Chapter 682

Chapter 682: The Self-Absorbed Talents

Fangzhang Continent, Tianya Mountain

At this time, Tianya Mountain was bare, all the plants were destroyed by war, and there were tunnels, bunkers, and underground passages dug by the human soldiers everywhere in the mountain.

Occasionally, war robots would appear from these places. These war robots were rarely humanoid, they came in various forms such as dogs, spiders, and birds, some were for reconnaissance, and some were for attack.

Behind these battle lines, there were large military camps. Besides having more weapons, the military camps were also protected by layers of formations.

In the demon clan’s main camp, it was covered by demon clouds. These demon clouds were special, not only could they prevent satellite surveillance, but they could also block divine awareness. Some aircraft would lose contact if they flew too far, and the human detection methods of the demon clan were largely ineffective.

Within the demon clan’s main camp, dozens of collective Demon Insects were continuously being bred. Not only were there Spirit Devouring Demonic Ants, but the demon clan could also cultivate elite Demon Insects, which were not the kind without advancement.

Besides Demon Insects, there were many kinds of demon beasts. They now occupied three-quarters of Fangzhang Continent, the demon clan’s territory was not small, but they had learned their lesson and the demon beast army was not densely gathered.

"Meeting the Demon Queen."

Inside the Demon God Temple, Demon Queen Lin Fanghua was receiving the worship of the demon clan. The Demon God Temple had just been repaired, but it was the face of the demon clan, and it was necessary.

Most of the demon clan present were from the sea, the land demon clan had been greatly attacked by the humans. Not only were the new generation of demon clan constantly hunted, but many of the dormant demon clan in the Demon God Temple had also died. The Demon Queen had to replenish the demon clan’s blood, so the Endless Sea became the fresh blood of the demon clan. Unfortunately, the humans didn’t have much way to deal with the deep-sea demon clan, allowing the sea demon clan to thrive and grow.

"All monsters, please rise, follow me to the Demon God Temple, and your expectations shall not be disappointed…"

The Demon Queen told the monsters that the sea demons had been subdued, but aside from force, they also needed some rewards. So, the Demon Queen instructed the sea’s Demon Kings to learn the magic of the monsters to motivate and strengthen them.

The sea monsters had no choice but to thank the Demon Queen. Even though they could hide in the deep sea, they were aware that human activities on the sea would eventually lead to confrontation with them.

"Fox King, how is the war on the front lines progressing now?"

Dismissing the monsters, the Demon Queen asked the Heavenly Fox Demon King about the progress of the front-line battles, which were under the command of the Heavenly Fox Demon King.

"Countless monster casualties, yet we still cannot break through the humans’ final defense line. The humans are fighting to the death and refuse to retreat."

"What about our weapon supplies?"

"The results are not good. Although the humans we left behind can produce a few technological weapons, many things are blocked by humans. Until the recovery of spiritual energy, human warfare has shifted to the sky. Fangzhang Continent is lacking in this regard."

"Please elaborate."

"Yes, Demon Queen."

"Then the Heavenly Fox Demon King, in the process of occupying the Fangzhang Continent, deliberately left behind a large number of elite human beings. Faced with the threat of their strength, these humans all surrendered to the demon clan.

The military and economic level of Fangzhang Continent is one step higher than Penglai before. There are production lines for a majority of light weapons and a small portion of heavy weapon manufacturing capabilities. They also seized a large amount of ammunition.

However, when the Heavenly Fox Demon King tried to utilize these resources, they encountered resistance from the humans, such as missiles. The humans directly disabled their targeting systems, rendering the missiles useless as they couldn’t hit their targets. Some advanced missiles exported from Huaxia to Fangzhang Continent had backdoors, so once launched, they couldn’t reach the human positions and ended up harming themselves.

Similar situations occurred with other weapons like robots. They were rendered useless and became piles of scrap metal. Therefore, the Heavenly Fox Demon King had to continue learning. Only then did they realize that before the recovery of spiritual energy, the human’s competitive focus was on the technology in the sky, such as the global positioning system. Without it, other countries would be at a disadvantage.

"Satellites, space stations, Lunar Base. It seems we need to find a way to destroy them."

Upon hearing these words, the Demon Queen’s killing intent surged. Facing the suppression of human technological weapons, the demon clan was in a miserable state and they had to find a way to seize the opportunity to win.

"Demon Queen, it is necessary to destroy these things. I have asked those humans about it. Technological weapons are very precious and delicate. If an environmental factor hinders them, they may become unusable. If we can destroy the human satellites in the sky, the human’s power will decrease by more than thirty percent."

"I understand. I will make the arrangements."

The Demon Queen nodded. Since she found this weak spot, she would figure out a way to fight back.

········

In the battlefield, Ning Li was covered in dirt, not even showing his eyes. He restrained his presence and shrank his consciousness, making him look like a rock to outsiders.

But Ning Li wasn’t playing around. He was carefully planning a capture mission. The Huaxia Spiritual Energy Research Institute had a huge demand for samples of supernatural beings. Each supernatural being, dead or alive, would bring high merits.

