Chapter 252 – Giant Spirit God and One-Punch Martial Maniac

The Undead Legion also halted outside the Land of Filth.

Shifting from an offensive formation to a defensive one, they began eliminating the surrounding monsters while simultaneously reducing their energy consumption.

“According to the Lord’s instructions, Bone Four, you will remain outside to provide support,” Isloria said.

Bone Four nodded. The strategy had been arranged long ago. It was precisely because troops needed to be commanded and stationed that the Lord had chosen it to lead the legion.

Bone Four understood the underlying meaning.

The focus was on defense and stability.

The role of their Undead Legion was not to eradicate the swarming monsters. They needed to tighten their formation, avoid the brunt of the monster waves, and recover from the consumption incurred during their advance.

If the assault team encountered difficulties in battle, they might need to escort the commanders to retreat.

Their responsibilities were heavy.

And it, Nigula Four, would absolutely carry out the mission directives with utmost reliability.

Isloria then took out several Icy Purity Potions that had been refined not long ago. Distributing them to everyone, she added, “The potions aren’t a cure-all. They can only significantly slow down the erosion speed of the Crimson Mist’s filth on us. If we don’t sustain severe injuries, after taking the potion, we’ll have approximately 4 to 6 hours of complete safety… Since there’s no detailed data, the exact duration can’t be precisely estimated.”

“After that, we’ll inevitably be afflicted with debuffs such as ‘Mental Fatigue,’ ‘Dizziness,’ ‘Bloodshot Eyes,’ and so on… Then, after some time, symptoms like ‘Auditory Hallucinations’ and ‘Visual Illusions’ will appear… If we reach this stage and still haven’t purified the Foul Nest, we’ll have no choice but to execute a tactical retreat.”

Dolai: “Oh, oh, oh.”

Wait, how many stages did she just mention?

Well, it’s not important anyway.

“Alright, that’s it. Let’s go.”

Dolai waved its hand grandly.

It tilted its head back and gulped down the potion in one go. Instantly, it felt as if a clear stream was flowing through its body, eventually rushing into the sea of its consciousness. Its entire mind became clear and refreshed, and then…

That was it.

There wasn’t any particular taste either.

The vanguard team immediately assembled.

Dolai, Isloria, Lu Liu, Red Robe, Rakshasa, Uta, Laney, Xiliu.

In addition to the eight commanders, there were ten squadron leaders and platoon leaders from the Garrison Legion, all of whom possessed the rank of Outstanding Three Stars and had cultivated their levels to the mid-to-high stages of the Elite rank.

A total of eighteen powerful individuals stepped into the land tainted by filth.

Immediately, the Crimson Mist assailed their faces.

From the outside, the Foul Lands were shrouded in drifting red mist, making it impossible to see clearly. Only by stepping inside did one truly understand the horror of this place.

The sky, the ground—everything in sight was saturated with an ominous red.

Visibility was extremely low. After walking inward for just a short while, they could no longer see the scenery outside. It felt as if they were deeply trapped, with enemies lurking in every direction.

Hum—

Around Isloria, one Starlight Orb after another flew out, scattering like hovering machinery. Beams of light shot from the orbs’ cores, bang bang bang, blasting the surrounding charging monsters into smithereens.

This technique of hers was both a skill and a special creation.

She had modified the orbs, which were originally just manifestations of a skill, transforming them into tangible equipment and tools.The advantage of this approach lies in its ability to store spells, cast them instantaneously, and even accumulate energy within the equipment in advance, using Soul Sand to substitute for spell consumption. To some extent, this compensates for Isloria’s lack of endurance.

It’s not that she lacks endurance—it’s just that she can’t compare to unreasonable beings like Dolai.

“This Red Mist Zone not only obstructs vision but also confuses perception and distorts space to some extent, just like in the Chaos Forest… It won’t be easy for us to locate the Root of Filth.”

“Of course, this won’t stump me—it just requires a bit of time.”

While the others provided cover and eliminated monsters, Isloria controlled her floating spell sphere to fly out. The sphere emitted a soft “beep-beep-beep” sound as it conducted energy detection.

Generally, the Root of Filth and Foul Nests inevitably gather large amounts of energy. Even if this energy is deeply concealed within the roots, careful detection can reveal unusual energy reactions.

This allows them to locate the Root of Filth more directly and precisely, instead of wandering aimlessly through the Foul Lands, relying on luck to find it.

However, the interference from the Crimson Mist is too severe. It will take her some time to detect the energy reactions.

