Chapter 193 : The Hidden Abyss Walker! The Combat Power of the Calamity Army!
Chapter 193: The Hidden Abyss Walker! The Combat Power of the Calamity Army!
Cao Ang—
The second-ranked Corrupted being of Old Wan City, an existence whom Zhang Xiu and the others considered among the top three greatest threats—
At this moment, even within the depths of his heart that had remained unmoved for many years, a trace of surprise rippled.
This Starsea faction… was actually a group of humans!
Although Old Wan City and this land had never before come into contact with Starsea Citizens—
That did not prevent them from understanding the existence of such beings through the endless knowledge of the Abyss.
Among the Starsea races—
There were countless kinds beyond measure.
Humanity was one of the weakest and most insignificant among them.
Even if a Starsea faction descended into this space, the probability that they were human was minuscule.
After all—
It was simply far too difficult for fragile humans to establish themselves and survive in this Abyssal world!
Precisely because of this—
The appearance of these humans carrying Starsea aura before him—
Caused an unusual fluctuation within Cao Ang’s state of mind.
“Zixiu…”
At the moment his spirit shifted—
From the depths of his consciousness filled with chaotic and frenzied noise—
A deep and powerful yet unusually clear voice suddenly rang out.
Cao Ang saw a faintly glowing figure suddenly appear within his distorted and warped vision.
This figure seemed projected from his very soul.
Thus—
Only he himself could see it.
No one else could see or sense it.
“A heaven-sent opportunity has arrived!”
The figure spoke to Cao Ang.
“Zixiu, as long as you seize the Heart of the Stars first, you will completely break free from Old Wan City’s nightmare. You will escape this century-long prison and obtain true freedom.”
Cao Ang showed no reaction.
He answered coldly:
“To me, such things have long since lost all meaning. The nightmare shrouding Wan City is one prison. The supreme will covering this world is an even greater prison. Layer upon layer of shackles have already sunk into the soul itself. Where could true freedom possibly come from?”
“Zixiu, do not give up on yourself. Do not completely lose yourself!”
“I’m tired. Stop appearing to interfere with me!”
“What are you trying to do?”
“Of course I’m doing what must be done.”
With a movement of Cao Ang’s will—
The faintly glowing figure dispersed like bubbles in the air.
All the exchanges and conversation—
Seemed as though they had never happened at all.
All of this occurred in an instant.
No one else sensed anything.
Xu Ci said, “Why is there no aura from the Lord?”
Lü Chen said, “The Lord may not be here at all!”
Zhang Cun said, “A mere human Lord is insignificant and incapable of withstanding a single blow. General Dian need not personally act. We alone are enough to destroy them in one battle!”
The Abyssal forces stirred restlessly.
They were clearly about to launch an attack.
The members of the Calamity Army immediately shouted:
“Wait! Don’t attack yet!”
The several Corrupted beings present were all momentarily stunned.
Cold light glowed from Cao Ang’s burning eyes.
“The Starsea and the Abyss are as incompatible as water and fire. You lowly Offspring—what could you possibly have to say?”
Although he said this—
He still did not immediately order the attack.
Because he was the highest-ranking Abyssal Citizen present.
Even though Cao Anmin and the others were already itching to act—
As long as this elder brother had not moved, they could only temporarily suppress the killing intent born from instinct and soul alike.
The members of the Calamity Army all secretly rejoiced upon seeing this.
As long as they could delay for time—
Even one minute, or even one second—
Would count as profit!
Salted Fish Thrust said:
“We have no past grievances or recent grudges. Why must everything be solved through fighting and killing? Why not sit down and have some tea first? Whatever demands there are, we can negotiate peacefully!”
Cao Ang coldly replied:
“Is this all the foolish nonsense you have to say?”
The killing intent around Cao Anmin intensified sharply.
“Brother, why waste time? The great Abyssal Will commands me to attack! The Starsea Lord is still hiding somewhere unknown. We must find him before General Dian arrives!”
Abyssal Citizens and Starsea Citizens were fundamentally incompatible.
Even these beings who had retained intelligence were no exception.
Just as a normal person would instinctively loathe eating shit raw—
They instinctively felt extreme disgust toward Starsea aura.
