157: Chapter 157: You cultivators, have you ever seen a Gatling gun?

"A lightning rod?" Upon hearing Jiang Ning's words, Zhang Liancheng was stunned for a moment, but he immediately realized what she meant.

He knew that the "lightning rod" Chief Engineer Jiang spoke of was definitely not some gadget for preventing lightning strikes.

It was one of the supporting offensive weapons in their base construction plan!

"Received!" Zhang Liancheng grabbed the communicator and ordered in a deep voice, "Unit Two, change mission! Target Area A3, set up 'Heavenly Judgment' One immediately!"

At the construction site in the valley, a massive machine that was laying the foundation immediately stopped its work.

Its enormous multi-functional mechanical arm rapidly transformed and reconfigured, retracting the digging bucket and replacing it with a sci-fi-looking turret.

This massive machine turned around, its tracks pressing against the ground as it drove to a newly leveled high ground beside the camp.

Four huge hydraulic supports extended from under the vehicle body, driving deep into the ground to firmly anchor it in place.

Then, that massive turret began to slowly rise.

It was a massive, twenty-meter-long needle, made of some unknown alloy, shimmering with a cold light.

The needle's surface was covered in dense golden patterns, even more complex than those on the defensive towers.

When this massive "lightning rod" stood completely upright, pointing straight at the sky, a pressure filled with a destructive aura radiated from its tip.

The surrounding air became agitated, and one could even see tiny electric arcs dancing around the tip.

"What... what the hell is that thing again?"

Outside the valley, the Wu Clan cultivators, who had just recovered from the shock of their talisman treasures failing, were once again stunned by the sight before them.

Watching that slowly rising, ominous-looking metal needle, a very bad premonition surged in their hearts.

"Clan Head... I... I have a bad feeling about this." An elder's voice trembled, "That thing... it feels very dangerous to me! Extremely dangerous!"

Wu Xiangtian's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.

He, of course, also felt that heart-palpitating pressure—a pure power that sought to destroy everything.

It was completely different from any spell or magic treasure he had ever known!

"We cannot wait any longer!"

Wu Xiangtian's eyes were filled with desperate madness.

At this point, he had no way out!

Either he killed all these mysterious enemies here today!

Or their Wu Clan would be finished for provoking such a group of monsters!

"Everyone! Listen to my command!" Wu Xiangtian roared hoarsely, "Forget about defense! Pour all of your True Origin into the 'Black Stone Great Array'!"

"Today, either they die, or we perish!"

"Use your flying swords! Use your most powerful spells! Bombard them! Smash them! Break their turtle shell!"

Provoked by Wu Xiangtian's madness, the remaining Wu Clan cultivators also grew red-eyed.

They knew this was their last desperate stand!

"Kill!"

"Fight them to the death!"

Over fifty cultivators, at this moment, risked their lives and unleashed all their hidden trump cards.

Dozens of flying swords turned into streaks of light, slashing down like raindrops onto the pale blue energy shield.

"Fire Crow Art!" "Ice Spike Art!" "Wind Blade Art!"

All sorts of colorful spells rained down like a downpour, cast recklessly as if they cost nothing.

For a moment, the entire sky above the valley was shrouded in the radiance of spells, even more lively than fireworks during the New Year.

Intense explosions rang out incessantly.

The entire energy shield flickered violently under this barrage, dimming and brightening as it looked on the verge of collapse.

Inside the Command Center, the technical soldiers' reports became urgent.

"Warning! Warning! Shield energy overload at 120%!"

"Tower One's energy absorption is full!"

"Shield strength dropping! 90%... 85%..."

Watching the continuously dropping values, Zhang Liancheng's heart jumped to his throat, and he subconsciously looked at Jiang Ning beside him.

Yet, Jiang Ning's face remained as calm as ever; she just quietly watched that massive "lightning rod," as if waiting for something.

"'Heavenly Judgment' array, charging complete."

"Lightning induction program, initiated."

"Target locked."

A cold, synthesized electronic voice rang out inside the Command Center.

On the tip of that massive "lightning rod," golden runes suddenly lit up, and an invisible ripple instantly spread out.

The next second, all the Wu Clan cultivators attacking the valley suddenly felt their bodies tighten, as if they had been locked onto by something invisible.

"What's going on?"

"I... I feel like I've been targeted by something!"

Alarm bells rang in everyone's hearts, but before they could react.

"Crack!"

A thunderous boom resounded through the sky.

The originally clear sky was, at some point, covered in dark clouds.

A purple lightning bolt as thick as a water bucket tore through the sky, carrying the might of an angry deity, and slammed heavily onto the tip of the "lightning rod"!

At this moment, the whole world seemed to lose its sound and color; all everyone could see was that blinding purple light.

That massive "lightning rod" was not only unharmed after taking the hit, but its entire body lit up with blinding electric light instead.

A purple energy ball, over three meters in diameter and composed purely of lightning, gathered at the tip!

The energy ball pulsed continuously, emitting a teeth-gritting "crackle" sound. The energy it contained was so terrifying that the surrounding space even began to distort.

"Energy guiding... Target re-locked... Fire!"

As the last two words of the electronic voice fell, that massive purple lightning ball suddenly shook.

The next second, it exploded, transforming into over fifty purple chain lightning bolts, each as thick as an arm, which shot toward those fifty-plus Wu Clan cultivators outside the valley at a speed the naked eye couldn't follow!

Too fast!

It was so fast that the Wu Clan cultivators couldn't even react in time, not even able to form the thought of raising their protective True Origin before the purple lightning accurately struck every single one of them!

"Ah—"

Sharp, miserable screams rose one after another.

The cultivators struck by the lightning, whether they were at the early or late Foundation Establishment stage, found their protective magic treasures and protective True Origin to be like paper in the face of that violent lightning—torn to shreds in an instant!

The violent lightning energy rampaged through their bodies, destroying their meridians and annihilating their vitality.

In just an instant, apart from Wu Xiangtian, who had the highest cultivation base and fell from the sky, charred all over and vomiting blood, the other fifty-plus Wu Clan cultivators were blasted into puffs of... flying ash, smoking in mid-air.

A gust of wind blew, and they scattered.

As if they had never been in this world at all.

One strike. Just one strike.

The Wu Clan, apart from those who knelt to surrender, had all their elites wiped out.

The entire battlefield fell into a deathly silence once again.

Inside the valley, all the soldiers were dumbfounded, watching the electric light slowly dissipate in the sky and the charred "things" falling in the distance like dumplings, their mouths agape and unable to close for a long time.

"Holy... holy shit..." A young soldier swallowed hard, subconsciously blurting out a curse.

"Is... is this 'Heavenly Judgment'?"

Zhang Liancheng was also stunned.

Although he knew the power of this offensive weapon system wouldn't be small, he never dreamed it would be this powerful!

This is no "lightning rod"!

This is fucking inviting the God of Thunder and Goddess of Lightning to the house!

Instantly killing over fifty immortals who could fly and burrow into the earth?

This battle... it just... ended like this?

He felt like he was dreaming.