“Is the Crimson Mist too dense?” Dolai asked.

Isloria nodded. “Moreover, this Crimson Mist isn’t energy but an indescribable substance that cannot be dispelled…”

Just then, Xiliu spewed roaring flames, and Lu Liu swept his spear, unleashing a violent shockwave—yet none of this affected the thick Crimson Mist drifting around.

It was as if the mist threads existed in a different dimension.

Yet they could still directly impact them.

Isloria had once considered researching the Crimson Mist, but the project was stillborn before it even began. She couldn’t even find a way to collect the mist, let alone study it.

Her thoughts were still turning, and she hadn’t finished speaking when she saw Dolai…

The mount beneath Dolai, the Slime, suddenly opened its mouth wide and took a forceful inhale.

Inhale—

The surrounding flames, shockwaves, and air were all sucked into the Slime’s abdominal cavity, along with visible threads of red mist.

The world… or at least the Crimson Mist in the vicinity, had noticeably thinned.

Was this even a solution?

Wait, could it even absorb the Crimson Mist?

Isloria hurried forward, lifted Dolai’s eyelids, and poked the Slime’s belly. “Good, it seems unaffected. But try not to inhale too much Crimson Mist.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. Dolai won’t actually digest this Crimson Mist. Dolai is very smart.”

Mainly because it tastes terrible.

Perhaps Dolai really is a genius, Isloria thought, and quickly took advantage of the thinned mist to scan the surroundings.

Soon,

“Found it.”

“If the detection is accurate, there are three Roots of Filth remaining here, along with the final main nest. The main nest is in this direction, and…”

Isloria pointed to one location. “The energy over there is extremely chaotic. An intense battle is underway—likely a subjugation team organized by other Lords.”

She looked at Lu Liu.

Lu Liu pondered for a moment and said, “Hmm, to be cautious, we need to unite all available forces.”The heavenly rewards from purifying the Foul Nest were undoubtedly tempting, but if any mishap occurred during the purification process, the entire Tianyuan Territory could face the risk of collapse.

Therefore, the heavenly rewards and such were secondary; the core mission was purifying the nest.

Isloria nodded. “Under normal circumstances, there wouldn’t be only three segments of the Root of Filth in this region—they must have been purified by this expedition team… However, their combat positions haven’t changed for quite some time. It seems the situation isn’t looking good for this team.”

Lu Liu spoke up, “In that case, let’s split into two groups. I’ll go support this expedition team, while Young Miss Isloria and the rest of you handle the Root of Filth.”

After a moment’s consideration, Isloria found the plan feasible.

Since this unseen team had managed to eliminate some Roots of Filth, they couldn’t be weak. Preserving this team would help share some of their pressure—absolutely worthwhile.

Moreover…

She glanced at Laney.

She was well aware of Laney’s epic ability, ‘Absolute Radiance Barrier,’ and had tested it briefly earlier. It provided some resistance to the Crimson Mist’s erosion, purified negative status effects, healed injuries, and more.

However, Laney couldn’t sustain it for long, and the ability truly showcased its value only when covering a sufficiently large number of targets. Using it solely on their group of over a dozen seemed somewhat wasteful, and it didn’t synergize well with Rakshasa Red Robe at all.

It appeared now that the Lord had foreseen this.

“Alright, let’s proceed with this plan.”

Lu Liu would lead Laney, Uta, and ten captain-level officers to support the reinforcements.

Isloria would lead Dolai, Rakshasa, and other powerful fighters straight to the heart of the matter.

“Everyone, be careful.”

…

“Watch out! Be careful!”

Somewhere within the Foul Lands.

A powerful expedition team of over a hundred members, most of whom were Third Order or stronger, was trapped in a vast tide of monsters.

Flames soared into the sky;

The earth shattered;

A massive earth-rock Dragon monster charged recklessly forward;

A Lord shouted, frantically scanning his surroundings. Monsters surged from all directions, relentlessly assaulting their defensive lines, terrifying the minor Lords who served merely as purification tools. They feared they might be overwhelmed and perish in the horde at any moment.

“Seniors, please think of something!”

They cried out, but even seasoned Lords like Mad Blade wore grim expressions as they fought desperately against the monsters, unable to tear through the encirclement.

Instead, more and more fighters began to sustain injuries.

The balance was gradually tipping.

Their initial purification efforts had proceeded smoothly, swiftly eliminating four Roots of Filth. However, soon, an increasing number of monsters surged from the depths of the Land of Filth, surrounding them completely.

“At least… at least over twenty-four Fourth Order monsters!”