Even if there existed some extraordinary hero capable of eating shit without batting an eye, it still would not matter.
Because when facing the Starsea—
They would experience the influence of the Abyssal Will, generating a murderous intent from the depths of their souls.
And this intent would continuously accumulate—
Until they completely lost control and descended into madness!
Black-Eyed Rui Ge hurriedly continued:
“Actually, we aren’t ordinary Starsea Citizens. We’re also transmigrators from the normal future timeline!”
Cao Ang appeared to freeze for a moment.
Eh?
This topic actually seemed effective!
The others quickly continued along the same line.
“Yeah!”
“We come from roughly two thousand years in the future!”
“Strictly speaking, we’re your descendants, and you’re our ancestor!”
“Born from the same roots, why burn each other in such haste?”
“Although your father screwed you over and got you killed in Wan City in history, your cheap old man still nearly unified the entire world!”
“Don’t you want to know what your father Cao Cao did after your death, besides stealing other people’s wives?”
“……”
The players once again began talking nonsense nonstop, completely derailing the topic!
Cao Ang felt that something was wrong.
Generally speaking, the citizens under a Starsea Lord fell into two categories.
The first category consisted of Offspring directly created from nothing through the power of the Starsea Will itself.
Such beings were born directly from Starsea power, absolutely loyal to both the Lord and the Starsea. Under normal circumstances, they possessed no individual will.
The second category consisted of subordinate citizens recruited from native inhabitants after a Starsea Lord conquered an Abyssal Plane.
And these people before him clearly belonged to the former.
But why were they all so bizarre?
Cao Ang asked:
“You have encountered my former father, Cao Cao?”
The players hurriedly replied.
“Uh, not yet for now, but we believe we’ll meet him soon enough!”
“With Boss Cao’s abilities, he’s probably already become some top-tier big shot by now. Maybe even a top-tier evil god!”
“To be honest, I’m actually a diehard fan of Cao Cao, Cao Mengde. It’s just a pity you died too early, Young Master Cao. Otherwise, if someone as talented in both civil and military affairs as you had become Emperor of Wei, the Sima family would never have gotten their chance!”
“Stop fighting already!”
“Just join the territory instead!”
“We can help you find your dad!”
“Even though you’ve become Corrupted, there’s no need to worry too much. As long as you can temporarily control yourself, our territory’s divine physician Zhang Zhongjing will definitely cure you!”
“That’s right! Divine Physician Zhang has already discovered a method to reverse Corruption. I’m sure he can help you become human again!”
“……”
The players continued noisily rambling.
Not because they truly intended to persuade Cao Ang.
They also knew it was impossible to verbally convince a completely Corrupted being.
The Calamity Army’s nonstop nonsense and random chatter had only one purpose—
To delay as much time as possible!
The several Corrupted beings led by Cao Anmin grew increasingly murderous upon hearing these words.
If not for Cao Ang’s superior status—
They would not have tolerated even one extra second.
Zhang Zhongjing?
He had actually already pledged allegiance to this Lord?
Cao Ang had survived within this space for over a hundred years. He was naturally very familiar with the powerful experts and strange figures within New Wan City. He had even interacted with Zhang Zhongjing several times and possessed some understanding of the things he was working on.
Forget it.
It wasn’t important.
Let me see—
Exactly how capable this unusual human Starsea faction truly is.
“Kill!”
Cao Ang displayed absolutely no interest in the topic of his father Cao Cao.
And whatever little patience he still possessed seemed to have finally been exhausted by the Calamity Army’s endless chatter.
Without hesitation—
He coldly issued the order to attack.
Cao Anmin immediately shot an arrow into the sky.
The next moment—
Hundreds of Magic Energy Arrows rained down upon the Calamity Army like a storm, officially beginning the battle!
Aside from Cao Ang, who remained standing motionless in place—
The other Corrupted beings also launched their offensives.
Lü Chen was a melee-type Corrupted being.
Meanwhile, Xu Ci and Zhang Cun were both mage-type units.
The Abyssal forces moved with such decisiveness—
That the Calamity Army had no time to formulate new tactics.
“Ai, no choice now!”
“Everyone charge! Brothers, let’s go all out!”
