The situation in Yan State is becoming increasingly dire. Just after the New Year, Chen Shouyi was dispatched there.

It's still winter in Great Xia Country, but in the southern hemisphere, it's a sweltering summer with rolling heat waves.

Along the long frontline, logistics vehicles are coming and going everywhere. Dust flies as jeeps jolt along the pothole-ridden roads, and the faint rumble of thunder-like artillery can be heard in the distance.

"What's the deal with 'Void Demons'?" Chen Shouyi asked Li Wenwu beside him to get an understanding of the situation.

In just a few days, Li Wenwu had become quite haggard, as if he hadn't slept for several nights.

"The earliest 'Void Demon' attack occurred three months ago. They suddenly attacked a convoy of transport ships, killing all the soldiers. Later, they appeared sporadically a few more times, but recently their numbers have increased, and they've even started ambushing troops.

According to the joint command's speculation, these 'Void Demons' were likely summoned by the Lord of Lightning." As Li Wenwu spoke, he took out a few photos from his pocket and handed them over.

Chen Shouyi reached out to take them.

Most of the photos were taken at night, appearing foggy and indistinct, but there were also a few taken during the day, and all were of corpses.

According to the photos, these humanoid creatures were covered in snake-like scales, adorned with elaborate and mysterious patterns. Combined with their scarlet eyes, they looked incredibly horrifying.

"These creatures are immensely powerful, each one at the level of a Martial Artist, and can materialize from voids, moving extremely quickly. Ordinary Martial Artists can't handle them, especially since they always act at night, appearing and disappearing without a trace. The army has suffered heavy casualties recently." Li Wenwu remarked while driving, habitually reaching for a cigarette in his pocket, hesitated, and then gave up.

"No Barbarian Gods have appeared?" asked Chen Shouyi.

"Not discovered yet," Li Wenwu replied.

Chen Shouyi glanced at the photos again and said, "Turn left, I've found them, let's go check it out."

What... what?!

Li Wenwu looked bewildered.

"How did you find them?"

If the other party hadn't accompanied him straight from the airport, he would've suspected General Manager Chen had received some special intelligence.

"Whenever I want to find them, I just can," Chen Shouyi stated matter-of-factly, handing the photos back to Li Wenwu.

Li Wenwu: ...

This is beyond belief!

...

The scorching sun overhead cast blinding rays, cracking the earth, and distorting the air.

A tribe near a forest.

The breath of civilization seemed not to reach here. In a nearly dry river, children swam and frolicked, muddying the water. Further away, low wooden houses stood where a group of chest-baring Yan State people were drying some dark food.

At this moment, dust rose in the distance, accompanied by the roar of an engine.

A Yan State person stood up warily and shouted loudly, "Outsiders are coming, everyone, be on guard!"

Soon, more people emerged from wooden huts, some with long spears and bows and arrows, while others wielded guns.

Before the mutation, Yan State was always a chaotic place where various warlords fought constantly, almost like a daily occurrence. Even in seemingly normal countries, only the cities were controllable, while other areas were effectively outside the states, controlled by tribes.

A jeep sped in.

With a screech of the brakes, the tires violently scraped the ground with a piercing sound as the car swiftly stopped.

Two people stepped out from the car, left and right.

"Here? You must be mistaken; this place isn't far from the military camp. It's likely been searched several times already," Li Wenwu said.

"Don't you smell it?"

"You mean the rotting smell," Li Wenwu said, puzzled.

"It's the smell of decaying human corpses, not just one. Clearly, there was a blood sacrifice here," Chen Shouyi said calmly.

Li Wenwu's heart fluttered but remained skeptical. Then an elderly black man came quickly, arguing loudly in French, which Li Wenwu responded to, asking questions in French.

Chen Shouyi, unable to understand their conversation, watched with interest as several Yan State individuals slowly surrounded them, looking especially strong, agile, and their muscles taut.

With his sharp eyes, Chen Shouyi noticed the faint snake-scale-like patterns beneath their dark skin.

Li Wenwu also sensed something was wrong, stopped talking, and reached for his sword.

The leading black man's face flashed with a hint of bloodthirstiness and disdain. After gaining the master's powerful strength through the blood sacrifice, becoming a Divine Warrior, he felt confident.

Were a whole army to come, he'd be cautious, but facing just two people, even if they were Martial Artists, there was no fear. If they could blood sacrifice more heretics, their tribe could add another Divine Warrior.

"Attack!" He signaled with a look.

Suddenly, several people transformed violently, with scales quickly surfacing from their skin. At the same time, their entire being grew indistinct and illusory.

"Fools." Li Wenwu's expression changed, swiftly drawing his sword for combat, only to find the group immediately frozen with fearful faces.

"Is this the 'Void Demon'?" Chen Shouyi asked indifferently.

He reached out, grabbing a transformed black man by the throat.

"Oh!"

He expressed mild surprise.

This was indeed true void transformation, not the expected alteration of light, but rather unsubstantial. His grip felt like squeezing a thick, gelatinous substance.

This was evidently the handiwork of the Lord of Lightning.

It was only then that terrified screams erupted from the distant crowd, who began frantically scattering away. Chen Shouyi's gaze swept over them.

An invisible force rippled through the air.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

Numerous heads simultaneously exploded, brains splattering everywhere — all those who had harbored animosity towards the duo. The remaining people were instantly petrified, sweating profusely, no longer daring to move.

Li Wenwu gasped, feeling a chill run down his spine.

This... was truly monstrous.

Chen Shouyi casually tossed the transformed black man to the ground, saying to the dumbfounded Li Wenwu, "Let's go, we've resolved this place."

Li Wenwu instinctively took a few steps after hearing this, only to hear the heavy thumps of bodies hitting the ground behind him. He couldn't help but turn around, seeing the people previously frozen falling one after another, with vacant eyes and unnatural twitching.

They were dead, all dead?!

...

The jeep restarted.

On the way, Li Wenwu hesitated to speak; after a long time, he finally asked, "How... how did you do it?"

"What do you mean, how did I do it? What are you referring to?"

"I mean, just now, I didn't even see you act, and they died," Li Wenwu said.

"Even if I explained, you couldn't learn it. It's better not to know," Chen Shouyi thought for a moment, then sincerely replied.

Li Wenwu opened his mouth, only to reluctantly close it again after hearing this.

He spoke with such sense.

So why does it seem a bit sad?