Ning Li needed merits because he was already in the later stage of the golden core realm. He would soon face the Nascent Soul realm. The treasures of the Nascent Soul realm were very precious. Even with someone backing him up, he needed merits to silence others. He couldn’t let the higher-ups have a hard time, right?

"Beware, a Blood Moon Demon Spider of the third stage is weaving a web three hundred meters ahead of you…"

After some time passed, Ning Li heard a very faint voice in his earpiece, alerting him. While humans hunted supernatural beings, the supernatural beings were also hunting humans. The Blood Moon Demon Spider was definitely trying to trap and kill the cultivators.

More information kept coming through the earpiece, and finally, Ning Li took action. He burst out of the dirt, released a large number of bombs from his storage bag, and bombarded the group of Blood Moon Demon Spiders ahead.

The ordinary Blood Moon Demon Spiders quickly turned to blood foam, but the third-stage Blood Moon Demon Spider instantly grew thousands of times larger, becoming a huge monster. It shot out a web towards Ning Li.

"Spiritual Fire"

Ning Li roared loudly, and then a spiritual fire appeared on his body, burning away the attacking spider silk. He also summoned a specially made spear and continuously shot at the Blood Moon Demon Spider.

The weapon he used was not bullets, but a special tranquilizer dart, a new product from the Spiritual Energy Research Institute. The dart was infused with spiritual power to penetrate defenses, and the tranquilizer could even knock out a fourth-rank Demon King.

Of course, the tranquilizer didn’t take effect immediately. By the time the Blood Moon Demon Spider realized the danger and tried to escape, Ning Li blocked its path with a flying sword that moved with great agility.

At the same time, he contacted the command center and soon dozens of drones appeared nearby, bombing the demon reinforcements that were approaching.

A few minutes later, the Blood Moon Demon Spider’s movements became sluggish as it struggled against the effects of the tranquilizer. Despite its efforts, it couldn’t resist the tranquilizer.

Ning Li used a magical rope artifact to bind the Blood Moon Demon Spider, then moved in to cut off its claws and fangs. He quickly flew towards the human camp, with numerous cannons firing at the demon reinforcements behind him.

"Senior Brother Ning, quickly come in!"

A group of cultivators arrived to assist, allowing Ning Li to swiftly enter the base and leave the Blood Moon Demon Spider in their care. There was always someone to take over, as nobody would belittle his achievements, thanks to having powerful support.

"Big Brother Ning"

"Big Brother Ning"

Many people in the base saw Ning Li and came to greet him. They congratulated him on his achievements in battles, and Ning Li kept responding.

In the evening, Ning Li and a few familiar golden core cultivators were eating in the small cafeteria. In Huaxia, the hierarchy is strict. There is no concept of military and official positions being integrated. Soldiers are soldiers, and generals are generals. Different levels of treatment can motivate others to bravely fight enemies.

So, this small cafeteria is a symbol of status. Either you have reached the golden core level in cultivation, or you have reached a certain level of official position. There are not many people there.

The group would also discuss the generous treatment they currently enjoy. For example, the food they eat here is highly unusual in Huaxia’s society, and considered top-notch ingredients. They can eat as much as they want buffet-style. This superior treatment makes them very happy.

"Ning Li, Lin Liyan is here."

While they were drinking wine and eating monster meat, suddenly someone said. Ning Li, Lin Liyan has been making a name for himself on the battlefield recently. It is said that he has mastered the Slaying God Spear to perfection. With only an early golden core cultivation level and without relying on any technological weapons, he has killed three-level mid-stage monsters. He has earned the favor of the ancestors in Cloud Mountain, they say he has the style of the old ancestor of the Lin family…

"Big Brother Ning, Lin Liyan has recently been very prominent on the battlefield. It is said that he has perfected the Slaying God Spear. With just an early golden core cultivation level, and without any technological weapons, he has bravely slain three mid-stage monsters. He has earned the admiration of the ancestors in Cloud Mountain and is said to have the charisma of the old ancestor of the Lin family…"

Ning Li heard some information about Lin Liyan, who is a big shot’s son in Huaxia and the most outstanding descendant of the Lin family. They have strong connections. The old ancestor of Cloud Mountain is Lin Liyan’s teacher’s sister and Lin Liyan is greatly favored by the old ancestor, who has given him top-notch techniques and treasures.

Ning Li didn’t say much. He already understood the relationships among the elders in Huaxia. He knew he couldn’t compare background-wise, but in terms of talent, he believed in himself.

"Senior Brother Ning, don’t you have anything to say?"

"What’s there to say? Our background isn’t as good as theirs. There’s nothing to discuss. And remember, we are among the billions of students practicing cultivation. If there’s competition, we can handle it. Are we afraid of internal competition?"

Ning Li chuckled. Among the new generation of cultivators in Huaxia, there were many small groups. The people around him didn’t have strong backgrounds; they relied on their talents.

Having experienced intense competition, he was considered the best among the best. Since reaching the foundational stage, he barely slept, spending all his time studying or practicing cultivation. The benefits from consuming the flesh of magical beasts were the only sustenance he needed.

Ning Li, who rose to the top in this tough environment, wasn’t afraid of those rich young masters. He believed that no one could outperform him in competition, and he trusted that there was still some fairness at the top. The treasures for infant transformation would surely have his share.