“Kill! Taking down even one enemy counts! We lose nothing anyway—every extra kill is profit!”
“……”
The Calamity Army abandoned all illusions.
They immediately assumed combat stances and faced the enemy head-on.
Black-Eyed Rui Ge shouted:
“Focus on killing the aerial units first!”
The Abyssal force led by Cao Ang consisted mainly of Stone-Winged Demon Soldiers and the two types of cavalry.
Although the exact abilities of the cavalry remained unclear—
Prioritizing the elimination of the Stone-Winged Demon Soldiers was definitely correct.
These creatures could fly and were simply too agile—
Impossible to guard against!
Furthermore, their petrification attacks could simultaneously affect multiple targets, stripping them of mobility and combat power.
If the Stone-Winged Demon Soldiers could not be eliminated immediately—
Then their threat in the upcoming battle would be enormous.
And this would obviously be disastrous for Xinye’s defense.
Arrow after arrow shot skyward.
Spell after spell exploded in midair.
The players’ levels were not especially high—
Yet they cooperated seamlessly, possessed flexible tactics, and fought with tremendous unity.
Once battle began—
Some players specialized in healing, others specialized in defense, and still others specialized in command.
Every attack focused fire rapidly.
Within moments—
They had already shot down over a dozen Stone-Winged Demon Soldiers!
However—
The counterattacks from the Corrupted beings also inflicted considerable casualties upon the Calamity Army.
The two Abyssal cavalry forces quickly joined the battle as well, forcing the players into defensive formations.
After all—
They had never encountered these monsters before.
They knew nothing about their skills or methods.
The Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldiers charged directly from the front.
These heavy cavalry units stood over four meters tall together with their mounts.
Their size and oppressive aura resembled the Tree Sentinels from Elden Ring.
The Demon Soldiers wielded giant long-handled hammer-axes capable of both cleaving and smashing with terrifying force.
Their heavily mutated mounts no longer resembled horses at all—
They looked more like monstrous hybrids combining rhinoceroses, giant lizards, saber-toothed tigers, and other beasts.
Not only were they thick-skinned and durable—
They also possessed devastating horns and saber-like fangs.
The moment several Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldiers crashed into the Calamity Army—
Multiple players were instantly impaled through the body by giant horns.
Others were smashed flying and trampled to death on the spot.
Upon seeing this—
Mad Blade Old Wang hurriedly charged forward using Army-Breaking Charge, raising his shield to block the Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldier’s assault.
Yet he was still blasted backward several meters by a single strike from the Demon Soldier’s hammer-axe.
Several other players attempted to approach—
Only for a furious roar to erupt!
The Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldier’s weapon burst into flames. The gigantic hammer-axe smashed heavily into the ground, instantly triggering an explosion several meters wide that blasted nearby players away and inflicted serious damage.
“Careful!”
“Their attacks are too fierce!”
“Try ranged attacks!”
“……”
Little Bell rapidly fired a Windfire Arrow.
Although this was merely an ordinary basic attack for her—
Windfire Arrow itself was a Green-Grade fusion skill.
Combined with Little Bell’s extremely high magic attack and attributes, it still posed considerable threat even to Tier-Three Elites.
The attack struck directly against the Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldier’s heavy helmet!
Yet the spell was instantly dispersed by some mysterious force.
-0!
“Impossible!”
Little Bell could not believe it.
Her attack had actually failed to inflict any damage?
This was only a Tier-Three Elite monster!
Refusing to accept it—
Little Bell continuously swung her Ninefold Curse Staff, firing multiple Windfire Arrows in succession before finally following up with a far stronger Explosive Flame Spell!
-0! -0! -0!
None of the attacks worked!
Nor was this an isolated case.
Top-tier Warlocks like Brother Xiao Ma and Chimera Wraith also attempted to attack the Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldiers that had charged into formation.
Whether lightning or wind blades—
Whether frost or flames—
Every single spell was nullified!
The Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldiers seemed wrapped in some kind of special energy—
Granting them immunity to magical attacks.
This situation completely caught the Calamity Army off guard, causing considerable casualties.
Yet before the Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldiers had even completed their slaughter—
A fresh wave of attacks descended upon the Calamity Army from both flanks.