Even if most of them had just reached the Fourth Order, they were still Fourth Order.

The expedition team was vastly outnumbered by the monster horde. Their original plan relied on top-tier experts breaking through the monster tide to directly assault the depths of the Land of Filth, purifying segment after segment of the Root of Filth.

They intended to purify and retreat immediately, avoiding prolonged engagement with the monsters.

But now, hindered by the Fourth Order monsters within the tide, they couldn’t break through. Even maintaining their defensive formation was proving difficult.Were it not for top-tier experts like the Demonflame King Rider holding the front lines, rushing to critical points and repelling Fourth Order monsters one after another, they would have collapsed long ago.

Even so…

“Why are there so many high-level monsters?”

Even the seasoned Vastwave Lord was trembling with fear.

Mad Blade unleashed a saber beam dozens of meters long, injuring a Fourth Order monster before swiftly rolling back into formation.

He said, “After all, our understanding of Foul Nests is limited, and data on newly-formed Foul Nests is particularly scarce. Encountering unexpected situations is always possible.”

Vastwave Lord interrupted him, “Brother Saber, now is not the time for such thoughts. You need to make a decision quickly—you’re the temporary commander after all.”

They added, “What if we call in the Legion for an all-out assault?”

Mad Blade frowned deeply.

Without medicinal support, a Military Soul Legion could only remain in the Foul Lands for at most half an hour.

“And we still have at least three segments of the Root of Filth left to purify. We must reserve the Legion as our trump card for critical moments. Otherwise, this mission will inevitably end in failure, and once we fail…”

There would be no second chance.

The entire Stone Ridge Region would become a dead zone, hundreds of territories would fall, and hundreds of thousands of people would be devoured by monsters.

“But Brother Saber, if we don’t bring in the Legion now, we won’t be able to hold out any longer. If the expedition team suffers heavy losses, we’ll have even less chance of success.”

“…” Mad Blade tightened his grip on his saber hilt. “You’re right, Brother Wave.”

He immediately contacted the Legion commander stationed outside.

Suddenly, a Black Knight at the front lines was drenched in blood as a high-level crimson-capped goblin trampled over its corpse and broke through their formation.

The already precarious and poorly coordinated military formation immediately developed a breach.

More monsters surged toward this opening.

The Lords protected within the formation widened their eyes as the cold glint of blades grew larger in their vision.

Suddenly, an arrow shimmering with starlight pierced through this Third Order crimson-capped goblin.

One after another, radiant arrows flew out from deep within the Crimson Mist, like homing missiles precisely striking the monsters’ eyes, hearts, necks, and vulnerable spots.

Only then did the sonic booms from the arrows piercing through the air finally reach them, overlapping with the explosive sounds of the arrows detonating upon impact, echoing across the battlefield.

“Are those explosive arrows?”

“Reinforcements!”

A Lord stared in astonishment.

A golden light flashed deep within the Crimson Mist, transforming into a golden thread that extended toward them.

At the end of this golden thread was a golden cube that halted at the center of the expedition team and unfolded into a massive hemispherical barrier.

Inside the barrier, gentle Holy Light showered down.

The warriors felt as if they had been injected with adrenaline, their wounds rapidly healing.

It was then that figures gradually emerged from deep within the Crimson Mist—a gentle woman in white-gold robes with her hands clasped together, reciting prayers. Hanging from her collar was a crescent-shaped accessory emitting a soft radiance.

This was the exceptional-grade equipment ‘Archmage’s Tear,’ serving as Laney’s hidden backup energy source.

Surrounding Laney were ten junior commanders acting as her guards.

Six Star Commanders and four Fearless Generals.

The Fearless Generals held heavy shields, positioned at the four corners, their four pairs of spread golden wings enveloping the area completely, leaving not the slightest gap uncovered.Six Star Commanders continuously shot arrows, harvesting the lives of the monsters with their magnificent archery skills.

These reinforcements were all quite capable in strength, but their numbers were far too few.

The arrival of the reinforcements prevented the tragedy of the expeditionary force’s front line being torn apart, but it was far from enough to turn the tide.

However, it was at least a shot in the arm, boosting the morale of the previously disheartened Lords somewhat.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The earth trembled as a massive shadow slowly emerged from the Crimson Mist.

Its rock-like body was entwined with withered vines, from which eerie red flowers bloomed, creating an exceptionally bizarre sight.

It was a Mountain Giant!

Embedded in this Mountain Giant was a segment of the Root of Filth, continuously spreading filth and misfortune from its center.

