature continued, "This is this world. The alien demons descended, and Spiritual Qi accelerated, making the current Blue Star this scene!"

"What you are experiencing now is merely an insignificant page in the history of Great Xia!"

"At the beginning of the Spiritual Qi's resurgence, millions of Great Xia Human Clan became food for the alien demons every day, and countless families were torn apart due to the existence of the alien demons every day!"

"And now, as the foundation of the Great Xia Human Clan gradually strengthens and the top powerhouses of Great Xia gradually improve, the current Great Xia, compared to hundreds of years ago, or even decades ago, is a scene of a legendary paradise."

Lu Sheng's eyelids drooped slightly.

He had read the history of Blue Star Great Xia and knew what a living hell it was hundreds of years ago.

It's just that, sometimes, regarding certain things, if you haven't experienced them personally, it's really hard to empathize.

And now, as Lu Sheng gradually experienced these things, this empathy gradually became stronger.

"What I want to say is, these things are what you cannot change now. So try to accept them, and after accepting them, use them as motivation to improve yourself!"

The Sage of Literature looked at Lu Sheng calmly and said softly.

"Improve yourself, make yourself stronger, and even become like your Revered Master, me, or even that old fellow Wu Lin!"

"If after becoming people like us, you still cannot change this situation, then become even stronger, surpass us, and reach the Peak Realm!"

"At that time... you will have the power to change everything, and with that power... those things you don't want to see will not appear before you."

"So, do you understand?"

"Instead of wasting your time here in decadence, it's better to seize all scattered time and strive to improve yourself. Lu Sheng, your talent is the best I have ever seen. Your future, in a certain sense, will determine the future of Great Xia."

"So... you should know what to do!"

"You have already embarked on the path to Peak, so you cannot stop, nor can you give up halfway!"

The Sage of Literature's words seemed to be filled with a magical power, constantly lingering in Lu Sheng's mind.

Gradually, the trace of confusion in Lu Sheng's eyes slowly disappeared.

It was replaced by a more clear expression.

After a moment of silence, Lu Sheng spoke softly: "Senior... I understand!"

Seeing this, the Sage of Literature smiled slightly and gently handed the freshly written Xuan paper to Lu Sheng.

"This God-Demon Contemplation Method is for you. After you leave Shan Hai Great Wall, you can contemplate it yourself. Perhaps before long, you will be able to see the true appearance of the Gods and Demons!"

Lu Sheng asked doubtfully, "Senior, what do you mean by this?"

The Sage of Literature sighed deeply: "My identity has been exposed to the demonic cult, so I naturally have to guard Shanhai City."

"Your purpose in coming to find me has also been achieved, so there's not much point in staying with me anymore!"

"Now that Star Academy has suffered such heavy losses, aren't you going to go back and take a look?"