It was the Leopard Cavalry Demon Soldiers of Old Wan City!
These Leopard Cavalry Demon Soldiers possessed physiques similar to ordinary cavalry.
Their weapons were black spears.
Compared to the heavily armored Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldiers—
They clearly specialized in agility and speed.
And indeed—
Almost the instant the battle began—
Two to three hundred Leopard Cavalry Demon Soldiers had already penetrated directly into both flanks of the Calamity Army.
Ye Li Meng, Black-Eyed Rui Ge, and the others had long been prepared.
They organized their formations and prepared for close combat!
Each of these monsters was a Tier-Three Elite.
Although the players were now fairly strong—
For instance, when fully buffed, players like Black-Eyed Rui Ge and Ye Li Meng already approached the strength of Tier-Two Commanders.
Handling three or four Tier-Three Elites at once was not difficult for them.
The problem was—
There were simply too many enemies!
Half the Calamity Army was only Level 9 or 10!
Because of the overwhelming disparity in strength—
A brutal bloodbath was unavoidable!
The Calamity Army had already prepared themselves mentally.
Even total annihilation was acceptable—
As long as they could stop the cavalry’s advance, they would inflict significant casualties, making the subsequent battle much easier.
However—
Something completely unexpected occurred once again!
Ye Li Meng unleashed a massive Shockwave attack.
Yet when the visible wave passed through more than five Leopard Cavalry Demon Soldiers—
Not only did it fail to stun or repel them—
It did not even produce the slightest effect or damage.
-0! -0! -0!
Black-Eyed Rui Ge activated Swift Shadow Movement Technique.
After his body vanished invisibly—
One sword flash after another streaked through the leading Demon Cavalry Soldiers at extreme speed.
-0!
-0!
-0!
“Holy shit!”
“What the hell is this?!”
“Don’t tell me the game bugged out!”
“Are these Demon Cavalry Soldiers invincible or something?!”
Faced with this situation—
The Calamity Army revealed expressions of despair.
Powerful enemies were not frightening.
No matter how strong an enemy was, as long as its defenses could be broken, it could still be killed.
What truly terrified players—
Were unsolvable mechanics and unknown systems like this!
Ye Li Meng shouted:
“Rui Ge, what’s going on?! Why can’t even our attacks damage these monsters?!”
Black-Eyed Rui Ge reappeared and glanced at the sword in his hand.
“I definitely hit them, but the feeling was completely wrong… These Demon Cavalry Soldiers aren’t physical entities!”
Not physical entities?
The Leopard Cavalry Demon Soldiers had already charged into the defensive line.
They passed directly through players’ bodies!
The players pierced through by the Demon Cavalry Soldiers did not suffer external injuries.
However—
Their bodies instantly became stiff and freezing cold. Frost formed across their skin, and they suffered severe ice-attribute damage.
Only then did everyone finally understand.
These cavalry units that appeared physical—
Were actually all spirit-type monsters without mass.
Precisely because they were spirit entities—
Their physical damage negation was extremely high!
This wave of attacks instantly pushed the battle situation out of control!
The Stone-Winged Demon Soldiers crazily attacked from the skies.
Their agile flight and Petrification Curses continuously dismantled the players’ combat effectiveness!
The Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldiers assaulted madly from the front.
Their flaming hammer-axes and violent attack skills crushed and slaughtered everything in their path!
The Leopard Cavalry Demon Soldiers attacked wildly from both flanks.
Their spirit bodies carried frost effects, while their offensive resembled a raging storm!
So strong!
Was this the true Abyssal army?!
The players could scarcely imagine that this was merely the vanguard force!
If Old Wan City’s vanguard was already this terrifying—
Then how horrifying must the main force be?!
“Everyone stay calm! Don’t panic!”
Toasting the Moon raised a Sound Transmission Stone and shouted to everyone present:
“Squads One through Five continue attacking the Stone-Winged Demon Soldiers! Everyone else maintain defensive formations against the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry! Remember—use physical attacks against the Tiger Cavalry and magic attacks against the Leopard Cavalry!”
It had to be said—
The players’ reaction speed was astonishingly fast.
Although they suffered considerable casualties and initially descended into chaos—
They still identified the monsters’ mechanics almost immediately.