“Damn it!”

The Mad Blade City Lord’s heart rang with alarm.

This Mountain Giant was undoubtedly the most terrifying monster before them. Once it charged, no one could stop it.

If they held their ground, they would be shattered by the giant.

If they retreated and repositioned, their already uncoordinated formation would surely collapse on the spot.

Advancing was not an option, nor was retreating.

And the Mountain Giant had already slightly bent its knees, adopting a running stance aimed directly at their expeditionary force.

A tower-like black-armored warrior had appeared unnoticed within the monster tide, positioned on the direct line between them and the Mountain Giant.

His black armor was covered in a faint golden radiance, flowing and flickering like flames.

Countless monsters pounced on him, piling up into a hill-like mound of creatures.

The next moment—

Boom——!!

The monster pile exploded, flesh and blood scattering in all directions.

Amid the rain of blood stood the shield-bearing black-armored warrior.

He took one step, two steps, three steps forward, not only avoiding being trapped in the monster quagmire but moving faster with each stride. Gripping his giant shield with both hands, he swung it, causing monsters in all directions to explode upon impact, their flesh and corpses sent flying dozens of meters away.

He repelled and shattered the surging tide of monsters again and again.

But,

The Mountain Giant had already begun its charge, sending any monsters in its path flying with thunderous crashes.

It stood dozens of meters tall.

At the same Rank, no one could stop it—not even a coalition of several or more than a dozen experts. This was a difference in sheer mass.

The black-armored warrior seemed as insignificant as an insect before the Mountain Giant.

Yet, from his small body, golden radiance blazed fiercely.

People seemed to glimpse a towering, majestic golden giant spanning heaven and earth.

“No, it’s not just a glimpse.”

The golden giant manifested from the clouds, gradually becoming clearer.

He wore magnificent Treasure Armor, with every pattern on it seemingly visible in detail.

He wielded the same weapon as the black-armored warrior and performed the same sweeping motion.

Bang——!

Lu Liu swept out his several-meter-wide Heavy Mountain Shield, sending the monsters before him flying as if struck by a train. Their weapons snapped, claws shattered, and then their entire bodies were flung backward—only to twist, bend, break, and explode under the immense force!

Blood and fragments sprayed out in a fan shape.

The Fearless Great Mountain Divine Venerable swept out his hundred-meter-wide golden heavy shield, passing over Lu Liu and countless monsters to collide head-on with the charging Mountain Giant.

It was like a meteor impact. A terrifying shockwave swept out from the point of collision in all directions.

Beneath the cover of the wind and waves, crisp “crack, crack, crack” sounds could be heard.

The Mountain Giant’s stone armor was shattering.

Lu Liu swept again.Fearless Great Mountain Divine Venerable took a step forward.

Boom——!!!

The divine shield swept out, sending the colossal creature dozens of meters tall flying backward before crashing to the ground, crushing countless monsters beneath it.

The area before the black-armored powerhouse had been cleared.

He stood alone amidst the tide of monsters, yet it seemed as though he had surrounded the entire horde.

A single man could hold back a thousand armies; a single man could guard a nation’s gates.

“This… is too fierce!”

“What was that just now? I felt as if I had witnessed a god!”

Mad Blade City Lord murmured, his saber swings growing even more powerful.

The crisis of the Mountain Forest Giant was temporarily resolved, but within the surrounding monster tide, over twenty Fourth Order monsters remained, and even more were surging in from all directions.

Some rushed toward the expedition team, while others charged at Lu Liu.

Many also lunged toward Laney’s squad, which was preparing to reunite with the expedition team but had been hindered by the dense swarm of monsters.

Within the squad, there was one unremarkable soldier with no outstanding achievements.

It was Uta.

“My turn.”

He took a deep breath.

Two red shackles appeared at his wrists, then slowly faded away.

At his ankles, two more red shackles emerged, dissolving and vanishing.

Returning to his normal state, he let out a low shout.

“Open.”

Red chains surged from within his body, cracking, shattering, and then exploding.

A violent red aura erupted around Uta.

A Fourth Order Obsidian Gargoyle dove straight toward Laney.

Whoosh!

Uta dashed forward, soaring into the air ten times faster than a cannonball, instantly appearing before the Obsidian Gargoyle.

In that moment of extreme speed, everything around him seemed to slow to a crawl.

Uta threw a punch.

A simple strike, yet infused with the Major Achievement of Fist Intent.