The mechanics of the two Demon Cavalry types—
Were actually not very complicated.
The Tiger Cavalry appeared heavily armored and durable—
But most of their damage negation was focused against magic.
Meanwhile, the lightly armored Leopard Cavalry—
Was nearly immune to physical attacks, with only magic capable of harming them.
Although the Calamity Army numbered two thousand—
Every player possessed their own interface panel and squad assignment.
No matter how chaotic the battlefield became, they would not panic.
They immediately received instructions and reacted accordingly.
“Get down here!”
Arthur King activated his Xinye Survivor’s Ring.
A strand of spider silk shot out and ensnared a Stone-Winged Demon Soldier in midair before violently dragging it to the ground.
Once the agile Stone-Winged Demon Soldier lost mobility—
Attacks from Dark Lucifer, Gungnir, and several others immediately followed.
Within moments—
Most of its health had been depleted.
“Die!”
Uncle Treeman raised his battle blade and finished it with a charged slash.
The Calamity Army had equipped dozens of Xinye Survivor’s Rings.
At this moment—
They continuously used spider webs to capture the airborne Stone-Winged Demon Soldiers.
Each player squad had clearly divided responsibilities.
Thus—
Their kill efficiency remained very high.
At the same time—
Lone Boat charged toward a Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldier.
The Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldier immediately raised its flaming hammer-axe and smashed downward.
Lone Boat directly activated Shadow Assault.
Just before being struck—
He vanished from his original location and instantly appeared behind the Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldier.
His Blood Scar Sword pierced directly through a gap in the helmet before erupting with a powerful sword qi that blasted out through the other side.
-2531 (Lethal Critical Hit!)
The enormous Tiger Cavalry Demon Soldier collapsed directly to the ground.
Lone Boat’s figure flashed again.
Activating Gale Step—
He sped toward the next target like lightning.
Although the Calamity Army suffered greater casualties throughout the battle—
Through excellent coordination and fearless sacrifice—
They still managed to inflict significant losses upon the Abyssal army.
The Corrupted Lü Chen finally lost patience.
“Hmph! So weak, yet still stubbornly resisting!”
As he spoke—
He rode directly into the player ranks.
Lü Chen wielded two gigantic battle blades.
Wherever he passed—
Players were slaughtered and sent flying.
Against a Corrupted being of this level—
Ordinary players could not even survive a single exchange.
“You bastard! Take this slash!”
A scar-faced warrior wielding dual blades blocked Lü Chen’s path.
This person was none other than Street Slayer of the Calamity Army.
At this moment—
Intensely blazing flames wrapped around the twin blades in his hands.
“Kill!”
Taking advantage of Lü Chen being briefly restrained by two other players—
Street Slayer instantly launched his attack.
Lü Chen did not place Street Slayer in his eyes at all.
Even though he was merely a low-tier Commander-Class unit—
He was still ultimately a Tier-Three Commander.
Meanwhile—
This Starsea soldier possessed only Tier-Two strength.
“Die!”
Black qi wrapped around Lü Chen’s battle blades.
He first cut down the two troublesome players—
Then clashed directly against the warrior before him.
Four blades collided repeatedly!
As Street Slayer roared furiously—
Flames exploded from his dual blades, accompanied by the roar of a tiger.
Astonishingly—
He completely neutralized Lü Chen’s blade qi.
For a short period of time—
The two actually fought evenly!
“Fierce Tiger Berserker Blades!”
“It’s Fierce Tiger Berserker Blades!”
“I’ve only ever seen the Lord use that move!”
“Holy shit! Brother Kan actually comprehended Fierce Tiger Berserker Blades?! Since when did this happen?! If this gets out, it’ll definitely become huge news!”
Many players immediately recognized Street Slayer’s blade technique!
This skill was precisely the top-tier Green Skill “Fierce Tiger Berserker Blades,” formed by fusing “Tiger Blade Qi” and “Fierce Tiger Roaring Slash”!
Although it was a Green Skill—
Its power was already no weaker than certain Blue Skills.
Furthermore—
The fusion cost was enormous.
One attempt alone consumed 30,000 Essence Qi!
Before the Xinye operation—
Street Slayer definitely did not possess this skill.