Crack—

The fist, enveloped in red aura, pierced through the Obsidian Gargoyle’s skull as if shattering rotten wood, then withdrew.

Uta spun around and stomped violently, energy erupting from the sole of his foot.

He shot back to the ground, the earth shattering beneath him as the surrounding monsters turned to dust.

Only then did the Obsidian Gargoyle in midair seem to realize what had happened, flapping its wings in panic before its head exploded, leaving the bulk of its body to crash to the ground with a dull thud.

Boom—

Uta was now rampaging through the battlefield.

With every punch and kick, he moved with even greater ferocity than Lu Liu, causing every monster he grazed to burst apart with a series of pops.

His gaze swept across the surroundings like that of a crimson Vicious Beast as he lunged at the Fourth Order monsters within the tide.

At the nine o’clock position on the expedition team’s perimeter.

Mad Blade City Lord was slashing out wave after wave of saber energy, desperately cutting down the surrounding monsters while exchanging blows with a Fourth Order Minotaur Chieftain not far away.

Suddenly,

the Minotaur Chieftain, which had just retreated, froze mid-movement. It attempted to turn and defend but seemed a step too slow—its face had already caved in, pierced by a fist’s force, with flesh and blood spraying from the back of its skull.

The tall and imposing figure crashed to the ground.

Mad Blade City Lord stood frozen for half a second, saber in hand. “What was that just now…?”

He had vaguely glimpsed a crimson figure flash by.

At the two o’clock position on the expedition team’s perimeter.

Demonflame King Rider was single-handedly suppressing several Fourth Order monsters while occasionally unleashing a fist beam to rescue others in peril.

But he was growing anxious.

Though he had restrained several powerful foes, he was also pinned down by them. Every time he tried to eliminate one, the others would interfere, repeatedly thwarting his attempts to break the stalemate.

Suddenly,

Thud—A powerful mutated red-capped goblin exploded, leaving no trace of its body.

A figure shrouded in crimson flames appeared behind the goblin.

He radiated a savage and primal aura, more monstrous than any monster, more vicious than any Vicious Beast.

“Dragon’s power… Great Whirlwind!”

The burly man growled low, his figure instantly vanishing from the Demonflame King Rider’s sight.

He could only faintly glimpse a crimson Qi current sweeping sideways in a straight line.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Countless monsters shattered into pieces.

Including two Fourth Order monsters.

Kicked directly by Uta, broken by the kick.

He pressed his advantage, his figure flashing again to appear above the Fourth Order Earth Rock Dragon.

The chaotic flames and arrows flying around were swept aside by the violent energy waves surrounding him before they could even touch him.

He threw a punch downward toward the Earth Rock Dragon’s head.

Boom—

The Earth Rock Dragon’s head slammed into the ground, scales cracking and shattering, a large section caving inward.

Uta panted.

“Intentional Blast Fist!”

Boom—

The Earth Rock Dragon’s entire head sank into the ground, half of it shattered.

Bracing himself with his palms, the crimson Qi flames around Uta flickered unsteadily.

After all, the time since his Awakening of the ‘Flesh Shackles’ hadn’t been long, and his training in the shackles hadn’t been extensive enough—his body’s capacity was still relatively limited.

Instantly killing several Fourth Order enemies was already a glorious achievement.

But,

But it wasn’t enough.

“My blood is boiling so fiercely—how can it just stop here!”

“Ahhhhhhh—”

Human willpower responds to one’s truest desires.

At this moment, Uta’s Willpower Light ignited!

His condition returned to its Peak and remained constant there.

“Dragon Force Whirlwind!”

“Intentional Blast Fist!”

Bang—!

Bang—!

Two powerful Fourth Order monsters exploded one after another, their entire bodies blasted open with massive holes of Flesh.

The Demonflame King Rider simply stared blankly at the scene before him, almost forgetting what he was doing.

But Uta hadn’t forgotten.

East, West, North… the Lords and their officers, locked in fierce combat with formidable foes, suddenly saw a Red Shadow flash before their eyes—and the enemy they had been struggling against for so long had their entire head or body burst apart.

Some powerful monsters reacted and assumed defensive stances, but even then, their arms shattered, followed by their chests caving in, ending their lives.

Before the crimson figure, no monster could withstand a single punch or kick from him.

In the blink of an eye, the number of Fourth Order monsters slain by Uta had reached sixteen or seventeen.

The crisis had been resolved.

Only then, at Lu Liu’s call, did he return to his own squad.

He began to pant heavily.

His smile remained brilliant—this battle had been truly exhilarating!

(End of Chapter)