He had clearly taken the Essence Qi rewards obtained during the Xinye campaign and gone to the Dao Comprehension Tower.
Most likely—
Like winning the lottery, he succeeded within one or two attempts—
Ultimately obtaining this incomparably domineering blade art!
Fierce Tiger Berserker Blades essentially integrated Fierce Tiger Roaring Slash directly into blade qi.
Every slash exploded with overwhelming power!
With Street Slayer in peak condition, fully buffed, and empowered by this terrifying skill—
Although he could not defeat a Tier-Three Corrupted being—
He could at least exchange blows evenly for ten rounds or so.
That was already an incredible achievement!
As expected of the ruthless berserker figure praised by the Calamity Army!
Naturally—
Lü Chen still did not think highly of Street Slayer.
The opponent’s blade art was indeed incomparably domineering and violent—
But the consumption required to sustain it must also be immense.
At most—
This soldier could endure ten exchanges before collapsing!
Yet at this very moment—
-1000!
Without warning—
Lü Chen suddenly suffered a massive burst of damage.
At the same time—
Some vicious and sinister force invaded his body before rapidly spreading into a scorching corrosive sensation.
Continuous damage erupted throughout his body—
While his attributes plummeted sharply.
“WAHAHAHA!”
“It worked! It worked!”
Midnight Pig Slayer excitedly shouted from the rear.
“This idiot already got hit by my Pill Devourment! Now’s the best chance to kill him!”
So that was the truth.
Street Slayer had merely served as bait on the frontlines.
The real killing move—
Was Midnight Pig Slayer’s technique.
After the Xinye quest—
Players had received numerous rewards.
Midnight Pig Slayer had opened a Pill Art Skill Card from one of the reward chests, allowing him to learn a Pill Art skill from Zhang Zhongjing.
Without hesitation—
He chose the Pill Art known as “Hundred Devouring Qi Poison.”
This was an offensive Pill Art.
In other words—
The same Pill Devourment method Zhang Zhongjing had once used against the Evil Dragon Jueying.
Although the effect produced by Midnight Pig Slayer was far inferior to Zhang Zhongjing’s—
Under successful sneak attack conditions—
It was still enough to inflict severe damage while drastically reducing the target’s attributes for a short period.
“Hahaha!”
“Die already!”
Midnight Pig Slayer seized the opportunity to slash Lü Chen several more times.
Lü Chen had never expected these Starsea soldiers to be so cunning.
At this moment—
His health had already dropped by more than half.
Without hesitation—
He immediately turned and attempted to flee.
Street Slayer had just begun pursuing him—
When Cao Anmin from the sky noticed him and directly shot a Magic Thunder Arrow that pierced straight through Street Slayer’s body.
“Trying to run?”
“Don’t let him escape!”
“Killing a hundred small fry isn’t worth one Corrupted being!”
The other Calamity Army players all surged forward together.
Although Lü Chen remained ferocious even while poisoned and severely wounded—
After slaughtering over a dozen players—
He still could not withstand the swarm-like bloodthirsty assault of players endlessly charging at him without fear.
“Damn it… I refuse to accept this!”
Ultimately—
This Corrupted being collapsed amidst rage and unwillingness.
A Tier-Three Corrupted being—
Had actually died beneath the players’ coordinated assault.
Without question—
This was the highlight moment of the battle.
The players’ individual strength and the Calamity Army’s collective combat power—
Had already improved tremendously compared to the past!
However—
At this moment, over half the Calamity Army had already fallen.
The battle situation rapidly deteriorated.
Throughout the entire battle—
Cao Ang remained standing outside the battlefield.
From beginning to end—
He never once personally entered combat.
He merely watched coldly as both sides slaughtered one another.
Whether it was the losses among Wan City’s forces—
The encirclement and destruction of the Calamity Army—
Or even the death of his subordinate Lü Chen—
He showed absolutely no concern.
It had to be admitted—
This human Starsea faction was quite tenacious.
And their strength was somewhat greater than it appeared at first glance.
But if this—
Was all the power they possessed—
Then it was still far from enough!
Such strength remained too weak—
So weak that it did not even qualify to make him personally step onto the battlefield—
Much less face the world-destroying might of Demon Dian Wei!